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mk6 van - a short project


bludclot

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hello all

 

this will be my third van, a mk5 and a mk6 previously, so i know my way around them a little. bear in mind that when done this will have to ferry around tools and materials for my work as an everyday driver so it has to stay practical.

 

i paid 1150 for this:

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/van1.jpg

 

it's 50k miles and pretty good but note:

 

- nearside front wing dent

- rubbish wheels

- monstrosity of a rack

- 6 holes drilled in the back doors

- cabin rubber 'carpet' cut down the middle

- rust starting on nearside rear arch, above screen at front of roof channels and below rear light clusters (otherwise solid)

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/van2.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/van3.jpg

 

 

so i started to make a list of bits and pieces that would get this as i wanted, first to arrive was this:

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/grill.jpg

 

which i think is pretty rubbish. i will, however, use it but not mount it, pictures to follow. (when done it will be for sale, make me an offer if interested)

 

 

the paint man set to and removed pretty much everything around the body including the doors and attacked some areas with his media blaster and welder:

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body1.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body2.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body3.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body4.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body5.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body6.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body7.jpg

 

 

i then acquired these:

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/wheels1.jpg

 

which had 2 good tyres out of the 4 but some kerbing issues:

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/wheels2.jpg

 

i took some 180 grit wet'n'dry to them for an hour:

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/wheels3.jpg

 

and applied some filler - the worst one doesn't look quite as bad now:

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/wheels4.jpg

 

 

when i re-visited the paint man he had applied some primer:

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body8.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body9.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body10.jpg

 

even to some areas that looked quite alright to me:

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body11.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body12.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body13.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body14.jpg

 

 

i spent another hour sanding the wheels:

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/wheels5.jpg

 

and the worst of the worst is starting to return to the ford factory shape, if not the same material make up..

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/wheels6.jpg

 

some hi-build is applied and has been left to harden before i flat it back tomorrow. the worst of the wheels still needs some filler / sanding / filler / sanding action but the other 3 just require a touch of stopper and some 600 grit now.

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/wheels7.jpg

 

 

the van then returned to me from paint:

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body15.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body16.jpg

 

by which time i had applied some silver and lacquer to the wheels:

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/wheels8.jpg

 

 

and so i arrive at today. having discovered this forum i'm hoping for some encouragement, positivity, advice and information. in return i'll keep posting more pictures as this project progresses. there's loads to come but no engine change!

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hello all

 

 

 

 

Good start mate.Nice to see another van on here.Not too many about.As a fellow vanner,I will be watching your progress.Welcome to the club mate.Regards Andy

Edited by co-op scooby
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I'd appreciate it if you didn't quote all the pictures scooby, takes up a lot of space lol!

 

Looks very clean and 50k is very low mileage!

Then tell me kind Sir,how do I omit the pictures please??regards Andy. done it.lol

Edited by co-op scooby
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I'd appreciate it if you didn't quote all the pictures scooby, takes up a lot of space lol!

 

Looks very clean and 50k is very low mileage!

Then tell me kind Sir,how do I omit the pictures please??regards Andy

 

Don't press quote or delete them out of your quote :-)

Cheers JC.sussed it mate.Won't happen again.regards Andy

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thanks for the comments - appreciated. please keep them coming, the motivation is most welcome!

 

plans? there's a high quality audio install to happen, some security work, a de-badged grill project, a good servicing and serious clean and leave it looking as standard as possible.....

 

the backs of the wheels were treated to a cleaning and some silver hammerite applied with a brush...

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/wheels9.jpg

 

and the outside tyre walls were treated to a very liberal dose of shoe polish (black!) i like the clean look but don't like the shiny look, this works for me and is cheap cheap like a budgie!

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/wheels10.jpg

 

and so the wheels were fitted.....

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body17.jpg

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/body18.jpg

 

but..... the rears rub the arches - so i need some help here. will a 5mm spacer on standard studs fix this for these mk5 alloys or do i have to go for 15mm spacers and longer studs?

 

i have started on the interior too, first up was a strip of the cargo area. this looks very rot free to me, most encouraging:

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/rear.jpg

 

but there's a strange wire that runs on length of the van, it exits from the upper roof strengthening section at the front and ends as in the picture. any ideas as to what this might be / might have been?

 

http://portchesterpropertymaintenance.co.uk/images/van/wires.jpg

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Hi bludclot,I have 5mm spacers on the rear of my van and that gives me clearance with the finesse alloys I am running on it.I am happy with the number of turns I have managed to get on the wheelnuts on standard studs.regards Andy

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ok, thank you. 5mm spacers ordered, i'll try them and see whether that clears the inner arches.

 

audio:

- nakamichi cd400. these were the entry level nakamichi when current and retailed at 500 notes. very very clear sound and a very high pre-out voltage level that blows away anything else at the price and removes the need for line drivers. understated looks (to say the least!)

- 3 alpine mrv-t707 amplifiers. loads and loads of power and crystal clear too. one run in stereo for the fronts and 2 bridged for the subs.

- focal access 6.5 mids, focal polyglass crossovers and jl audio vr tweeters (as i prefer these to the focal access tweets), these will go in door builds, pictures to come.

- twin sealed box fli 12" subs. not great in themselves but crucially came to me for free in return for a favour so can't grumble about the price. when they are driven by the setup in front of them they work very well indeed, very clear but not quite as tight as say, 12w7s.

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