My 71 Bay resto project
- Thread starter Alfie
- Start date
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Alfie
Well-known member
Thanks Guys and to everyone else for the support and nice comments. 
Hi M8
No this is my first project, never done it before but I think i'm addicted now. I bought a cheap welder from Halfords and had a go myself which is great fun.
That is when I'm not setting fire to myself or down the eye hospital with bits of metal in them. :shock: :lol:
ianvdubvanman said:the work youve done is great keep posting the work your doing its a great read, also have you alot of experience in metal work? welding cutting and repairs etc??? great work anyway ....this van is gonna be great once finished...
Hi M8
No this is my first project, never done it before but I think i'm addicted now. I bought a cheap welder from Halfords and had a go myself which is great fun.
That is when I'm not setting fire to myself
or down the eye hospital with bits of metal in them. :shock: :lol:
Alfie
Well-known member
Managed to get a bit more done today
Still got to put a support channel back on, but at least its now solid .
Still got to put a support channel back on, but at least its now solid .
Alfie
Well-known member
Managed to do the same with the middle offside window which wasn't as bad. ( next doors beetle seems quite interested )
With some primer on, I think at last it's starting to come together.
Anyway until my next post...wishing you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year. :wink:
With some primer on, I think at last it's starting to come together.
Anyway until my next post...wishing you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year. :wink:
Madjoiner
Active member
out of interest what do you do for a living?
oh and the van is looking great!
oh and the van is looking great!
Alfie
Well-known member
Madjoiner said:
Thanx's, I'm a Police officer
Quick question of you don't mind?
The metal bits which you make up to fix in to place - where do you get the
metal from and how are you cutting and forming them?
Also what MIG welder do you use as I am looking to get one (seen a SIP TOPMIG Turbo 140 RRP £430 - selling for £220).
Thanks in advance
The metal bits which you make up to fix in to place - where do you get the
metal from and how are you cutting and forming them?
Also what MIG welder do you use as I am looking to get one (seen a SIP TOPMIG Turbo 140 RRP £430 - selling for £220).
Thanks in advance
Alfie
Well-known member
Hi gninnam
Went down a local metal workers and they gave me loads of offcuts for £10. If you take down the thickness of metal you want I'm sure any company would be able to sort you out.
Most of the repair panels I buy come from VW suppliers like just Kampers. Metal used to repair the window frames etc, I just make myself. I have no specialist tools, I cut the metal with either tin snips of an angle grinder depending on the thickness, then I just bend them myself using a couple of pieces of thick steel and g-clamps/grips to hold them in place, and then use a hammer to bend it round.
I got a SIP mig welder from Halfords and paid about £150 for it. The only problem is that it only has small gas bottles which cost about £10 a time. You can hire the bigger bottles from companies like BOC which will probably work out cheaper in the long run, but I haven't done this as I've almost done all of it with CO2 bottles from Halfords as I go along.
Hope this helps, I am no expert but feel free to PM me if you need any further help.
Regards
Alfie
Went down a local metal workers and they gave me loads of offcuts for £10. If you take down the thickness of metal you want I'm sure any company would be able to sort you out.
Most of the repair panels I buy come from VW suppliers like just Kampers. Metal used to repair the window frames etc, I just make myself. I have no specialist tools, I cut the metal with either tin snips of an angle grinder depending on the thickness, then I just bend them myself using a couple of pieces of thick steel and g-clamps/grips to hold them in place, and then use a hammer to bend it round.
I got a SIP mig welder from Halfords and paid about £150 for it. The only problem is that it only has small gas bottles which cost about £10 a time. You can hire the bigger bottles from companies like BOC which will probably work out cheaper in the long run, but I haven't done this as I've almost done all of it with CO2 bottles from Halfords as I go along.
Hope this helps, I am no expert but feel free to PM me if you need any further help.
Regards
Alfie
Alfie,
Thanks very much for your response.
I think I will make the move soon and buy myself a MIG.
Probably go the the scrap yard/car dismantlers and get some old body parts to test on - starting to get excited now :lol:
Very impressed with your work so far, so who knows what I may be able to get up to :lol:
Many thanks again
Andy
Thanks very much for your response.
I think I will make the move soon and buy myself a MIG.
Probably go the the scrap yard/car dismantlers and get some old body parts to test on - starting to get excited now :lol:
Very impressed with your work so far, so who knows what I may be able to get up to :lol:
Many thanks again
Andy
mattyd72
Well-known member
Hey Alfie, Thats some top work you have done on there, should be a cracking Bus when its done, keep it up
Matt
Matt
Airtime
Well-known member
Alfie, MUCHO respect for all the work you've done so far! :shock: 8) It really looks awesome for a first project. Keep up the good work!
Cheers!
Cheers!
Alfie
Well-known member
Thanks very much Guys
Happy New year everyone. I have now been working on this camper two years this month.
It has been a long hard slog but I can now actually see light at the end of the tunnel.
Fingers crossed, this year I hope to take it to Mr MOT man and he say.........YES (It's still a pile of crap) :lol:
Anyway today I started back to work on it and put in the rear wheel arch closing panels on both sides, I got these from JK.
Front closing panel, still got to grind the welds back and repair the floor area though.
Also made a start on the front nearside windscreen panel. Found It was rotten through when I took the glass off.
And another hole on the offside.
Will update with more pic's soon.
Happy New year everyone. I have now been working on this camper two years this month.
It has been a long hard slog but I can now actually see light at the end of the tunnel.
Fingers crossed, this year I hope to take it to Mr MOT man and he say.........YES (It's still a pile of crap) :lol:
Anyway today I started back to work on it and put in the rear wheel arch closing panels on both sides, I got these from JK.
Front closing panel, still got to grind the welds back and repair the floor area though.
Also made a start on the front nearside windscreen panel. Found It was rotten through when I took the glass off.
And another hole on the offside.
Will update with more pic's soon.
ianvdubvanman
Well-known member
ianvdubvanman
Well-known member
WE WANT MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HAHA HAPPY NEW YEAR...
Trikky2
Well-known member
Wow - Now I am really impressed. I though i was handy with a welder but you seem to be replacing the whole lower part of the vehicle. I can unly assume its a labour of love because i cant see it being economical to fix up one so far gone when you can still find ones with no rust ??
Alfie
Well-known member
Thanks Guys.
Hi Trikky2, thankyou for the words of encouragement, I know what your saying but I suppose I got this as a bit of a hobby as I couldnt afford to buy one already done. I have seen the prices for nice rust free ones for sale and people want silly money for them.
The only thing about doing the work my self is that I now know nothings been bodged and covered up with a nice spray job, plus I can get on and do bits as and when I can afford it.
On the whole It hasn't cost me too many pennys yet , apart from gas for the welder and the panels as I go along, I have saved a lot of dosh by doing pretty much everything else myself.
Tofufi, I am hoping to get it back on the road for this summer. trouble is its time and money and I havent got either just after Xmas.
Hi Trikky2, thankyou for the words of encouragement, I know what your saying but I suppose I got this as a bit of a hobby as I couldnt afford to buy one already done. I have seen the prices for nice rust free ones for sale and people want silly money for them.
The only thing about doing the work my self is that I now know nothings been bodged and covered up with a nice spray job, plus I can get on and do bits as and when I can afford it.
On the whole It hasn't cost me too many pennys yet , apart from gas for the welder and the panels as I go along, I have saved a lot of dosh by doing pretty much everything else myself.
Tofufi, I am hoping to get it back on the road for this summer. trouble is its time and money and I havent got either just after Xmas.
Alfie
Well-known member
After a break in the recent bad weather, I managed today to get Back to the windscreen repairs. Dont know why, but I found this bit really tricky to do. I think its all the curves and bends.
Didnt realise that this area was quite so rotten, had to cut back further than I first expected.
After much welding, grinding, welding.....
Grinding, swearing, welding.....
Anyway got there in the end.....Still needs a bit of finishing off, but looking a bit better now and solid once again.
Didnt realise that this area was quite so rotten, had to cut back further than I first expected.
After much welding, grinding, welding.....
Grinding, swearing, welding.....
Anyway got there in the end.....Still needs a bit of finishing off, but looking a bit better now and solid once again.
Justin & Muttley
Well-known member
Nice repair work you're doing there - keep up the good work! Any plans for the interior?
