The Restoration of Stanley.

[ironage]

Hi

I would like to introduce my friends new Camper affectionately known as Stanley! The reason i'm writing this is i have been entrusted to bring his lower regions back to scratch. The van belongs to Tracy and she has big plans for him but first job is to strip the interior and clean up underneath and closely examine and plan his restoration.

We have 101 questions for you Guys if thats ok? but for now just wanted to say Hi, great forum and looking forward too posting lots of pics for you to see.

Graham

 

[gninnam]

Welcome and looks like a good van to start with

Does it hide its problems well

Keep the pictures coming

 

[ironage]

Hi Andy, well saw a few probs when we bought it, Its going to have a colour change anyway so the plan is if its patched or dodgy cut it out, my part of this project is the chassis and lower regions, i,m a Blacksmith and i'm currently restoring 2x WW2 Kubelwagens a 1942 Willys Jeep and i've owned lots of VDubs in the past including a Split Screen so i love Vws! After working on cleaning off the underside today first on my list is Sills , outriggers these have been patched over the years for MOTs they are sound at the mo but we want them perfect, the chassis rails are very good, under the underseal they retain the OG paint and shiney metal!

So question number one please. Where is the best place to purchase panels?

Question 2 please, Does anyone know what type of pop top /conversion the van is or was originally?

Thankyou

Graham

 

[Nugsy]

Hi there and welcome to the earlybay. Nice looking van to start with, dont you want to do a season in it before the work?

Panels are hit and miss, go for NOS where possible or at least genuine VW. A few panel companies out there making specific but as with anything you get what you pay for. Last choice would be the generic Klockenholm ones. They do the job but are thinner gauge steel and take a fair bit of work but better than making it from scratch.

As for the conversion, looking at the short roof and interior panels all on one side my 1st choice would be domobile, but im sure someone who kows will be along soon

 

[ironage]

Thanks for help, appreciate it. I think if we were at the beginning of summer Tracy would have been out every weekend in it! going to do the welding over the winter, paint spring and then interior, well thats the plan, fingers crossed, i'll take some pics underneath tommorow.

 

[ironage]

So Sunday was the start of it all! scrapers and wire brushes to hand we cleaned and scraped the dirt and underseal off (i'm still digging the stuff out of my ears!!!! )to see what we really bought!!! not too bad, worst area is drivers side sill, solid but under the underseal poorly done so thats my first job inner and outer and middle if needed, the floors good but the floor supports are starting to go at the ends between chassis and seal, i'm thinking of cutting out bad bit and grafting new ones in but not replace whole length as i dont want to disturb the good floor? any tips? anybody removed a whole beam with floor still in place?

so heres some pics, i'm pleased the rails seem in good condition

 

[Mickey Sam]

Not looking too bad under there Graham, good luck !
Although it's probably too late now, I'd agree with Nugsy and get a season out of it before you get too far. I've had mine on axle stands for 3 years now and only diven it for 20 minutes
before that. Keep the photo's coming, cheers

 

[Loxy]

As for the conversion, looking at the short roof and interior panels all on one side my 1st choice would be domobile, but im sure someone who kows will be along soon

I thought that too at first but not sure the roof looks quite right for some reason????

 

[ironage]

Hi Guys

Cheers for the replies, heres some more pics of that top, its really neat but we haven't a clue who made it? anyone? also we have been told its a cross over model van? is this more scarce or desirable? i know it has early headlights and steps, Tracy loves it anyway but we want to make it perfect with a 21st century interior!

 

[dubscum]

looking good in all the right places

 

[ironage]

May i ask some advice and questions please?

Did this model come with just a central belly pan?

I want to clean and treat the underneath and do any required welding, what paint/stonechip would you apply to preserve it? i want to avoid underseal,

Would the central heater tube have originally been lagged? is it available?

Can anyone post a picture of the front wheel arches as i believe on a cross over model are different?

I hope you dont mind all the questions, on a learning curve!!!!

 

[lard]

Hi Guys

Cheers for the replies, heres some more pics of that top, its really neat but we haven't a clue who made it? anyone? also we have been told its a cross over model van? is this more scarce or desirable? i know it has early headlights and steps, Tracy loves it anyway but we want to make it perfect with a 21st century interior!

Hi - another great resto thread - look forward to the updates!

You are right in that it's a crossover - as for scare/desirable - whilst it's a one year only model it was the largest production year which puts them as certainly a lot rarer than a late bay and on a par with the 4 model year earlybays - you get the benefits of discs and brake servo's with the kudos of a low light van 8) (someone more knowledgeable than me will likely be along and correct me if I'm wrong!)

You can offically join the crossover coalition

Post up the m-plate and it can be decoded if you want more info on how it left the factory

 

[ironage]

Thats the plate behind the Drivers seat right? so the chassis number is what im looking for? Thanks for your input it helps alot when tackling a resto as alot of you have been there!

 

[DanTheDoc]

Hey,

Looking forward to watching the progress.

The M-Plate should be behind the passenger seat, it will have blocks of 3 numbers laid out in what looks like a random order (something like this - 345 678 910 etc. These aren't real ID codes by the way, I just made them up).

The plate behind the drivers seat will give you the chassis number.

Dan

 

[gninnam]

The pop-top reminds me of a Danbury, but could be wrong.

The underneath doesn't look to bad and the central tube for heating is normally lagged, but I have not seen (not looked really ) for a replacement - alot of peeps use more modern stuff.

Some vans just had the central belly pan, generally poptops had the full plethora of pans, but again, not 100%.

Good look with the work and looking forward to your updates (like Mickey Sam says, hope you get it done fast, mines been off the road for over 4 years, but it looks like yours might not be!!!)

 

[kevinhall]

May i ask some advice and questions please?

Did this model come with just a central belly pan?

Can anyone post a picture of the front wheel arches as i believe on a cross over model are different?

Looks like a nice van

The m-plate should tell you what belly pans the van came with originally. Mine has code 191 which get decoded as with outer and centre under floor plates (belly pans).

Re the arches, the crossovers had a lipped arch like yours does so it is correct. Mine is a crossover but had early arches on and you can see they are flat:

You can't get repro crossover arches - you either have to mod a late bay arch, fit early bay ones, or get rust free ones. Mine is in the process of having rust free ones welded in to put it back how it should be

 

[matt-me]

Nice bus. By the rear windows it looks like a panel van conversion so if the windows need to come out and you need new seals get the right ones. I am not sure of the conversion apart from not recognising the roof as a danbury (owning one), although the danbury pops like that, but then so do earlier devons but I don't think its that either. I think danbury's were mostly converted from kombi's or microbuses, not panels. The M plate should get you somewhere but not on the conversion. Sorry I can't be more help.

Good luck Al

 

[ironage]

Thanks for your replies, yes i found the M codes and checked them out and it is a Panel Conversion, the top is a mystery but works well and is very neat. Going to strip it out this weekend ready to start on some repairs and to make sure theres no hidden secrets !!!

 

[ironage]

Who invented Underseal!!!!!! :evil: Still scraping, under the underseal its quite original with a few mot repairs over the years mainly to the sills. What i liked about this van was it hadn't been too messed with underneath which always makes it easier to repair . To make it perfect under there i think new outriggers, jacking points sills and ends of floor beams, thats what i can see so far anyway.

 

[Danbury Doug]

Nice bus you've got there!

Your conversion looks to me like a 'one off', with a Devon or Just Kampers type Rock and Roll bed.

It was not uncommon for panel vans to be 'retired' from their daily toil and then converted by their loyal owners, to go on to lead a more leisurley occupation as the family 'funwagen'. :mrgreen: