Mk5 Transit Minibus Project

[RonTransitmk5]

Following on from my hello introduction yesturday, I thought it would be a good idea to get a project thread going.

Omg! Just been on the bus for a couple of hours with the grinding disc, uploaded pics 14-20 showing what was hiding Do things always get this bad before getting better?
Do you think someone starting from scratch who has never welded before can do this?

Do I always ask my questions/advice within this thread so it's all in one place? I have lots of questions

Ron

 

[gavuk]

Hi Ron ,if I'm honest I spent way too much time on my van and the doors and a rear wheel arch still need doing ,if it was a vw I would have added a lot of value to it ......Now that transit mk5's ,now they are subject to Lez charges in London I can see their price nose diving ,the saving grace is the engines are strong and reliable if a little slow........It can definitely be fixed but it is a huge first welding project ......only you can decide if its worth doing ,do you already own a welder if so what kind?are you mechanically minded and do you already own jacks ,ramps,and other kit that may be required?...........Has to be said lots of owners love them ,and compared with the newer models which aren't as rusty the engines are reliable and cheaply maintained, I like driving mine

 

[RonTransitmk5]

Hi Gav,

As it is a minibus if it is 8 seats it will be except from the lez. I have decided I will repair it Looking to keep it a couple of years then buy a newer one so will get it done as cheap as possible.

Crazy I know but I can have some great days out with the wife & kids
A few months ago wasn't sure if I was gonna survive into 2012, got the all clear now, so life is more precious to me now.

mechanically minded, I must be I managed to get out the 27odd x T50 torx bolts holding the seats in (took me 5 days though a couple of broken bits/sockets ect) so I would say I am very determinded & extremly paitent.

Will proberly have to pay someone to do the rear left corner of the floor as that seems way out of my depth. Will have to wait & see how I get on with the rest of the floor 1st. The sills need doing as well as some of the chassis underneath.

Do I have to plate underneath as well as on top of the floor? I am guessing yes so it's a solid repair.

I don't have a welder or PPE, I have a cheap trolly jack & a pair of axle stands, grinder, usual, hammer/spanner/screwdrivers/sockets ect. I have a 500ml tin of Hammerite Black

So I now know I need;
A pair of ramps
A welder
A full face auto helmet
Face mask
Clamps
Sheet metal size tbc, thickness unsure
1mm 115 cutting discs to cut the sheet metal
Sill panels (don't know what ones yet, gonna do the rear 1st)
Red Oxide

Now to make things harder for myself, I can only work on my driveway, so am I right in thinking I cannot use gas? so have to buy a no gas welder.

Sorry for all the questions in advance, but if I don't ask I will never know.

Ron

 

[vpug]

Hi
Lets see the pics then.
Thanks Vpug

 

[RonTransitmk5]

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/album.php?u=16675

 

[gavuk]

Ron many panels can be bought for the mk5 including 1/2 and full floors,but you pay a premium .....look here for ideas,this company has recently stopped trading but the numbers etc and prices are still relevant for my local motor factors (picked up door repair panels yesterday).....hadrian panels
Steel sizes are from 2mm for chassis rail repairs to 1mm for doors ,i find my local motor factors are often as cheap as the local metal suppliers and within the hadrian universal section chassis rails and folded steel can also be purchased...useful if you haven't got a folder
As for a welder the forum favourite is clarke for budget, a 150amp can be picked up second hand for £100,but it could take a while to find or require travelling to pick up....Learning how to use it depends on you

I would get a welding lesson off a member here or get a transit forum member to pop around and give the van a once over before committing too much cash......not sure how much the van owes you but the seats are worth money and scrap prices are high if you decide either its too expensive or time consuming to repair.....not trying to put you off but don't want to set you off on a mad mission either

 

[stuvy]

hiya ron, youl be adding tools to the list for ever and a day but to start with thats about it, a few extra clamps, magnets and a nice hammer never goes a miss either! you mentioned axle stands, bear in mind the transit is alot heavier than a car so take care if there cheap ones

as for the welder i would go with gas and make a tempory wind block so your gas stays where you want it.

 

[RonTransitmk5]

Pretty much finished grinding in the back for now, what a bloody mess it makes, need to get ramps & get it up in the air before I grind anything underneath, would the ramps alone not be safe enough? or should I use axle stands as well, just asking never worked on motors b4, any else I should be aware off safety wise.

Sod buying them floor panels, they are well expensive, I'd rather just plate it up.
Not working at the mo so can spend all day everyday on it (Got some savings to fall back on)

Clarke seem to be mentioned a lot, lots of parts about for them as well, they have VAT free thing on until 31st January so if I can not find a suitable 1 second hand I may go new, pick up is out the question as I cannot drive the minibus.

Am I right in thinking I would be better off buying in the 5% Argon mix on a deposit deal instead of using the 110l bottles @ around £15 each. I don't know how to work out how much I would need?

How do I know how much wire I would need? & any suggestions on good wire?

Would I be better off if I paid someone to come & do all the welding work needed on me drive, with me being the gofer/coffee/bacon sandwich maker? I could save money by doing all the grinding/filing ect after the initial welding has been done.

Just checking out my options

Ron

 

[rhubarb7]

You should really carry on chopping out and cleaning up before you decide on buying a welder..

I notice the rear crossmember is rotten..

Looks very adventurous for a 1st project..

Good luck

 

[stuvy]

have a look in the for sale section on here as a few machines have popped up in the last few days. as for your other questions, if you get a big bottle from a gas supplier youv got it to work on something else. Those small disposible cylinders dont last very long at all. As for the wire a full reel should last you ages, dont scrimp on cost for the sake of quality though!
Metal is expensive, either pre shaped panels or plain sheets. I find it more satisfying to do the forming myself providing i have the time that is.

As for the ramps, my dad always used to say belts and braces. Not only would i leave the handbrake on and van in gear but id chock the wheels just to be safe. Stick the axle stands under too just to be on the safe side.

You mentioned about either doing it yourself or getting someone in. Personally id do it myself then when your next project comes along youv got most of the skills ready to go!

Hope this helps clear things up a little.

 

[Cally91]

Where are you in Essex


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.795037,-0.192036

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

One Q....is a transit van worth working on particulary in that state? I'd have to be certified to tackle that sort of work when I know I can go to a car auction and pay £600 for an ex commercial transit ie one out of a large company that is selling off its older fleet of vans.

I'd way up the cost of doing this before going out and buying the tools and materials.
sorry but you really do need to sit back and weigh it all up it being a transit.

 

[RonTransitmk5]

Where are you in Essex


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.795037,-0.192036

I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.548924,0.145011&spn=0.010875,0.033023&t=m&z=16&vpsrc=6

 

[RonTransitmk5]

One Q....is a transit van worth working on particulary in that state? I'd have to be certified to tackle that sort of work when I know I can go to a car auction and pay £600 for an ex commercial transit ie one out of a large company that is selling off its older fleet of vans.

I'd way up the cost of doing this before going out and buying the tools and materials.
sorry but you really do need to sit back and weigh it all up it being a transit.

It's a Transit Minibus for days out, not a van, any van this old would not be allowed to drive in London due to the LEZ.

 

[rhubarb7]

Have a browse on here

http://fordtransit.org/

 

[RonTransitmk5]

As far as the costs involved, I am waying up my options.

I can buy a fully LEZ compliant minibus fully taxed/mot'ed with little or no work required for approx £2,500+, If I had £2,500 then I would buy one, but I don't.

Can I get this minibus fixed/fix it myself, fully mot'd for an amount I can afford, than that is surely the real question?

What I need to do is try and work out an estimated idea of how much this is going to cost.

Off to give this some thought & try to work out the costs

 

[RonTransitmk5]

Have a browse on here

http://fordtransit.org/

Been here a lot over the last few months, just can't get a decent minibus for less than a couple of grand.

 

[rhubarb7]

Been here a lot over the last few months, just can't get a decent minibus for less than a couple of grand.

Didn't mean for buying one...I meant for ideas on how to tackle the repairs on yours..

Lots of completed projects to look at on there

 

[gavuk]

Didn't mean for buying one...I meant for ideas on how to tackle the repairs on yours..

Lots of completed projects to look at on there

Lot of good lads there,and me,also you may find a local transit fan who can check over the van and help you decide whats your next move ,most old transit owners can weld or know a welder......I wish the time i've spent welding mine, it was vw at least it would be worth something
how soon do you need this van fixed?

 

[RonTransitmk5]

Thanks guys, going to join the Transit forum for more help.
I was planning on having it finished & on the road by around 23/02/2012
As it is my 40th on the 25th & would love to go somewhere in it for that with my wife & kids :-)
That's the plan, but if it takes longer, so be it.