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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2012 21:43:49 GMT 10
Well i skipped the teardown. didnt think to document that. but i never want to see a staple ever again in my life. they must use a machine gun version of a staple gun. the steel was all rusted out on the drivers side. so i got oldmate to cut it out and weld in new stuff. the van itself cost $700. and after a long long time ripping it apart so i didnt destroy anything i didnt want destroyed. . . and hours wirebrushing and de-scaling and acid washing. ive ended up with this so far. Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2012 15:49:47 GMT 10
well, now its sprayed black. just used an enamel gloss. first attempt at spraygun. was easier than i thought it would be. did have to go around and touch up a few 'shadows' where i had missed but overall its looking alot better now. ive already sandblasted and sprayed the axle and springs but when i bought the bushes i only got 4 not 6. so i will grab those tomorrow. and hopefully get all that put back on. i suppose then i should find a wheel to replace the missing one. the two that were on it were a mess. too badly rusted up to bother with. Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2012 20:21:14 GMT 10
ok suspension axle hubs and wheels on. Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2012 20:21:42 GMT 10
sexcy new wheels i might add Attachments:
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Post by millard1399 on Aug 10, 2012 22:23:39 GMT 10
G'day xxahmet, Looking pretty good so far! ;D Do you have any photos of what the van looked like when you first bought it?  cheers, Al. |
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Post by mausie on Aug 10, 2012 22:54:46 GMT 10
Looking good ;D ;D ;D Our Capricorn van is at the same stage. Doesn't it feel good when you start to see progress  Mausie |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2012 11:43:32 GMT 10
nah i never took any, when i got it i didnt really plan on taking it back this far but once i got it home and started ripping out this and that i found a lot of rotten timbers and weater leaks etc. and it just progressed. it looked a lot like the one in this picture but the windows at front and back are smaller. the plate that was rifited to the chassis says mm-133 but i havent been able to find anything out about it on the net. not even a pic of the same one. and mausie, hell yeah. its been an age just on the chassis. rust is a massive pain. prolly also slow cause ive never done anything like it before. have to keep learning stuff. Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2012 19:19:24 GMT 10
Hi
Getting the chassis right in my opinion is definantly the only way to go.
Stripping down to this level is a massive amount of work, but really worth the effort
Welding, cleaning and painting can be done properly when stripped. Nice work
Just like any major construction if the foundations are solid and square then it makes everything else you build on top a lot easier and without compromise.
Cam
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Post by millard1399 on Aug 11, 2012 21:02:16 GMT 10
xxameht, these Millard poptops were launched on the market in April 1976 and were originally called a "Mighty Mini Van". They were built in 12ft and 14ft sizes, so yours must be a 12-footer. In 1977 or '78, they added 16 footers and 17 footers to the range, so you'll sometimes come across a tandem wheel version of them.
The MM part of your chassis number stands for "Millard Mini", and the numbers of 133 mean you have the 133rd one built, so yours is pretty close to the start of it all. Mine is MM1399 and is from late 1976 or early 1977.
Are you aiming to put the van back together to look like it did originally, or are you planning to make some changes?
cheers,
Al.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2012 15:41:50 GMT 10
floor is almost back on, the corners have bee replaced where the timber had been badly water damaged and rotted away. alits not even going to be a caravan when ive finished. i sold my house recently and have to rent. the place im in has no shed/workspace to speak of, so the caravan is getting turned into a mobile shed for want of a better description. this way when i move, i wont have to worry too much about if the place i go to has one or not. actually the back of it is going to be totally different. i realised at some point that sometimes my projects are going to exceed the size of the door. the the whole backend will open, im thinking hinged top and bottom so it will have a ramp and hatchbak type thing. like a panelvan i guess. most of the frame timbers are getting swapped out for aluminium angle or u channel. the pop top is going to be set to go a fair bit higher than original too. just so i can use it as storage space but still walk under it when its open. i will try and find the awning bit as well. just for the extra space shoul i need it for anything in particular. yeah the floor measures just over 11 feet so i guess with the sides on and measuring from the two longest points at the side it would be 12. the fact its 133rd made isnt that suprising. it had some very weird things. like aluminium rivets into steel. thanks for that info tho, helps to know how old the thing is. cami agree. it was a real mess when i started. there was NO way i could have done anything useful with it as it was. once its done tho, i sure as hell wont be doing another one ever ever again hehe Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2012 17:47:15 GMT 10
RAHHHHHH!!!! floor is done, brakes are done. no more chassis stuff left. im up to the sides at long long last. *struts*
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2012 17:34:47 GMT 10
Opinions please. ive almost got enogh done to put the sides back on and the front. should i assemble it then spray it? or spray the panels ive got, then assemble it. not sure. i think either one is going to be a pain. just wondering how other people would do it.
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Post by bobt on Aug 28, 2012 22:23:19 GMT 10
gidday xxameht opinion...... Wow is my thought. You sure put a whole new meaning to a restoration. I like the idea of the rear opening up, I could think of many things I would like to take with me when I go away easy access into the van would make it possible. Keep the progress reports coming, photos are nice too. bobt |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2012 17:14:39 GMT 10
lol thanks bobt but i actually mean, an opinion on if i should spray it before or after assembly.
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Post by bobt on Sept 3, 2012 21:58:18 GMT 10
hey xxameht Sorry I was referring to all that you have done leading upt to this point in time.. Me I would assemble first, paint after. Less chance of damaging the paint work. Just think about the extra extra care you will have to take if you do it the other way round.  keep us posted bobt |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2012 16:15:31 GMT 10
went with painting second cause of what bobt said. im too lazy to be careful. i am doing some of the prep for painting on the panels before they go up. someone put tar paper all over it at some point so ive been cleaning that off and scrubbing it with steel wool. that sort of thing. not going back to bare metal tho. so here it is now with the sides going up. and the top on (but not attached yet) has been a fun day doing that without any extra hands. and the wind blowing like mad. Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2012 18:22:36 GMT 10
a good sign of my lazyness. buggered if im pushing the damn thing around when i want to move it. cost me $400 but really. this thing has insane torqe (?) when i moved it into the . . 'shed' today i just rode the whole damn thing across the yard up onto the driveway. Attachments:
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Post by mausie on Sept 6, 2012 8:22:59 GMT 10
Great job so far!!!! Just one tip - when preparing any bare aluminium for painting avoid using steel wool. Use a non-ferrous pad instead. Aluminium and steel wool creates a dissimilar metals corrosion  for what it is worth. Have never seen one of those jockey wheels Laziness has nothing to do with it - as you get older one can do with any help available Tell us more Is the power supply self contained? Do you steer it by pushing the van sideways or is there a remote? Where do you get ? Maisie & Joe |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2012 9:58:12 GMT 10
Maisie & Joe good point with the steel wool. i'll have to give it a good pressure cleaning and hope there isnt too many flakes embedded in the panels. the wheel is just powered by a 12 volt battery, i grabbed a small deepcycle car battery for that. i put the steering bit in this pic. the bar you steer with has a forward/backwards button on it. the length of it makes it very easy to turn. when its not moving the wheel is locked in position too. i think thats just the gearbox not allowing it to move tho. not a brake as such. i got it on ebay, it came up from melbourne. cant remember the company name tho sorry. ***edit. what do you mean by "older" exactly? i swear im just as lazy as ive always been. oh and i noticed ive been using stainless steel wool. not sure of the grade but low 300's seems to check out with aluminium. i left the original jockey wheel clamp on the trailer, and added another to the opposite side so its easy to have one or the other and not leave the expensive one outside. the clamp it came with does have a keylocking thing on it. but i just wasnt comfortable leaving it out there. Attachments:
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Post by mausie on Sept 6, 2012 18:44:01 GMT 10
Thanks for that Just had a look on eBay and found the jockey wheel like yours  Mausie |
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Post by bobt on Sept 6, 2012 22:23:11 GMT 10
Man o Man I gotta get me one of those. sure beats trying to move some of my trailers around with the manual power wheel and muscle!!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2012 18:27:52 GMT 10
@ Mausie did ya buy one? and did ya go the solid wheel or the inflatable like mine? and how much did it cost ya?
ok looking at the original angle that went on the outside corners of the van, its a kind of C channel. and then a plastic cap fitted into it to cover the screws that were through the c channel into the sides and timber underneath.
does anyone know if i can get the same plastic capping stuff again? but really. it does look like even with the capping. water could seep under it and sit in the channel anyway. im not actually up to this stage yet. but its coming soon so i want to have an idea now so i can act when its time rather than ass about.
i could fill the channel over with silicone after its all attached. but that may get damn messy. i actually want to
assemble
paint
add the angle last
i could just use standard angle and put cuts in it so i can bend over the corners, but that will look a bit bodgey and sad i think.
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Post by mausie on Sept 9, 2012 21:07:39 GMT 10
Yep! Got one for $387 plus freight ;D ;D ;D You can get the inserts for your corner mould from Caravans Plus Cheers Mausie |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2012 19:02:36 GMT 10
mausie tired it yet? and as a general statment i am SO SICK of scrubbing tar off panels and angle. but i found like most of lifes little problems, this one is easily solved with fire.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2012 14:50:59 GMT 10
skins are finally goin back on the main bit. still got tar to scrub off the poptop tho. and i wont be doing the fold open 'hatchback. part till i get to it. i never plan, just make. Attachments:
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