This is my '76 1600 Viking thread (converted panel van). She didn't have a name when we bought her in Dec'14 so we called her Martha. But I'm severely thinking of a sex change and rename to "Dave" or "Hans", as I'm sure he's going to bugger me in due course. So to the wife it's Martha, but to me its Hans. So at the moment I'm going to concentrate less on restoration and more maintaining. I want to keep the van moving as I don't own a garage...yet and I'm not that bothered about the finishing look (for the time being). I'm slowly feeling that rolling resto's are pointless but I don't have the facilities to gut it fully. It seems if you want to do one job it turns into about 50 jobs. I paid £3k from a lovely farmer in the Gower, without an MOT. Crazily I didn't look at it before I bought it. It was a whim purchase from 6 photos and a chat over the phone (owner for 10 years). My budget was 10K, so I thought I had some room in there for a resto. During her transportation down to Somerset her roof was blown off on the motorway. The haulage insurers paid £1.5k for the roof to be repair and didn't write it off. I believe, and I'm no expert, her chassis is good. Her panels will need to be replaced in some aspect or another. But her roof, or really, the gutters are done/gone/knackered and this is a bad starting point but one I'll live with, even if to regret. First task was to see how far I was away from an MOT. As it turns out there was only £200 of welding to do to get it through the MOT. The roof is bolted down for now. So a result....a drivable mot'd van! First show that weekend was Cruise to the Prom in Weston.... After a morning cruising around town I noticed my son and I getting a little nauseous . This was from the combination of exhaust and petrol fumes entering the cab (later turns out to be inlet manifold heat riser, exhaust and fuel re-breathers). I then got the specialist garage to briefly look at it for a full service and a list; to replace the exhaust, heat exchangers, inlet manifold and fuel lines. It was then booked in for an appointment the following week. Once back home "Hans" wouldn't start!! Mucktard!! So I had to cancel the service...and the missus was not impressed I believe in hindsight this was Hans saying 'dont be a pu$$y!! come and have a play'. So I took the plunge changing the condenser, cap, rotary arm, points and plugs. Turned the key and and boom he started!! This was the point that I thought I'm going cut my teeth on this van. When I bought the van and looked in the engine bay I couldn't tell you what was what!! I had no clue. But months of reading LTB threads, googling and youtube I'm getting more confident (so thank you). So this is the start of my thread, or the continuation of a 39 year old story. In 2 to 3 years (and more) I hope to re-read all this and think, yeap, it was all worth it and me and the kids have some great memories
This looks like its going to be a very interested resto thread. Plenty to do though chap, not for the faint hearted.
Welcome and congrats on your purchase - probably right money as looks a fair bit of work if your after a pristine van. A good few Vikings on here.
In my case, having started life as a good useable camper, a few months down the line, I decided to make a few improvements...interior, bodywork and mechanicals. After some good, trouble free road trips and a tour around France, I thought I'd take it off the road to sort the bodywork out properly...I don't regret the decision, but with hindsight a rolling resto would've meant a lot more camping and a lot less heartache. If you love the idea of weekends away, camping on spec etc., then assuming the bus is useable as is, do the bear minimum to keep him roadworthy, get out and enjoy it. It's a tough job if you've no workspace, and can be pretty demoralizing planning a job for the weekend only to find it lashes down... Trouble is, if you're anything like me (and countless others on here), it's hard not to look at the van and see all these bits and pieces that need doing, and resist the urge to strip it all back to make good...mine's been 'in the process of being finished' for years.....and still is It'll keep you busy, if nothing else! Have fun
What he said. WE both know a chap who bought a Viking, did enough to keep it going every year, really, and spent a good 6 weeks each summer travelling Europe, north of Scotland.. and countless other weekends and school hols in the lakes. Had it for about 10 years or so then actually made a profit on it when he sold it. Theres a lot in that. You will get "resto envy" when parked up with lots of nice buises around at an event but theres lots of rolling restos on the road. keep the bits you can at bay and get stuff done as you go along.
Couldn`t have put it better myself ... Keep it going and use it - that`s what they`re for . There WILL be pangs of resto envy but yours will be on the drive , legal and waiting for the next adventure Mines a bit rough around the edges but always gets me there and to quote a mate "done more miles in reverse than most of these paintjobs ... " ( Kinda like that )
First job replace the heat exchangers. I mean how hard is it just to replace some heat exchangers?!? Bloody hard when the nuts are rusted. Well I've snapped 2 exhaust studs (will post about stud removal later). I had to drop the engine and whilst I'm at it plan to change all the fuel lines and breather hoses, re-furb the engine bay and then change the inlet manifold. I've successfully removed one of the studs with some heat/plusgas/mole grips. The other I've drilled slightly gone south of the centre punch. I was hoping the left-handed drill bits may bite the stud and pull it out. Anyway south enough not to be able to pick the thread out, so now I'm planning helicoiling it. I've also stripped the thread from one of the oil cap M6 .....cr$$per. I'm helicoling that also.
So the fuel tank and fuel filler has been removed. Leaving a much needed clean up and paint. A lot of rust by the fuel tank exit. Having got the balls to drop the engine after some advice from LTB, I've laid out the parts for sentimental purposes . Found that the engine was held by 2 bolts instead of the 4. Dang. Also that the fan flaps are permanently open, as there is a missing themostat. So a clean and a lick of paint and I'm chuffed... Whilst in charge of the eldest one I got him taking up the floor....and yes that is his plastic hammer, which I am not allowed to touch!!
Way to go. In for a penny in for a dollar! they say, think of now nice it will be when you're running down the road again.
Past week's weather has meant pushing some jobs forward, even in the pitch black by head torch. I'm desperate to get the tank/engine back in for the colder months. So the destroyed M6 thread for the sump plate has been fixed (I hope) with a helicoil kit. Drilled out and helicoil screwed in. Lots of engine degreaser cleaning. My lad cleaning the fan housing. Has been an absolute bee atch to do. 30 years of grime caked in. Its ready for painting now (over the weekend). Going to use Plasti-kote BBQ Black to give the tinware a satin finish. Finally new stuff going on the engine. Valves adjusted after nearly losing my pencil end finding TDC!! pheww..... Rocker covers, heat exchangers and muffler temporary put in place.
Decided that all the interior needed to come out . The original chipboard of the Viking was pretty rotten especially by the floor and I actually need good access to install the seat belt mounting plates and brackets. There are no rear seat belts. I'm going to keep the same Viking layout but replace with new fridge/cooker and with recycled wooden interior. So I got a quote from a mobile mechanic to weld in my seatbelt mount plates. £50 for 2, which I thought was good. And I wanted this job done before that tank and engine are put back in. But then realised I need definitely 4 (possibly 6) welding in and whilst I'm at it with access repair the nearside rear arch. So that was basically the reason I gave myself for this beauty... and when the wife asked...'its paid for itself already '. Bought some scrap cuts off ebay, so I hope to be sparking up this weekend.
Same mig as mine and mines been perfectly fine for the van What did you paint the rocker covers with i quite like the look of them? Its also nice to see im not the only one who has a habit of drying painted parts in front of the fire Best of luck with the rest of the work and ill look forward to following along
Good to hear on the MIG. I've got a bit of learning ahead. The rocker covers are powder coated hammertone silver. I chatted with the painter and he recon'd it would be up to the job. Only at the connection to the exhaust side of the heat exchanger might burn a little, which I don't mind.
The warm nights have still meant I have been pushing the engine refurb forward. I've even managed to get the wife helping out, albeit begrudgingly. Fuel filler hose replaced. Manifold replaced with CB performance. Fuel line replaced. Bits cleaned up. Back on it's bolts. I'm a day or two away from starting the engine but I've already seen a leak from one of two of the sump studs. Replaced the nuts with acorn nuts. That's fixed one. The other I'll tackle tomorrow or the weekend. Then it will be oil and fuel time.
Hello from Cheshire, just read this through from the start, missed it before because you started it when I was on holiday . Looking forward to see what you do with the roof !!
Coming along nicely. You'll be running down the roads very shortly. Think how sweet it will be knowing that job is done!!!