This page last up-dated 04 March, 2007

Job description:

To strip exterior trim, remove corroded panels, replace as required with new.

Extensive welding to lower areas of vehicle.

Prepare the bodyshell for painting.

Paint in our customers chosen colour scheme.

Shovel Count to date .....26.....

This is the amount of general dirt, filler dust, rust, off-cuts of metal, and anything else that falls off the vehicle.

The first task was, as always, to remove the lamps, bumpers, wipers etc. To make our job easier the interior had been stripped out prior to being delivered to our workshop.

Next we removed the cab doors, and after fitting the hinge conversion kits we trial fitted the new doors and noted and made any adjustments required.

After removing the front windscreen we made some measurements and then set about cutting the front panel and cross-member panel off. This revealed extensive corrosion to the inner cross-member panel, which was also removed before preparing the areas for the new panels to be welded in place.

Meanwhile work started on the elevating roof and roof-rack, these were both in a very poor condition, and the only way to deal with the flaky paint was to sand it all off, or buy new panels, we chose to sand it off and re-paint them.

The nearside front wheelarch was the next item to be replaced, again extensive corrosion was found, including the area around the outrigger and bulkhead. The lower 'B' post had new metal grafted in, as did the inner and outer sills.

It was a similar story on the offside, only worse, corrosion had crept into the floor area, which again had been welded previously, as had the rear panel, which was literally pulled off with my bare hands. Corrosion in this area as with all the other lower areas had got this extensive because there appeared to be no anti-rust treatments used the last time any welding was carried out.

The corroded inner panel was cut away where it was weakened and holed, and new repair panels cut to fit, attention was then given to the chassis end and upright post which had rotted away and been poorly repaired previously. The same was required on the nearside upright post.

Next up was a trial fit of the new engine lid, which didn't fit. First the hinges were tweaked, then fitted again, then tweaked some more, and after some gentle persuasion the lid finally fit. The rear panel was then aligned to the engine lid and the position noted, this is welded in place after the corner panels are in place.

The rear corners were then removed, again these were poorly attached, the battery trays were only stuck to the corner panels with sealer, and along with the corner panels, had started corroding (sealer is not strong enough to hold the weight of a battery and needs welds all the way around the battery tray) the rear wheelarch outer skin was also cut away to reveal yet more corrosion.

After working out where the electrical hook-up socket was to be located, the rear arch panel was removed, the new arch was temporarily positioned and the hole marked out and then cut in the panel, ready to accept the the socket. Before the rear arch could be finally attached, the floor, inner sill, sill strengthener panel, the battery tray and rear corner needed to be welded in place, also repairs to the inner wheelarch, as this was corroded.

After all the new panels had been welded on and repairs made to other panels, the old paint was sanded back, and the filler could finally be applied. The engine bay was then degreased and the paintwork sanded down, sealer was then brushed into the vulnerable seams in anticipation of the new paint.

The bottom of the sliding door needed refilling, which we promptly did, but on closer inspection of the paintwork higher up we noticed a few blemishes under the yellow topcoat, the yellow paint was then removed by sanding until the blemishes had gone. Then sanded on the inside and prepared ready for primer coats.

The original tailgate was too corroded along the inside lower edge, a second hand one was supplied, and as usual had a few dents, these were pulled out and a skim of filler applied, then the whole tailgate sanded down ready for the primer coats.

Also the engine lid and the panels below the rear side windows were sanded and filled as required.

Next stage was to prepare for the spray-filler, over the areas covered with body filler.

After sanding down the spray-filler on the body and door panels the primer was applied. First an etch coat was sprayed on, then 3 coats of 2K primer.

The same work was done to the body after first masking off the interior.

After first etch priming, the primer coats were sprayed on, then while this was drying, the engine bay was painted red, this was then masked up and the masking for the interior removed, and the interior painted with an etch and then the Cloud White topcoat sprayed on, finally the camper was then stoved at 80 degrees Centigrade for 35 minutes.

Next came the preparation for the top coat, sanding down the primer, masking the top half off and applying sealer and stonechip to the lower areas and seams. At last the Chianti Red was sprayed on.

After unmasking, the top half was wet flatted, then the catches and locking mechanisms were fitted to the body and doors and these were then reunited with the bodyshell. The next step is to mask off the red lower half and paint the top white.

Finally the painting is more or less finished, and now we can start cleaning and replacing the usable parts we removed at the start of this restoration.

New seals were fitted to the cab doors, tailgate and engine bay.

Finally the underneath of the vehicle was given coatings of underseal and Wax-oyle, then a final skim of wax given to the new paintwork.

Completed.