We began this project by buying what we thought was the most original van we would be likely to find...she had two owners, and had been put away in a shed on a farm near Wagga Wagga NSW...The only reason we found out the whereabouts was from the forum of mysandman.com, which I came across and joined in March this year. The manual and service manual, was still in the glovebox, in perfect condition, the sale to the original owner stapled into it...and original number plates still on.nothing had been changed, every part was where it should be...and motor and gearbox still also original. We offered him a fair price, and she was ours....
We then had to go back with a trader plate as unregistered, and drove home never missing a beat after not being driven for 5 years. Once home washed all the years of dust storms and began the restoration process. Rodney put her up with a forklift onto scaffold and painted underneath, after first completely washing the underneath.....after that we put the exhausts on leaving off the chrome extensions until after the body paint...we also took her down to Rodney's brother who is a mechanic, he went over the running gear replacing, the master cylinder, and brakes, rear seal in gearbox which he did twice as it kept leaking, this time putting in a ford seal, which has a double seal in it...l, tappit cover gaskets, and did a full service.
First coat of clear rust protecter, underneath the van....I was in it to push the brake pedal while Rodney undid the wheel nuts.....Tomorrows job is to do GMH black, then it can go and get the exhausts done
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Originally Posted by playwme
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