buying a van

[overider]

Hi, I am going to look at a moggy van that for sale. It apparently needs lots of welding. The question is where I should be looking. Where are the problem places and most common places for rust? Are they any place that cannot be sorted? I have no experience with Moggy vans just cars. Help!!!

[wibble_puppy]

hi overider, and congratulations on your taste!

The first place to check with vans is the GUTTERS. Repair sections are available for the whole of the cargo section gutter run, but welding them in in such a way that you don't distort the cargo area, making it difficult or impossible to fit back on to the chassis and bolt to the cab, is a very tricky, very specialised job = expense.

Then the rear light clusters. These will almost certainly need doing, again a repair panel is available, but this time is fairly routine to weld in.

Check the rear valance - the bit which folds in, above the rear number plate. On either side of this, right at the edges, is a bracket which sits on the rear ends of the chassis legs. This is very often corroded, sometimes almost completely gone. If it's rusty it will need fixing - no huge deal apart from the labour required to take the cargo area off the chassis and cab, to get at the brackets.

Take a magnet with you to check for honest metal. My van had up to a centimetre of filler plastered over it under the shiny shiny paint, to hide many dents and dings.

Check the rear doors are okay, often they are dented badly in the bottom half. If this is the case the metal will need to be shrunk and reshaped by an experienced panel-beater.

Get underneath the van with your magnet and a small implement like a screwdriver, and tap and test the whole of the chassis. Chassis problems can be fixed but can be expensive.

Have a look at the roof of the cargo section, you will need a ladder or chair to stand on for this unless you are eight feet tall. Dents and hollow areas?

There will be loads I've forgotten but those are my initial reflex thoughts - wiser and more experienced heads than mine will be along to offer their advice!

A lot depends on what you can live with - ie tatty is fine as long as it is roadworthy... but if you want an immaculate example then it costs a fair bit.

If you are an expert welder and panel-beater then buy the van whatever its condition, and get it sorted and back on the road! the more the merrier!!

Good luck! and let us know how you get on!

wibble xx

[bigginger]

My least favourite bit - and I've never seen it on anything other than LCVs - is behind the damper between the X member and the bulkhead = a PITA to repair

[aupickup]

to check the chassis take a small hammer and hit the chassis lightly, if it rings that bit is ok, if it is a dull thud then its rusty and you may here the rust falling of the inside

the chasis if its bad will need the top taking off and having alook inside , unlike the cars

the front is simialr to a car so as usual all teh same areas of rot apply

but remeber that not many repair panels are available for the cab back, roof , doors etc


check the front spring hanger , these sometimes rot out, also inner and outer arches on the cab back
normally the rear gutters rot from the inside so agian check these areas carefully

having said that it depends on what price you are paying

[rayofleamington]

Get underneath the van with your magnet and a small implement like a screwdriver, and tap and test the whole of the chassis. Chassis problems can be fixed but can be expensive.

If the chassis is too far gone then it shouldn't be fixed. Front legs are available and the end of rear and crossmember is too. The stuff in the middle is not avaialble and not easy to repair by scratch. The front mount of rear spring (Shaped tube that runs from one spring to the other) can rot from inside and if so, There's not much you can do to make a good repair.
New chassis' are avaialble but not cheap price and quality of some is not great.

Your best bet is to be patient and buy one that needs very little work - this can be much cheaper in the long run and won't suck up all of your free time for quite as long!

[wibble_puppy]

*agrees*

[Jay-Minor]

most important to check the gutters inside and out

[overider]

Thanks for all your advice. I went to look at the van today as agreed. Someone I know offered it to me for £300. However, when I got there it had gone and the seller said someone drove past and offered him £700. So he snapped his hands off.
The person said the sills had gone both sides and the floors were none existent. The chassis was ok at the back but both front legs were rusted through. The van had been standing outside for years so all the brake etc would need to be renewed. Apparently, the gutters were ok. Nevertheless, for the original £300 it might have been a bargain. I will keep looking. Once again thanks for the help.

[wibble_puppy]

bad luck on missing out on this one

i guess it just wasn't meant to be, and your perfect van is still waiting for you out there somewhere

wibble xx