Stick, Twist or BUST!!!

[Pete B]

mrs councillor reckons that the sight of me hula-hooping away on christmas morning in my underpants (you have to let it get an accurate idea of your weight don't you) will be one of those sights she takes with her to the grave

For once Mr councillor, I am glad I have yet to meet you. Whilst that situation remains, I cannot have that potentially disturbing vision in my minds eye. :shock:
Otherwise, not laughed so much in ages! :lol:

 

[Clem]

not being the most, er, muscular of men, mrs councillor reckons that the sight of me hula-hooping away on christmas morning in my underpants (you have to let it get an accurate idea of your weight don't you) will be one of those sights she takes with her to the grave

I feel ill :?




:mrgreen:

 

[Haveacamper]

ok,

the chap came today and he's given me an overall quote to fit all the panels necessary for £2000. this is fitting the panels and etch primering them. this does not include any leading and filler required.

my jaw dropped when he said that. he's a very good bodyshop guy who my dad has know for the last 30+years. he's just restored his own mk1 escort and has just finished my dad's business partners mk1 escort that he will be rallying in the classic rally. my dad has spoken highly of him all the way through the project. he reckons that he can get it ready for prep&paint in 4-6wks. and when i asked him whether it will be to his best standard and no cutting corners he said it would be his best work. my dad then told him that i may be considering showing it when it first gets finished, so it will be on display with his name on it, and he was still happy with his initial quote.

i even gave him the list of things that i wanted done before paint. all 44 things

i'm going to consider it over the next few days and get back to him.

it kind of sounds a bit too good to be true considering some of the prices i've seen qutoed. having said that, i think this is partially because my dad supplies alot of material to him and has been friends for ages; the fact that he has 2 guys working for him and has no work; and he's not a vw restoration garage who charge over-inflated prices. what are peoples opinions then

NaFe

 

[Araon]

Snap his hand off fella, sounds like the answer to a prayer for you, means you can get a psycholocial lift of spirit and look forward to tarting the bus up, sit back watch the progress for a bit :wink:

 

[the councillor]

he said it would be his best work. what are peoples opinions then

im my (admittedly limited) experience of life, when you ask somebody if they're going to do their best work for you, they invariably say "yes" unless...

a) they're deliberately out to 'get' you.
b) they're mental.

that said, i reckon giving other people two grand to do some welding is mental, so what do i know

 

[froggy]

If you cannot wait and have a spare £2000 then why not, but usually 4-6 weeks becomes 4 - 6 months :? And then you still have to get it painted.
I'm with the councillor on this one though, if you can weld and have the time then it wont cost anything like 2 grand.
But TBH it sounds like you've already made your mind up on this one, just remember to stay in touch with the bloke through out the re-build and take plenty of pics

 

[andewilson]

when i bought my van, the main plan was to buy a decent solid van that i could intall an awsome interia and massive ice.

it would appear that what i bought was a pile of ebay poo

after spending 2.5 years working on my van. i think anything is fixable. i have a friend who recently spent 3.5k getting his van spruced, new front skin, rear arches etc with a lower spray which was pleasing to the eye (although it took longer than he was first told, and wont look that nice below the skin). in my eye things on your van have been creeping along nicely, the time a van takes isnt just determined by the work done on it. in the time since i started the resto on mine my ideas have morphed a lot. i have gone from custom to bone stock to somewhere in between. if your dads mate does do the job. have the time off work and help him with it. then you will have the ongoing input (in a project manager stylee). then when the spray goes on you know what it is going on.

i will hopefully be getting my van prepped and sprayed in the next month or four. and i too will be straying form the vw afficiated sprayshops that are local to me. because i have been on two waiting lists since i began the resto and yet no phone call to tell me it is my vans turn. it seems to me that the metal work was going well for you. so why not take two weeks off work and spend two 70 hour weeks on it.

2 grand saved and you will know every inch of the van you drive

 

[uber cool]

£2000 is a good quote even just for welding and panel fitting. Even at £20 on hour that's only 100 hours. Which should make a good boost to the vans progress.

Go for it, the only other option is to sell up as is and lose a lot for money!

Personnaly i've seen the light and just bought a fresh Cal import, one owner van :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Haveacamper]

its weighing up the time to finish vs the relatively small expensive (with reference to overall budget) of getting the guy to do the work. i wasnt expecting anywhere near that, so i was going to get him to justdo the major bits.

i will be popping up at least once a week and probably more to ensure the work they do is correect and to the standard i have outlined. i will be taking up all the service manuals i have for him to look at along with a contact number that i am expecting him to use when he's not sure how a certain bit should be.

i'll keep you informed

 

[pinheaduk]

i know the feeling concering how much it will cost, my resto have come to a slight halt at the moment, due to finances mainly if i will end up painting myself or getting a professional job and end up paying between 2-5k for a top job, the bodywork which im doing myself on straign panels its lovely but the front panels and the corners is very slightly wavey and this is putting me off spraying it myself as i dont want it to look like you can surf on it.

some of the paint quotes are stoopidly exspensive but i dont want it to look awful.

its either than or i stonechip it or used crackle paint lol

in your situation £2k to finsih the panels seems a bit steep not including filler etc, also where did you buy your panels as over 4k is as the counsillor said my jaw hit went through my desk. i have spent about 1k on panels [SOFAR] but these are the repro one apart from the rear roof and sliding door. but lots more little bits to come which always cost more

but i understand about the engine, paint, interior etc, can come to serious bucks depending on what youve got planned, but as ive been told with mine and ive shown ppl your thread also would be a shame to see your restoration stop and the same with mine both being dormobiles.

in all you should continue as this thread has given me a bit more light at the end of the tunnel and saved me asking the same question

 

[Haveacamper]

in your situation £2k to finsih the panels seems a bit steep not including filler etc, also where did you buy your panels as over 4k is as the counsillor said my jaw hit went through my desk. i have spent about 1k on panels [SOFAR] but these are the repro one apart from the rear roof and sliding door. but lots more little bits to come which always cost more

the clip is off a donar from South africa, classy campers

all the doors are off donars from US and South Africa including slider FBIVW and Scott wilson

complete one year only rear corners FBIVW

one year only outer front wheel arches.

so you can see how £3k adds up

 

[pinheaduk]

yeah i see your point, ady always does good prices also, alot cheaper than most other places. plus i forgot your arches were the one year onlies

i was going to get a front clip and decided against it, every now and then i regret it though

 

[dandaz]

Wow , I just spent half a hour flicking through this...

If I had a list like yours I would be up all night...

Just a little advise to anyone ,if you are considering a total rebuild take it a little at a time , any extras can be fitted later...

Good look with things.... 8)

 

[Haveacamper]

Just a little advise to anyone ,if you are considering a total rebuild take it a little at a time , any extras can be fitted later...

do you think i have some extras that i dont need mate, or was that a general note without reference to my lists? i have tried to strip some costs, but i think i have worked out that it hasnt got anything to do with the cost aymore. it was more about the shock as i didnt plan to spend this when i first set out. but i was niave, and didnt realise things were anywhere near as bad.

NaFe

 

[robins]

what panels do you have left to put on?

 

[Haveacamper]

petrol tank shelf
rear wheel tubs both sides
rear outer wheel arches both sides
c pillars
sliding door sills - middle and outer
fit rigid conduits for cables
prep and paint chassis
front clip
gusset chassis legs
front outer arches- both sides
front inner archesboth sides
close off b pillars
gearshift
Modify rear cargo floor - LHD to RHD
fit rear cargo floor
modify front cab floor - LHD to RHD
fit front cab floor
rear corners - both sides
removable rear valance
inspection hatch
engine compartment - needs work around petrol firewall area
firewall prep
battery trays
accelerator linkage
outer sills
middle panel opposite slider - whole section up to gutter
sliding track area (Both sides) - just below window where sliding track cover mounts

 

[dandaz]

do you think i have some extras that i dont need mate, or was that a general note without reference to my lists?

NaFe

No just a general note ,costing is very important when starting a project , also time you have to complete a project...we tend to look at these projects through rose coloured glasses and not weigh up any effect it will have on us ..

Is the front clip ,the front panel?

 

[spenmiester]

nafe stick with it. i think you will regret it later if you dont finish what you started.

 

[Haveacamper]

for all those interested/concerned/couldnt give a damn , i have decided that "i have started, so i'll finish" although i will be carrying on a more project managing roll for the fitment of the panels.

I never forecasted that i would be spending my time fitting panels at all, never mind to the extent that has become essential. As it was my first camper and wit no experience in welding/bodywork I originally drafted my dad in to help immensely - he has welding skills but not bodyshop experience.

this meant that my project estimation went from 6-9months to 2-3years. my initial intention was to have a quick turn around and be out appreciating the bus - as this is why i bought it.

over a year down the line there is still a massive job left to do which will take me and my dad an unknown length of time. i have taken into account the time i can spend work on the van every week and have estimated that it will take me well over a year for me to carry out the 44 tasks i have identified necessary to be done before paint. i have weighed this up against the cost of £2000 and a lead time of 4-6 weeks and it seems too good an offer to turn down. Taking this offer will give me a massive jump in expected delivery time and get me back doing what i had originally planned to.

personally i believe that i will still have massive satisfaction knowing that my camper has been restored to the standard i wanted and with the personalisations i wanted. i can also rest knowing that i carried out work far beyond i thought i could achieve and have obtained skills and knowledge that i would not have otherwise obtained. at least i now know what to look for hehe.

some people may think i am stupid spending £2k on fitting panels and not doing it myself, but personally, i feel i have reached my limit - although potentially very limited in the great scheme of things - and dont want to risk ruining my chances of ever getting the camper back on the road.


i would like to thank everybody for their input, on and off this forum. i have taken everybodies points of view on board and spent a fair bit of time considering how your views fit into my aspirations and personal circumstances. i am hoping that i am makign the right decision, but guess i have to live with it and follow things through now to arrive at the place i want to be.

thankyou once again everyone - i hope you continue to support my thread in the months/years to come in the same vein that you have up until now - you are all great on here.

NaFe

 

[froggy]

If spending £2000 means you get the van the way that what you want it then who are we to tell you otherwise :wink:
At least now you'll be ready for show season 8)
What other plans after this do you have?