F4 Van Restoration

[alewis]

Start of project - remove body from chassis - up on wood now just need to build some supports.

 

[Eoynteenie]

how much can a R4 van be picked up for? RND if poss?

 

[alewis]

Seems to vary alot - i've seen more LHD vans in the UK than RHD ones. F6 ones seem more common in RHD than F4s.

Now to start the welding !

 

[ggcton]

It is great to see people are now regularly removing the body for good chassis repairs. A few years ago most would have gone to scrap.
Now that they are being repaired properly and values of a solid car are making it worth the effort.
We should see our R4s about for a very long time.
Well done

 

[Eoynteenie]

theses images make me depressed on my lack of progress with my car

 

[alewis]

being able to remove the body and get at the underside is one of the reasons I like the R4 - welding upside down is soo horrible

No reason to be depressed ! I have an awful long way to go yet !

 

[alewis]

I think i will remove the automatic rust based height adjustment feature leaving just the old fashion cam arrangement.

Also as you can see in this photo the rear chassis leg is twisted at the rust!

 

[alewis]

Steering rack and drive shafts removed.

I'm guessing the hardy spicers have covers to general much getting into them, should they have grease tho like one does ?

(If feels to me that this would just help dirt accumulate? although it looks nice and clean)

 

[alewis]

Doh, that post didnt make sense - I mean't to generally stop muck getting into them.

 

[Rutger-peer]

The side that sticks in your gearbox doesn't need grease on it. Ofcourse you can just make it a little greasy to keep it from rusting. Also, those sides are within your enginebay and not really in the position to catch a lot of mud.

 

[alewis]

Project stalled due to cold weather now its warmer I have resumed, found a fair amount of rust!

 

[Rutger-peer]

That might prove to be a major job! But it's still pretty straightforward: cut out any bad metal and weld in new pieces!

Although those backbeams are really in bad shape, make sure you fixate them before starting to grind and weld...

 

[alewis]

Rust hole cleaned up now to tidy the edges and fit new floor section.

 

[SALRU]

Uff qui a beaucoup de travail eh.Seguro que le résultat est très bon

ce qui concerne

 

[alewis]

A bit more welding...

 

[Snoopy1974]

Great job, others pictures please !

I found these links on the french forum, the job is absolutly amazing

http://www.r4-4l.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19903

http://www.r4-4l.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19902

http://www.r4-4l.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19901

http://www.r4-4l.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19898

http://www.r4-4l.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19897

http://www.r4-4l.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19896

http://www.r4-4l.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=198

 

[alewis]

some amazing fabrication work in those links. I'm aiming to repair rather than replace too much.

A bit more progress has occurred - discovered a horrible hole which run most the height of the front chassis member under the bit arrowed. Only way I could fix it was to cut off what remained of the rusty flange. Weld up the hole then weld a new flange on.

(The colours are all a bit odd because ive covered it in rust treatment stuff!)

 

[alewis]

I've been a bit slow but the drivers floor is now installed
Sadly this 4 wont make the Kent run\1

 

[alewis]

And painted ! (A requirement in the current climate !)

 

[orsome]

restoration grades

Great job, others pictures please !

I found these links on the french forum, the job is absolutly amazing :

**Hi gyus, must say that that's not any "wheeler dealer" anymore, i would rather say that what is left was only dimensions and rust.......amazing what what you/they are doing, i seem to been very lucky with my car's rusting level(my current estimate prior MOT testing)...