Intro and Our Mercedes Vario Home -Gen rack pg.5. Ideas on uprating rear suspension?
- Thread starter Anton2k3
- Start date
Anton2k3
Adventurer
And so it begins....
Although the van is up for sale around March, I've decided to sort the sills and body work out before a respray. I want it to be ready to use, trouble free and looking great when it goes. I'll document my progress here. So far, stripped the paint and started cutting out rotten steel on the passenger side. More cutting out and new steel starting to go back in tomorrow hopefully
The sliding door has certainly seen better days! Had no idea it was that bad
Although the van is up for sale around March, I've decided to sort the sills and body work out before a respray. I want it to be ready to use, trouble free and looking great when it goes. I'll document my progress here. So far, stripped the paint and started cutting out rotten steel on the passenger side. More cutting out and new steel starting to go back in tomorrow hopefully
The sliding door has certainly seen better days! Had no idea it was that bad
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docka
Adventurer
There's a firm called Cabmasters in Lancs who had some brand new SLDs... Not the cheapest but may save you time...
http://www.cabmasters.com
http://www.cabmasters.com
Anton2k3
Adventurer
Thanks docka, unfortunately they don't have any anymore. I'll have to sort the old one out. Today's progress doesn't look much, but we've been testing tools to she if we can fab the panels and it's looking good. Tacked some new steel in finally too.
The bending machine we bought today is able to make the OEM profiles ( or rather, it enables us to make the OEM profiles)
New steel with the test piece. The top edge will be joggled to slot under the existing steel for welding in.
This is the profile we can make
The kit that makes it all possible
The bending machine we bought today is able to make the OEM profiles ( or rather, it enables us to make the OEM profiles)
New steel with the test piece. The top edge will be joggled to slot under the existing steel for welding in.
This is the profile we can make
The kit that makes it all possible
Dudeknarly
New member
Still selling the rear bumper mount thing? I know I'm about a year late!
BTW I got a vario 814d and I'm in the build phase!
Being 22 makes insurance hard but I'm making it happen!
Keep up the good work
BTW I got a vario 814d and I'm in the build phase!
Being 22 makes insurance hard but I'm making it happen!
Keep up the good work
surfer4life
Observer
Anton, i think there would be huge demand for those repair panels, i know people are always asking on the vario facebook page, and i have not found anywhere that does them after years of looking. If you could do some the rear arch even better (although i imagine hard/impossible with your machine) replacement inner wheel arches (rear) would be awesome as well!
Anton2k3
Adventurer
Hey Guys,
Well its been a while since this has been updated. I completed replacing all of the sills, including the sliding door (whole of the bottom of it) and drivers door skins. Lots of hours spent renewing 'behind the scenes' structure followed by body panels. I have to say I really enjoyed the challenge...and that is was. It turned out really well, and in fact we had provisionally sold the van before we had even completed this work. A condition of sale was that rear 3 point seat belts had to be installed followed by successful MOT. Quite a challenge again, with some heavy engineering and fab work....my favourite. We managed to get it all done, and the van is now happily with a fellow forum member. I'll let him introduce himself if he wishes. For us, a deposit is now down on a Mercedes Sprinter 516 4x4 LWB High top, which we will be picking up in a couple of weeks. I'll start a new build thread for that one, i've already spec'd it all, so just a matter of money and time now. Anyway, thats this thread wrapped up. I'll upload pics of the latest work if anyone is interested.
Anton2k3 and the Vario....out.
Well its been a while since this has been updated. I completed replacing all of the sills, including the sliding door (whole of the bottom of it) and drivers door skins. Lots of hours spent renewing 'behind the scenes' structure followed by body panels. I have to say I really enjoyed the challenge...and that is was. It turned out really well, and in fact we had provisionally sold the van before we had even completed this work. A condition of sale was that rear 3 point seat belts had to be installed followed by successful MOT. Quite a challenge again, with some heavy engineering and fab work....my favourite. We managed to get it all done, and the van is now happily with a fellow forum member. I'll let him introduce himself if he wishes. For us, a deposit is now down on a Mercedes Sprinter 516 4x4 LWB High top, which we will be picking up in a couple of weeks. I'll start a new build thread for that one, i've already spec'd it all, so just a matter of money and time now. Anyway, thats this thread wrapped up. I'll upload pics of the latest work if anyone is interested.
Anton2k3 and the Vario....out.
MARIŌVERLAND
Observer
Hey Anthony
I'd be interested in pics of your latest work.
What solution did you come up with for adding the seatbelts to the dinette? My layout will effectively be the same as yours with a raised area underneath the seats so I was thinking of making up a 25mm steel box framework for the whole seating area and and anchoring through the floor with steel plates, seems like a lot of work though.
What did you eventually get for the Vario, quite a difficult thing to put a price on considering the amount of work that went into it!
Thanks
I'd be interested in pics of your latest work.
What solution did you come up with for adding the seatbelts to the dinette? My layout will effectively be the same as yours with a raised area underneath the seats so I was thinking of making up a 25mm steel box framework for the whole seating area and and anchoring through the floor with steel plates, seems like a lot of work though.
What did you eventually get for the Vario, quite a difficult thing to put a price on considering the amount of work that went into it!
Thanks
Anton2k3
Adventurer
Some final photos - seat belt installation and body work.
Here are some photos of the seat belt installation. The frame bolts through chassis members (not the main U channel), and an 8mm plate beyond that. I didn't take many of the body work, was too busy getting it all sorted!
Here are some photos of the seat belt installation. The frame bolts through chassis members (not the main U channel), and an 8mm plate beyond that. I didn't take many of the body work, was too busy getting it all sorted!
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