Sherpa warning contains XXX Sherpa content

[scooters]

A busy day getting the Sherpa sorted out - there is a LOT to do before Easter when we plan to get away camping for a couple of nights.

 

Anyway - a few photos post winter shows the problems

 

roof up in the rain for a cuppa

 

the snow got a lot worse than this:

 

 

 

The bodywork has suffered in the conditions

 

here- under the windscreen:

 

 

 

on the rear door - water has been getting in the perished seals - these doors were supposed to have been rebuilt 3 years ago for about £300 each - looks like the chap forgot to rustproof this one - he also replaced the original window seal which is cracked and old and has been letting water in

 

 

resulting in this damage to the interior woodwork - the cupboard on the door still works but is badly water damaged

 

more rust spots on the offside rear quarter

 

A nice crack by the bonnet - hate to think what is happening under this!

 

ands some wheel arch spotting

 

 

on the whole, apart form the rear door and the windscreen it's not too bad and even at the windscreen nothhing more than a few hours work to keep at bay.

 

The underside has no photos and is pretty clean - no severe corrosion and the chassis is made of tough stuff BUT I'm going to splash out on some Epoxy paint and seal it all at some point in the next few months.

[scooters]

Moving to the inside - like a seaside resorts, there is nothing more sad looking that the inside of an old campervan in the winter

 

The Cab is in a bit of a state and badly needs sorting - the driver's seat is in a poor state with years of fat arses

 

 

causing the rubber diaphragm to die

a new one is on order and rather than pay through the odds to re-upholster the seats - they will be getting genuine sheepskin covers fom a firm in Germany which sells ones that fit classics

 

The cab floor

 

 

has this thick black rubberlike cover over the soundproofing - I'm going to take it out, treat and paint the floor which is damp but not too bad - water seems to be coming down the antenna hole - I'm going to make a template for a carpet and put all this back in with a new carpet on top to help with sound insulation - these are noisy beasts

 

 

 

The roof has survived reasonably well

 

the retaining strap which ensures it doesn't over topple when being put up has broken and will need replaced - not a fun job as the original was rivited to the roof!

 

 

some fun and games with aged seals causing water ingress -

 

damp wood on the inside but not too extensive

 

 

this daylight shouldn't be here!

 

 

Inside the roof looking aft

 

 

forward is in better condition

 

under the dash the wires will need sorted:

 

 

A new fuse box will have to go in 0 this one is in very bad condition

 

 

Gawd knows what this does - maybe it is somthing to do with recharging the leisure battery?

 

 

The gas system is in good condition but the fridge is knackered

 

I'm gonna bin the fridge and not replace it - buy a big 12v coolbox instead and fit an additional leisure battery

there is an additional underfloor gasbottle storgae space

 

Dash is pure 70's porn and original apart from the stereo and the fag lighter I installed

 

[scooters]

under the bonnet - lots of fun and games

 

well, I had blown the head gasket

 

 

-

 

why have water when you can have coffee!!

 

I rennovated the charging relay for the leisure battery and replaced a couple of fuses

 

 

I then added a bottle of K Seal to sort the gasket - after 30 mins the engine began to sound better and slightly warm air came into the cab...but still not very hot...

 

I went for a spin and tested the engine out for power but although much better - the leak between 2 and 3 is obviously sorted now - it wasn't quite all there

 

anyway

 

got home and decided to whip out the thermostat to test it - took ages of wrestling to get the housing off without damaging the studs - I think it has been years since it was last off and surprise surprise -

 

 

no thermostat!

 

The housing is nasty and ancient

 

when you look at the radiator it is hardly surprising that someone had taken it out

 

 

 

so - I will order a new theormostat, housing and gaskets and will try and source a new radiator - my Sherpa has the expansion tank so the radiator is the one shared with the Marina and Ital.

 

I think it has been running for years with no thermostat and hope it hasn't caused too much engine wear - the encouraging thing is I've been getting 30mpg on a run as things are at the moment - I am looking forward to this imporving once the cooling is sorted.

 

So - I'll have to save up for a new radiator but it should make a hell of a diffrence:

 

other jobs include:

 

source and fit an new leisure battery

remove fridge

fix seats

fit rear belts - somehow!

flush the water tank

launder the curtains and cushions

varnish the wood work

grind down/treat and paint the rusty bits

fettle the grill

underseal the van

get some cavity wax in it

 

that's before I even start looking at converting our tent into a drive away awning!!!

 

be cheaper going to Spain!

[Split_Pin]

That looks a lovely old thing It looks like it will give give you lots of nice summer motoring.

 

There was a V-reg Transit camper that has sat opposite my house sinve November, but its now away, hopefully with its owner in a layby by Loch Ness or something!

[scooters]

That looks a lovely old thing It looks like it will give give you lots of nice summer motoring.

 

There was a V-reg Transit camper that has sat opposite my house sinve November, but its now away, hopefully with its owner in a layby by Loch Ness or something!

 

 

I think the plan is the boy and I will try it out for a night when the weather finally turns! Probably somewhere near home - Beecraigs - not too far from your gaff Iain!

[M'coli]

That does look good! Shame about the water damage to the woodwork. What size is the fridge, dimension-wise? The reason I ask is that we find that the 12v coolbox is a bit limiting and difficult to keep cool; having a fridge in the van is a great piece of kit.

[scooters]

That does look good! Shame about the water damage to the woodwork. What size is the fridge, dimension-wise? The reason I ask is that we find that the 12v coolbox is a bit limiting and difficult to keep cool; having a fridge in the van is a great piece of kit.

 

 

The fridge is quite small. It's the original Electrolux Travelux RAM10B - 2 way fridge. Neither the 'leccy nor the burner is working - I could get it fixed but it takes up a whole cupboard for not a lot of return. Modern Dometic fridges designed to fit in Type 2s and 25s would fit this cupboard and have a great deal more storage space but they cost nearly £500 new - although they are 3 way.

 

There is a lack of storage in the van and I would like to reclaim the cupboard if possible. I won't remove the gas pipes or flue so if we decided to install another fridge in the future we can.

 

Coolbox wise I have been asking the "scene" types on their insufferable VW Van forums and those decent enough to speak to me have suggested spending about £100 on a 12v/240v 50lt cool box - the idea being you plug it into the mains before you go and pack it out with ice packs as well - this can live in the awning when - use 240 hook up ar campsites and 122v leisure battery when not. It is a bit of a conudndrum - before I do anything I may well have the engineers look at the existing fridge - afterall a decent 2 way coolbox will cost £100, and an additional leisure battery will be another £100....

 

this camper malarkay is gettng expensive!

[scooters]

speaking of water damage- the damp roofwork I'll treat and will be fine - I'll need to check a seal there.

 

The door cupboard is a bit more of an issue - 2 panels in it are especially bad but the others will just need a sanding and a varnishing.

 

Next winter I'll remove the unit and replace the damaged panels - they are so well made that basic carpentry will do it.

 

The vehicle is a strange mix of slightly dodgey BL build quality and first class craftmanship from the boys at Autosleeper apparantly the reason why there are quite a few of these MK1s driving around in campervan form is that Autosleeper had them rustproofed again and hand picked vehicles from the production lines...I still have the original autosleeper rust proofing reciept somewhere. Most of the non campers have dissolved - but they would not have had a pampered life like the campervans!

[dollywobbler]

Hmmm. So, did the knackered rad cause it to overheat and pop the gasket, leading someone to ditch the 'stat?

[scooters]

Hmmm. So, did the knackered rad cause it to overheat and pop the gasket, leading someone to ditch the 'stat?

 

 

guess so - only it was me who popped the gasket.....

 

judging by the colour of the interior of the expansion tank - I don't think that my application of K seal was the first this vehicle has had.

 

I suspect that someone blew the gasket some time ago, fixed it with K seal and, rather than replace the rad - (not expensive at about £60 for ondnew stock) they ditched the thermostat and then didn't tell anyone what had happened.

 

I've done 2000 miles since I got the van - I suspect it had done about another 1000 on top of that in the last 4 years - 3000 on an engine with no Thermostat - some of that in cornwall in summer - hmm....

 

not good

 

well, I'll source a new rad and a new thermostat and then flush the coolant system and refill it - hopefully that will sort it - I was considering fitting a kenlowe as well

 

I suspect that my K seal repair will hold now - the compression seems a lot better in 2 and 3 - haven't measured it properly yet.

 

- hell of a racket coming from the valves though - I have read that this is common and an aftermarket solution is to buy a new rocker cover - the new ones are designed to reduce noise. The van didn't have an unleaded head conversion - instead someone installed a Fuel Cat (an inline device) about 10 years ago that is ment too last indefinately. I'm not sure how effective this is.

 

I have ordered an accuspark electronic ignition system - I have fitted it to a Volvo 244 and a Moggy before and it made a hell of a difference to both. Yes I know points and condensors are more origninal but, lets face it leccy ignition is more reliable and when lugging kids etc that's not a bad thing. Accuspark system for the Lucas 45D is only £25 which is a bargain and no modules to fit - it all goes into the dizzy.

[scooters]

splendid - the accuspark electronic ignition turned up today! £27 including postage - a bargain indeed compared to some of them!

 

I also got a new thermostat, gaskets and a tube of gasright for under £10 from Pentland Autoparts in Edinburgh - brilliant place that stocks loads of shite spares - sold me a 4 year warrantly battery for the van in November for £32!!

 

the bad news is that a family friend gave my son some headlight shades and some old rally stickers that the missus has insisted I put on the van for him - I think she is making a point - that it belongs to all of us-

 

I did consider suggesting, if that was the case then oerhaps she wouldn't mind draining the cooling system for me tomorrow morning but I am too much of a coward so merely said:

 

 

yes dear.....

[Mash]

Blimey it's N-reg!

[scooters]

[scooters]

Blimey it's N-reg!

 

Indeed August 74 till July '75

 

the van is a very early model and was built in 1974 but registered by Autosleeper in '75 chassis number shows it was in the first 3000 made - it's the earliest example of a Sherpa Autosleeper conversion I have found to date....

 

difficult to find out much more from the DVLA as this van is not on the DVLA database - I called them about it but the DVLA told me that early 70's commercial vehicles have not yest been added to the base unless informed by the owners..they cannot tell me anything about the vehicle.

 

Autosleeper don't have any records any more and Leyland obviously went bust.

 

let's face it - Sherpa vans are hardly the choice of the classic car enthusiast!!!!

[scooters]

Snow in Edinburgh this morning - good result was a couple of inches fell very quickly and then melted very quickly which enabled me to identify the leaks into the cabs.

 

Tough day today - removed the drivers seat and fitted the MGB diaphragm I'd sourced - only it didn;t fit and had to go in sideways so I wove a mesh of washing line underneath it - reassembled it and refitted it - it has worked a treat.

 

I'm going to have to sort the passenger seat out as well - its on its last legs too

[scooters]

well - a couple of hours in the pissing cold rain yesterday working on the cooling system.

 

I drained the water - more like coffee TBH and full of rusty sludge when I flushed and rverse flushed the radiator. I then flushed the cooling system - at some point I'll take the expansion tank off and give it a good bottle wash inside.

 

fitted as new thermostat with new gaskets and a squirt of gastight, I bolted down the newly painted thermostat cover in hammerite landrover green. sparked her up and brought her up to temerature and - hey presto it all works. Am very happy. As an added bonus I think I might get away with the radiator for a few months as the flush has made a difference and let's face it - it isn't going to be warm in scotland till August anyway.

 

I didn't fit the electronic igniton because it was so wet and I didn't want to end up soaking the inside of the dizzy.

 

This morning I used the van to drive the 17 miles to the office in Fife. I was especially interested to see how well it coped with the two big hills on the A90 - first one at Cramond Brig where you leave Edinburgh and the second one just after you cross the bridge. Any loss of power on the bridge would indicate that the Kseal had failed to fis the head gasket - good news - the van steamed up both hills - maybe lacking a bit of power but I am putting this down to the damage caused to the plugs on 2 and 3 which will need replaced. I'll order a set of HT leads and a new set of plugs when I put the new ignition system in.

 

I have been scratching my head about how to do somthing about the racket the van makes - it is by fat the way the noisiest vehicle I have ever driven. I've done some research and short side exit exhaust systems like on my van only haver the one silencer and were always notoriously noisy - so much so that guys in the Sherpa clubs get pulled over by young cops who think it is blowing. The exhaust tone is a loud phut phut overlaid withg a sort of wheezing peep. I have had a specialist look at it and he laughed at me and welcomed me to the world of 1970s LCVs! It is the right tone - he proved this by playing a recording of a side exit exhaust on a 1976 B series engined Sherpa.

 

I've turned my attention to the engine - the rattle coming from the tappets is very loud. Some research on this has validated what Les at BL Transverse told me when I asked him about it it January - essentially the only way to avoid rattle on a B series is to switch it off! More reserch tells me that the B series is notorious especially in Sherpa/Marina configeration for top end noise. Over about 50k the rockers in the engine start to wear bit - not to justify the cost of taking the engine to bits to fit them. Yes you can play with the clearances but the recommended settings are one of the noisiest. Regular oil changes help - ie every 2000 miles (Sherpa owners manual recommends every 4000). Being a pushrod engine there is a possibility that this could be caused by a slightly bent rod so I may look into this - obviously being a pushrod as well, fixing the rockers is a major job and will have to wait to a full rebuild. The experts I have spoken to suggest checking the clearances and maybe checking the pushrods although that is rare - and living with it. life can be made quieter with regular oil changes and also by buying an alloy rocker cover - these make a big difference and are a popular aftermarket solution the MBG mob use - I had supposed it was vanity but now realise there is a sound reason to do this. You can really understand why BL fitted the O series soon after production started - the B series, tough old lump as it is, is a fairly crude engine.

 

Fuel consumption is a bit high at the moment 0 I am going to fit a new choke cable as the current one is on its last legs and this isn't helpig. I'm going to wait until U've fitted the electronic ignition and the new leads and plugs to see if that makes a difference. I'm sure it will but any suggestions would be very welcome.

 

The seat rebuild and the thermostat have made life a lot more civilised in the van - the heat means that together with a skoosh of febreeze the smell and feeling of damp is being dispelled and the seat gives solid if slightly Merc 200 hard support on the arse and has stoped aggrivating my sciatica. The good news is with the 4 stone I have lost since Christmas I actually fit behind the wheel.

 

I was 40 in February and my sister owes me a pressie - I'm thinking of asking her for a nice wooden motolita steering wheel - the Sherpa one is the same as the Austin 2200 so you can get a boss to fit 0 yes it isn't original but it would make a difference especially as I could get a slightly larger one which would mean I sotp pullin the muscles in my shoulders every time I park the bloody thing!

[Skizzer]

he proved this by playing a recording of a side exit exhaust on a 1976 B series engined Sherpa

 

Is that off some sort of Autoshite gatefold double album, then? Can you download it from iTunes?

 

Nice work, you're pricking my conscience about making some progress on the Golf's lengthening to-do list...

[scooters]

he proved this by playing a recording of a side exit exhaust on a 1976 B series engined Sherpa

 

Is that off some sort of Autoshite gatefold double album, then? Can you download it from iTunes?

 

Nice work, you're pricking my conscience about making some progress on the Golf's lengthening to-do list...

 

 

it is terrifying how quickly a Golf Cabby can go from a nice summer driver to a total shed without you really realising how it happened - my one was a great example of this! They need constant attention but I do like them especially original ones

 

I'll try and get a copy of the sound - it was an MP3 he had so I'll email him

[barefoot]

Can I just recommend that you have another look for a fridge.

Our van came with a cool box & upgrading to a fridge has changed our lives.

It's a 2 way, 12V & gas & I've always run it on gas even when driving.

I think it was about £200 ish and came from Bluebird Customs,

but I can't find one on their website today.

 

Here's a picture of a Sherpa thing that I saw today

 

 

I'm guessing that's the rare twin crew cab edition in a non-standard colour

[Rhythm Thief]

Nice van. I love old campers, started to build myself two over the years (one on an ancient Citroen H Van and one on a Renault Master wheelchair van) but got halfway through both and lost interest ... If I do it again, I'll try and find something like your Sherpa.

[Rocket88]

A caravan breaker may be able to sort you out with a decent s/h fridge. Fuel cats are a waste of time. Do you lob valve seal recession inhibitor in with the pez?

[scooters]

A caravan breaker may be able to sort you out with a decent s/h fridge. Fuel cats are a waste of time. Do you lob valve seal recession inhibitor in with the pez?

 

 

nope - but I probably should - his van had a Fuel Cat fitted 10 years ago and I don't trust it! - would perhaps explain some of the volume of the bag o'spannaz that comes out of the rocker cover!

[scooters]

oh, further Sherpa activity has seen me add window mounted auxiliary wing mirrors - I got a pair for 12 quid and they make a hell of a difference although I baulk at calling them "overtaking mirrors" on a sherpa

 

next jobs are to fit the electronic ignition and source and fit a reversing light - I'd like to find somthing retro and period- maybe a round mini style spot one.

 

after that - the inside needs varnished and then it is sanding, filler, primer and paint time on the bodywork...oh joy!

[scooters]

Can I just recommend that you have another look for a fridge.

Our van came with a cool box & upgrading to a fridge has changed our lives.

It's a 2 way, 12V & gas & I've always run it on gas even when driving.

I think it was about £200 ish and came from Bluebird Customs,

but I can't find one on their website today.

 

Here's a picture of a Sherpa thing that I saw today

 

 

I'm guessing that's the rare twin crew cab edition in a non-standard colour

 

 

QWALITY SHERPAZ PORN MATE

 

beginning to agree with you re fridge.

 

have found a guy in edinburgh who repairs them and he thinks it is pretty straightforward and a £50 fix...so we'll see

[Station]

That's nice. Are you really going to need a fridge? It's not like you'll need to keep something cold if you're not using it for travelling over long periods of time?

Are you going to change the head gasket eventually?

[dollywobbler]

Scooters - have you tried upping the tyre pressures a bit at the front? Did take the edge off the muscle train with my Westy. Think I ended up about 6psi higher than the recommendation (which would have been for crossplies anyway) without issue. It still didn't go around bends!

 

Old vans are noisy. The CF wasn't too bad, but that's only because I'm comparing it to an H van being driven flat out.

[scruff]

You should try a B series diesel Sherpa, they make Land Rovers sound refined!! Well KOOL though in a smoky growly kinda way.

[scooters]

Scooters - have you tried upping the tyre pressures a bit at the front? Did take the edge off the muscle train with my Westy. Think I ended up about 6psi higher than the recommendation (which would have been for crossplies anyway) without issue. It still didn't go around bends!

 

Old vans are noisy. The CF wasn't too bad, but that's only because I'm comparing it to an H van being driven flat out.

 

 

When I got the van in cornwall the handling was lethal because the bint who had it before me had all wheels up to 50 when they should be 38. At. speed it was terrifying....see my op review last august. But I might try a bit more air in the fronts.

 

I will eventually do the head gasket

 

Next winter probably.

 

The fridge is an interesting question. If will mostly be used rough camping in scotland and there is usually a burn to cool the booze. So I might just leave it and use a cool box for sausages. We are unlikely to use the van more than 2 nights at a time.

[Rhythm Thief]

beginning to agree with you re fridge.

 

have found a guy in edinburgh who repairs them and he thinks it is pretty straightforward and a £50 fix...so we'll see

 

Might or might not be worth knowing this, but I had a similar problem with my gas fridge when I lived on a (shite) narrowboat a few years back. The chap I went to ask about fixing it told me to unplumb it and turn it upside down for ten minutes or so (having first emptied it ...). It worked a treat.

[barefoot]

The fridge is an interesting question....

We are unlikely to use the van more than 2 nights at a time.

 

If that's you bag,

a cool box, as suggested on the VW forums

will be more than adequate.

 

Sadly although I have a VW,

we go away in ours for much longer and the fridge is our fave bit of kit.