They're cracking, aren't they? Retrimmed, frames resprayed - and they're the old-style peg-in-hole, held down only by a little pin catch on one rear corner.

And people whinge about the modern runner seats being a bit "mobile" in use...

Old-style door catches, too - the ones that just latch onto the pillar itself. A fairly uncracked "droopy moustache" steering wheel, and the bits that you just can't get except by finding a car that's lived in the sun - indicator lenses that've faded to clear on their top halves, and fuel/charge icons on the speedo that've gone all Dali.

Yet again it seems Chapman has lost the plot

need he be reminded the mehari took 8 years just to move 100 miles round trip!!!!

Don't forget the missenden welder has moved on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It would take an awaful lot of Drink to get me to lift a welding torch on a AK Van!!!!!!!!!!!

Great. I wonder who's going to get roped into this then...

Yeh, I know. It's great. I've got somebody reliable now, instead of a tame welder that just takes the piss out of me when I attempt to get something done.



It'd take an awful lot of drink to get you to lift a sodding finger now you're all retired and spending all your time on the boat I bought you...

Jesus Louis, that's both of us spurned by the sounds of it!


Who's the new welder then Chappers?

we also contributed to the boad

The tin plate's out of it, and the full gore is revealed.

The tin plate...



Under the passenger toeboard


With the tin sheet out

After removing that big plate, there was a smaller one bolted into the driver's footwell - one top, one bottom, 6xM5 nuts/bolts.

With them out...


So that'll be why the chassis bent, then...


Then there's that screen surround corner.


Wonder what the rest of it's like? Let's start by taking the spare wheel out.

Mebbe I should just polish in there?
Under the back end...

Inside the rear wings

...it's all like that!

Oh, and with the floor swept - no more - these became obvious...

Centre of the chassis, just on the passenger side of the seat peg holes

That chassis number is probably more legible in the pic than "in real life", but that's how it left the factory...

And on the edge of the driver's side floor...

Dunno what it is - it's not the last four of the chassis number.

There's more pics in the flickr set - http://www.flickr.com/photos/a_chapman6 ... 849350862/ - which is going to get updated "live"...

Louis B mate

Looks as if you can buy the Titanic now, with all these nice people contributing to your boat fund.

As for Adrain - I take my hat off to you for living the dream and going out and getting the van...the amount of times I've looked on French ebay and nearly nearly pressed bid but havent... I'm too chicken!

Ade, we love you ; you are totally mad but keep it that way!

It must have been good booze!

Rich