Bedford Astravan MK2

[3cav3]

It's a huge step, be chuffed with it, it looks brilliant. I think you've just made it before the winter comes in with a clang. I was lucky that the little bits, the boot-floor and around the rear-arch/bumper mounts, got painted the same warm evening as I got the car back and the paint went on beautifully. Left even another couple of days and the weather -cold and damp, would have been against me , the job poorer for it.

Thanks, it was a bit of a rush getting it painted before Sundays storm came, a few areas I ideally wanted to shape a bit more, but at least its now protected, and I can see what needs improvement.

[3cav3]

The ideal temperatures for paint are between 5 and 15 degrees.

Below 5 = too cold to paint and your breath will condence whilst you work.
Do not be tempted to use accelerator liquid to help the paint to go off quicker. You may risk a white sheen in your lovely paint finish.

Above 15 degrees = increasing ambient humidity.

I'll bare that in mind,thankyou. Ideally I wanted to get the top coat on this year, but it'll probably take until 2024 to be totally ready. So much for a couple of months tart up that I originally envisaged all the way back in 2018. Still the longer it takes, then the closer it gets to being tax free, the scandalous cost of PLG is the reason why my Cavalier has been sorn since the end of June. I'm sure its over £30 a month now! If the government had left it as it was then they'd be still getting the £25 a month tax plus all the duty on the fuel it drinks, still they think they know best.

[Robsey]

Same here - on sorn since 15th March 2020.
Still sat there collecting cob-webs and mould 42 months later

[3cav3]

Same here - on sorn since 15th March 2020.
Still sat there collecting cob-webs and mould 42 months later

I feel for you. I think if money doesn't improve by the time the mot runs out on my Cav then with heavy heart ill have to sell it on, as just sitting there isn't doing it any favours.

[3cav3]

After having some time out due to various reasons, I finally motivated myself to go up the unit this morning. My plan was to start looking at replacing the brake lines. However opening my canopy this morning, the floor was absolutely soaked due to the extreme rain we've been having. It'scoming in under the sides so when it finally stops I'll have to address this.

Here's my brake line kit. I've never used it before does anyone have any suggestions on the process?

[3cav3]

Yesterday however I went on a road trip for a parts haul.
I managed to get a pair of new wiper caps;




A pair of radiator brackets off a gte, as i can't for the life of me find what I've done with the originals. These are a touch shorter than the diesel but should be easy enough to space out.







A new genuine UK spec rear bumper, I know I've already got one but that one is a German spec one, and this was cheap.



A genuine 16DA exhaust down pipe.



A new genuine manual N/S mirror.

[3cav3]

I also picked up a set of low spec seats. These are used and out of a 5 door but the foam cushions are very good and should enable to make a good 3 door set out of them with the 2 I've already got.

[Robsey]

Ooh - lots of lovely bits to keep you busy.

Hopefully, you can find a nice warm room to rebuild your seats.
A good hog-ring plier set will save a lot of injuries and swearing.

I haven't done brake lines myself, but there are plenty of you-tube videos for guidance.

[Envoy CDX]

Nice, car part shopping is always fun
Can't wait to see them fitted.

[3cav3]

Nice, car part shopping is always fun
Can't wait to see them fitted.

I can't either. The winter weather is going to hold me up a fair bit, but no matter what happens i want to get it into top coat and start building it back up next year.

[3cav3]

I didn't have the best of starts this morning. Firstly I accidentally fell back to sleep when my Missus left for work at 5.30, so I was late getting to the unit.
The first job I tackled was stripping down the Near side door. I knew it was to good to be true, having a mk2 door that was rot free! Bet you can't guess what coming next, yes as a surprise I've found yet more welding repairs are going to be needed. At times I really do feel that I'll welding this van until the day they Bury me!

[3cav3]

The next bit of bad luck was when I tried to remove the rubber that the window runs in and on the last corner probably due to a combination of age and the cold it tore in two.



A bit of frantic searching on the Internet failed to turn up any, either new or used. However whilst pondering what to do though, a pair of almost complete doors popped up for the bargin price of 35quid each. To be honest I'd of paid that for spare side windows on their own.






They are virtually rot free, apparently they were rescued from a write off GTE around 20 years ago and dry stored in the chaps attic ever since. Normally l enjoy a road trip however I'm amazed I didn't come home on the back of an AA truck as the noises coming from the the M32 gearbox in my mk5 were interesting to say the least and first and third became a bit of an art form to select. I doubt it's got long left in this world!

[3cav3]

When I took the door card off my original door I was amazed that the plastic water sheet was still there(the drivers side was missing) but also that it was still in very good condition and peeled off whole.

[Robsey]

Ah yes - the famous M32 dodgey bearing issue.

Am I right in thinking that the shiney red door is the same doors as the tired looking faded dull door in the first picture?

I bought a roll of lo-tack adhesive backed film for my doors...
But never used it.
Just taped up all the tears.

You know that you love cranking up that welder.
It will keep you warm over the cold months.

[3cav3]

Ah yes - the famous M32 dodgey bearing issue.

Am I right in thinking that the shiney red door is the same doors as the tired looking faded dull door in the first picture?

I bought a roll of lo-tack adhesive backed film for my doors...
But never used it.
Just taped up all the tears.

You know that you love cranking up that welder.
It will keep you warm over the cold months.

Yes same door just trick of the light.
To be honest I'm getting a bit disheartened with welding this van, it almost feels like its mocking me, every time I think that I can hang up my welding helmet it throws up some more areas of rot that I havent seen.
With my mk5 I think the gearbox may be the end of it. Pricing it all up, it'll need a service exchange box, a new clutch and flywheel, plus the cambelt is due, on top of that the mot runs out in a few weeks time. With labour will probably come to more than its worth, but I really do like the astra and you can't get them anymore. Such a shame vauxhall never did a mk6 version. I could squirrel it away I guess and make it a future project but after this mk2 I dont think I'll be restoring any more vans...

[Robsey]

I really feel for you with the van...
But - if it is a good van overall, what is to say you could find any decent replacement for the cost of repairs.

I am looking at a similar situation with the Vectra.
Needs a dual mass flywheel, service and timing belt kit.
As you say more than the car is worth. But it is a good car and worth the investment.

[3cav3]

I really feel for you with the van...
But - if it is a good van overall, what is to say you could find any decent replacement for the cost of repairs.

I am looking at a similar situation with the Vectra.
Needs a dual mass flywheel, service and timing belt kit.
As you say more than the car is worth. But it is a good car and worth the investment.

I would probably do it, however the van is run through work and they will probably rather replace it with a newer van. As a temporary measure I'm going to put some molyslip additive( have had some good results in the past with it)in the box and see how much work is required for the mot. I dont do that many miles anymore, however the van is on the road normally 7 days a week.Its a shame as the van is still nearly mint, no dents and hardly any rust, and bar the noise drives very nice. From a business point of view though the maintenance costs are creeping up in general as it ages, also when I go out on site I need something totally reliable, not to break down on route.

[3cav3]

Today I've had a go at cleaning up the door cards. As can be seen from the printed dates they are likely to be the originals. Plus no speaker holes have been cut.




They were both very grubby, surprising the passenger side was worse.



After a lot of scrubbing they have come up an awful lot better, but are still far from perfect.



Has anyone found any good cleaners or tried the vinyl paint kits? I'm a bit worried about the paint flaking.

[Robsey]

I think even the best cleaning brands would require a good two or three applications to sort 35 to 40 years worth of muck or general usage.

I have also found that a finishing wipe-over of vinyl with an absorbant paper-tissue type roll often lifts a lot of muck that damp cloths, brushes etc simply leave sat on the surface.

[3cav3]

Thanks for the tips ill give it a go. Was considering trying some Cif but am worried it may be a bit harsh.

[Robsey]

There are plenty of car specific upholstery cleaners out there.
All the well known companies do them.
Simonize, Mer, Meguires to name a few.
Hmm Car Plan Demon range...
There is one good company that I used a lot in the 90s, but my brain has gone addled since then.
Ah yes... Autoglym.

I would say look at your local autofactors for recommendations.

Halfords have a good range, but they tend to be more expensive than the car shop down the road

[3cav3]

I had a pleasant surprise last night, when I started grinding down the rot on the door, it actually turned out to be nothing serious. What has obviously happened is that water has found its way under the seam sealer and got trapped, and then started rusting. The metal underneath turned out to be solid so has now been treated in rust killer as a precaution, after bare metaling. On the weekend ill give it a light skim of filler to get rid of the grinding marks.
The same thing appears to be happening on my mk5 drivers door so perhaps is a common Astra trait?

[3cav3]

Grabbed a few minutes at lunchtime on the door. Etched primed, seam sealed and reprimed.

[3cav3]

I was going to finish undersealing the chassis this morning, however when I arrived it was below freezing so I didn't fancy lying on the cold floor- I must be getting old.

Not that it was much warmer in the workshop. So I stripped the inards out of the door.

[3cav3]

Next after cleaning I started rubbing the door down.



There was a few minor dents, which I then filled.