New project

Great interior, where did you acquire the Union jack carpet from? Is the bodywork finished? I would let the dvla know, having said that I didnt.
 
Exterior before - after.jpg
The Union flag was from fleabay, just a standard rug that I cut to fit then stitched the edges. The 2500 stitches took 2 weeks to do and my fingers were a mess after! The bodywork is now done apart from the rear doors, they are rotton at the bottom so need to reworked. The paint work is about done but needs to be flatted back and cut in. Just put in LED strip lights for the internal lighting - looks great and throughs a lot of light.
Interior before - after.jpg
 
Thanks for your comments.
Always thought the engine was a little asthmatic, so replaced the original airbox with a twin trumpet inlet airbox. What a difference that has made, revs more easily and quicker up to speed too.

A question for those who have OD boxes.
I have picked up a J type OD unit originally fitted to a Rootes car, appears in good condition so thinking of a winter project to refurb and fit to the van. Should it fit directly onto the back end of the gearbox? I've seen that the rear gearbox mount needs to be changed and the prop needs to be shortened, anything else to consider?
 
It depends on which model it'd come off. One from an early car (pre Arrows) will bolt straight on, but one from an Arrows range car will be a bit more problematic - but no problem if you are stripping it anyway.
Also different splines were used on the input and out put shafts, some had coarse splines some had fine splines, some had a mixture of both but all that it means is you may need a new clutch plate or prop.
 
In a rash moment I have decided to enter the van into a classic car meet 19th July, so have been frantically working on the rear doors. No time to repair the metal work so decided to face the the rotten bottoms with some stainless steel sheet. They spruce up the doors and pass a quick glance test, before and after photos.DSC01214.JPG

When I went at the doors there were more holes than a swiss cheese.
DSC01284.JPG The SS sheet was a bit harder than expected, eventually went through 5 drill bits.
 
Great day at the car show, didn't realise the snobbery from some of the classic car brigade. Biggest surprise - I won the peoples vote for "The car I most want to take home" and now the proud owner of a rosette and certificate.DSC01290.JPG DSC01296.JPG
 

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Van looks great.Snobbery took me out of classic car shows for 20 years.Thanks to commer van owners I went to Moffat No snobbery and best show ever.keep up the good work
 
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Superb well done, a reward for all your work:) There's always a*** holes about who define a classic on how much they've paid someone else to restore it:mad:
 
I know what you mean, like the guy we met at the Southern Motorcaravan show, 'it's all very nice' he said 'but when are you going to upgrade to some thing new'. I pointed out how his £70,000 + white slug on wheels would be worth half of that next year and probably be scrapped in less than ten because the manufacturers had stopped issuing software upgrades:rolleyes:, while we would be enjoying many more years of cheap motoring with the value of ours only going up:) I could almost feel the swell of approval from the small crowd gathered to get a look inside Bonnie;)
 
I've been working for these snobs ,restoring their cars ...because the make a lot of money and want to drive a expensive classic car .......
always arseholes with bad attitudes ...and to them ,money makes the world go round and they think they are the centre of it ,just don't start any discussion with them and make em pay :p because they now jack shit about
their vehicles ...that's what I've learn'd from the old guys who where doing it long before me

and I like patina ...and I always got shite from them because I did al their welding ,fabricating ,bodywork and painting ,but also Interiour and engines and gearboxes ....mine always looked like I took it out of a field
where it had been parked for the last 20 years ....but I drive mine daily ....they only took their cars out to bring it to the garage or to the 2 shows they went to every year ...they come from another planet ;)

congrets on the price !! well deserved !!
 
I'm after advice from the overdrive boys and girls please.
I have picked up a J type overdrive taken off an Alpine, refurb kit now arrived so taking a brave pill tomorrow and starting to work on it. I've just seen a Rootes gearbox and OD box on fleabay and it shows a housing between the geabox and OD unit that I don't have. My OD unit ends at the name plate so no additional housing. Will my OD fit straight onto the gearbox or am I missing something (no jokes) or do I have everything I need. Any photos of the gearbox and OD would be much appreciated.
And - is it me or are Commers getting a bit overpriced?
Thanks.
 
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