Skizzer Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 What a fabulous thing this little van is. This is one of my all time favourite AS threads of evah - truly inspiring stuff. Cavcraft 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felly Magic Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 I love microvans like this, perfect for crowded inner city deliveries, and the campers were once a fairly common site in the early to mid 1980s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Is this in Scotland at the moment? I think I passed it on the A93 today , it was being driven by someone who looked like you and it was following a Mini Clubman. Vin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 I've just realised that last picture is from Whalsay, one of the Shetland Islands, so I must have seen it on the return journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheefag Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 God, I'd forgotten all about these!Outstanding job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 Is this in Scotland at the moment? I think I passed it on the A93 today , it was being driven by someone who looked like you and it was following a Mini Clubman. It's Shetland mainland, west, 'Huxter, Sandness' overlooking Papa Stour... Me, my mate and his Mrs went to Shetland for the Classic Motor Show. We got back to Aberdeen 7am on Monday morning and then headed over to Pitlochry... On our way back south now. Should be back home on Saturday, so I can do a full report then... Bucketeer, Angrydicky, dollywobbler and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 Got back this afternoon about 4.30pm. Tired, but it's been a fantastic 2 weeks...From leaving my house to Shetland and back (via various places in between), the van has done 1,255 miles... The only problem I had was this morning when she was struggling to get up the hills round Consett on the A86. She had been running 'lumpy' when we left Otterburn, but I put it down to all the damp fog and mist...but south of Consett that was it...she wasn't playing anymore... Between us we found the points gap had closed up. We fixed that. Still not great, so we took the carb apart and found the float valve had unwound itself and was just pissing fuel into the carb...So we put it all back together and adjusted the timing and it was back on the road running fine (so fine we went up Sutton Bank on the way back, no problems). That took about half an hour, so not bad really... I'll do a proper update tomorrow (I'm gonna watch the football soon...) Here's a picture from when we started off 2 weeks ago...   vulgalour, CGSB, skattrd and 14 others 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 That's pretty impressive for a just-rebuilt van. Â I wouldn't even call the issue you've had an issue,per se, just things settling in properly. Vin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted June 12, 2016 Author Share Posted June 12, 2016 So, I took the van to the Shetland Classic Motor Show. I'd read Sam Glover's article in PC about his trip up to the last show in 2014, so last year me and my mate decided we would attend the 2016 event (it's every two years). So just after christmas we sent off our entry forms and planned a route and booked accommodation. The plan was to do two weeks with the show weekend in the middle. Me in the van and my mate and his mrs in a Morris Cooper S he has been restoring. Due to time constraints and not wanting to rush it, this didn't happen. Instead he took his very scruffy but original 1275GT instead... So this was our planned route. One night in Whitby at friends. Then Whitby to Seahouses via the coast avoiding the main roads. Overnight in Seahouses. Monday was Seahouses to Broughty Ferry. Two nights there. Wednesday travel to Aberdeen for 7pm ferry to Lerwick. Thursday to Sunday on Shetland. Sunday night ferry to Aberdeen. Monday to Pitlochry. Three nights there. Thursday to Falkirk and an overnight. Friday to West Woodburn, south of Otterburn. Saturday back to North Lincolnshire... Ready for the off...  Spot the shite at Saltburn...  Transporter Bridge. We wanted to cross it but it's closed on a Sunday...great photo opp though...  The benefits of being small...tight parking at the old ship inn at Seahouses...  Bamburgh Castle...  We made it to South Queensferry by lunchtime...I'd originally planned a route round the north of Edinburgh via Leith to avoid the centre, but our navigator ended up taking us into the centre and up Princes Street with all the traffic, trams and the tourists...  The Tay bridge...  Waiting for the ferry at Aberdeen. Radio on...   Arriving at a misty Lerwick...  Spiggie Loch  Sumburgh Head, South Mainland...  Friday was a drive to Scalloway. We then split off and went west...  It had to be done...   At the show itself...  Ferry back on the Sunday night...  Sun going down over Fair Isle...  Monday morning. Coffee stop at Ballater on the way to Pitlochry...  Heading to Pitlochry...  Shall we take the Mini or the Rolls today darling...our accommodation at Pitlochry was an apartment in an art deco building built in 1936. It is called 'Highways' and was built to accommodate the chauffers of the guests at the Atholl Palace hotel...  Heading south to Falkirk. Kenmore at the end of Loch Tay...  We then went through Glen Lyon and over the back of Ben Lawers. A route I've driven before and I love it... Bridge of Balgie...  Coos...  Falkirk wheel and the Kelpies...  I'll finish with a great* shot of the Kelpies in my door mirror complete with added lamp post...  We headed to West Woodford via back roads and Kielder water. I think I've seen every reservoir in Scotland No pics though as I didn't really bother as it was pretty foggy and misty... I'll do a proper post about the motor show itself when time allows...               Sigmund Fraud, Angrydicky, scruff and 32 others 35 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 A most impressive trip! great effort and glad the van gave you very little trouble:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worldofceri Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 What a great trip and terrific photos. I love a car ferry;  find them inexplicably exciting. May have to look into doing this in 2018.  I have a strong hankering for a northern road trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 I love driving in Shetland. It has the most favourable expectation to reality ratio of anywhere I've ever driven. I was driving an invisible Transit van when I met you, but you might just remember it because you had to slow down to let me through as there was a ewe with a couple of lambs lying at the edge on your side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felly Magic Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 2 rear wipers on the Mini? Cracking photos there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Fantastic. That's a pretty heroic trip in a just-rebuilt vehicle. As Felly says though, much double rear wiper WIN action going on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spottedlaurel Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Excellent stuff! I presume you didn’t sleep in the back of the van though?..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorniteIdentity Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 Fucksake. If I resign today, jump in the car and just keep driving - be it on your head. Vin and Richard 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted August 7, 2016 Author Share Posted August 7, 2016 Excellent stuff! I presume you didn’t sleep in the back of the van though?..... Ha, no SL, self catering cottages and pubs were the the order of the day...I do intend to make a removable bed frame that can be stored away, for use on overnight/weekend trips away...'Shitefest' for example, I'll probably do that in the spring... This weekend I lined the interior loadspace out. After running round in it, I can now do the cosmetic finishing touches such as this. I took the Marea and trailer out on saturday morning and got some 8' x 4' hardboard sheets. I had kept all the old knackered pieces and used them as templates. It was fairly straight forward as the board sits in channels and is fixed with self tappers...  Looking at the brochures and my microfiche for the van, I am missing a piece of box section to protect the fuel filler pipe. I think I will try and fabricate something... Like this... skattrd, Asimo, somewhatfoolish and 13 others 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skizzer Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 I love this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 I love this thread. Definitely one of the best on here. I need to make time to read all of it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymous user Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 I had missed this, thanks for the update. I like the way the van makes the Mini look big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_senator Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 I just read if from beginning to (current) end, & I Concur, its full of smile inducing Fiat goodness, which is good for ones soul.  I`m even semi-inspired to get on with some of my shite again now.. Top, top work Mr Vin, I look forward to the Fiorino entering in the action, hopefully followed by a X-plate turquoise Ducato, so you`ll be able to fully replicate a Fiat commercials brochure in your own garden!  Vin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted November 18, 2016 Author Share Posted November 18, 2016 I've neglected this thread in recent months and I apologise as I have been doing stuff that has been worthy of an update... First off, back in August, sunday of the bank holiday weekend, I went to MITCAR, which was at Gaydon...Now normally I wouldn't have gone as I've been to Gaydon a lot of times, but I wanted to see the new set up (IMO the new shed is better than the main hall...and is how I envisage my storage/workshop/house when I win the Euromillions) and it would be the first show I took the van to... Some pics...  And. I won a prize!! I got an award for 'Italian rarity'. Which was nice. I also lost and gained new dry storage for the Lombardi. I've had this for 4 years now and all I've done is store it and stop it getting worse!!! Here are some pics from when I moved it...   anonymous user, Jim Bergerac, Dave_Q and 13 others 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 That Lombardi was one of the first threads I read on here and a big reason for signing up. Â I'm happy you've still got it and having seen the fantastic work you've put into your little van I'm looking forward to you finally have everything in place to get stuck into it. Vin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted November 18, 2016 Author Share Posted November 18, 2016 I've also been working on the Sisley 4x4... There had been a rust 'bleb' on the rear arch of my Panda Sisley...it was the only cosmetic bit of bodywork that neded sorting, so I got it sorted. I ground it down and cut out the crap and I trailered it over to the chap who did the van paintwork...and he painted it all...the all also included the arch because when I took the plastic trim off it was 'scabby', including the bottom of the sill...a week of evenings after work got it all welded up with fresh metal... A couple of pics from when I took it for paint. No pics of the repairs unfortunately...  So, I got it back from paint and checked it for an MOT. There was a hole under the R/H front wheel arch liner near a previous (15 years plus at a guess) MOT patch repair. When I probed it it all fell apart and I found there was nothing to weld a repair to... Luckily, in the loft, I had a whole front end of a Panda that I broke for spares a few years ago...So I spent a sunday with a spot weld cutter braking it down to it's constituent parts... This 50p sized hole, has ended up with me replacing the front crossmember and rebuilding the bottom of the inner wings where the tie rod supports go.... Random pictures...  I am still working on this and probably will be until the new year. I ran out of gas at the weekend, so during the week, after work, I removed the front suspension to access more shitty MOT repairs that need replacing properly... I'll probably be finished by the spring... Hopefully.   Coprolalia, vulgalour, anonymous user and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 Well... that escalated quickly! Vin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 Haha, Vulg...you're telling me...  To be fair, I knew it was rough around the front, and knew eventually it would all need doing... But, as it is with old cars, you poke that hole and...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 Holy cow! Another Cherry Europe! Vin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 It was a 'dual badged' beast Ian, so I don't know what it's correct identity is...It was great to see though, and I wasn't the only one taking pictures of it... I thought it might have been one of those that belonged to the Alfa/Fiat hoarder in the North East that Scaryoldcortina had crossed paths with once... That character had a white one that I saw at an Alfa show in Yorkshire about 10 years ago, although it was rougher than the one at MITCAR... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Tidybeard Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 Holy cow! Another Cherry Europe! total car check says its a datsun not a fiat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spottedlaurel Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 That particular Cherry Europe is a new one to me too, excellent stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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