Hello boys and girls I am considering buying this van see photos (hopefully my IT skills will work).

Is this van to far gone? It needs new floor pans inner and outer sills as well as rear lower quarter panels even the pillar is rotten. You just can not buy these any more they don't come up for sale but the amount of rot puts me off I have a welder and the facilities but not the talent.

I have never built such a rotten vehicle before I am mainly worried about rebuilding the inner sills. I would imagine you would have to work your way out from the centre adding new floor then inner followed by outer sill. I have a miniscule budget enough to buy the van and the panels but not pay any one to rebuild the sills yet . I wanted a project that I could build with out any labour costs at some point I will have to bite the bullet if I buy this and pay some one who knows what they are doing to rebuild the sills in your opinion can this be done or is it not worth as I don't have the budget of a tv program or the expertise.

Any way I digress here are the photos.



O/S sill

 

Bodge I pulled out of the sill!



floor pan where it meets the inner sill O/S



inner sill what's left of it


inner sill from inside plus floor pan O/S

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Floor pan O/S

 

I can only see the one pic, if you can weld (well ) then go for it, if not don't bother if you can't afford to pay to have it done, the last thing we all need it another car not safe on the road

 

Floor pan again if it works this time its started to rot up the bulk head

 

computer break me I can see al of them. I do not wish to put a bodged death trap on the road hence needing the advice. If I can get some one to repair it is it worth doing?

 

 

 

Rear lower OS quarter

 

put this one on again if you cant see It?

 

Everything is worth doing, but I doubt it will be cost effective to pay someone to do that for you, if you can't weld or have it done free you would be better using your restoration budget on a decent one to start with,
Me, I like I challenge and can weld so am stupid enough to go for something like that but I have two on the go and haven't touched them in years

 

O/S pillar is any one noticing a pattern?

 

 

 

 

front end has light damage to it need two new wings bonnet and front panel which I would replace anyway and have a go at that myself.

 

 

SCRAP !!!

 

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inner wing





more floor pan

 

 

Some moron has drilled holes all over it to secure shelving on the inside? How easy will these be to repair and what method would you use to do it?

 

That needs a lot of work and to get it done professionally it wouldn't be worth it, you would be better of waiting and looking at something in not as bad shape imo

 

Not content with that they drilled bigger holes X3 in the roof?





I think that's enough for now this will give you a good idea of its condition.

Any advice or steers will be greatly appreciated I do no guys that will do the trickier bits of welding for me and it wont be at commercial cost (but it will still cost)

Basically is it worth doing I don't care if it takes me 4 years to build it I just don't want to buy something that is beyond repair.

 

This is the only welding I have ever done in my life on my old Mk1 when I converted it to a 5 speed box all I did was cut out the old aperture turn it round 180 degrees and weld it back in as it sits further back.

I think these skills will be ok for wings and front panel but no where near the standard for the inner wings

 

Wish I had your ability and confidence I would have already have bought it. I went with the trailer to collect it but then walked away after taking another look at it I just don't know weather to wait and get a less tired mk4 an change the front end. But then its not a real MK3 is it!

 

My MK1 turned out ok I know its a different subject but I built this on my own with no help at all here is a before and after shot so I am not a complete mong but it was a decent shell. I think that was ok for my first re-spray definitely wouldn't pay any one for that unless I was building a you cant bend it show car (which I never will) just a tidy run around is my goal.

 

If you dont have any restoration experience then i really wouldnt bother, chances are mistakes will get made. With something as bad as that you really need to know what your doing. Find a better base vehicle.

 

That's the thing I have restored loads of Mk1's 2's Firenzas min etc and lots of MK3 vans many years ago. I also used to build 2ltr Chevettes just to break away from the lads as they were all Mk2s at the time and I wanted to be different.

I now live in the South west and do not have the network of friends to fall back on now, who I can turn to or help out when it comes to something like welding where I don't know what I am doing.

That and the passage of time is knocking my confidence since I did anything like this (midlife crisis). I can not afford MK1's any more Mk3s are starting to get silly now too so trying to get my foot in the door while I still can then this time hold on to it.

 

these vans are very rare these days although it looks like a lot off work to put this rite the big problem i would think is getting replacement panels for it as they are also thin on the ground but you should try welding bits off scrap metal together to practise with
good luck buddy

 

looks like alot of work to save that one..

I guess only you can decide if it's worth the investment or not. If you're gonna keep it long term then why not but if you're doing it to make a profit then you probably won't..

 

I would say its easily repairable, Practise on old metal first doing different corners and drill holes and fill them its the only way to learn, I started welding when i was 13 on a sierra that had alot more rot than that and iv done a few escorts since then and im 17 now. When doing the holes on the side you have to be careful and do we bits at a time incase the pannel worpes.

 

Thanks lads some very different opinions there from scrap to no dramas. I keep telling myself to walk away from it and look at something else. If it wasn't for that inner sill I would buy it I think everything else is cosmetic wings are easy as is front panel arrggghhh why is so hard.

I have already sourced and priced up all the panels I need.

Still on the fence at the minute even mk4s are fetching stupid money if I can find a half decent one I would convert the front end and go down that route.

 

She is a bot rusty. Anything can be repaired it just needs time and money.

 

To be honest if you have to ask others if it's worth it I wouldn't bother, to cash needed to do it would/should get you a better example, if the car had history with you it may be worth it, if not keep looking

 

Right been looking at another one which is also rotten spookily enough. This one however is all at that back and a little bit at the front but still far better than the yellow one my question is can you still get hold of the rear valance for a van and if so where as no one seems to list them.



All the back has rotted away to not to bothered about that as that's easier to repair and less noticeable but the rear valance is on view

 

here' s another most of the rear is in the same mess

 

Pm'd you mate