Mk1 VW LT 35 Tipper Truck 'Lucky Lloyd'

[jjeffries]

I just got in from my garage, toiling on something utterly simplistic compared to this. My results are, as my Dad would have observed, “maybe not pretty but certainly strong”. Then I see this work of yours, taking an object so “ordinary” and bringing out all the beauty in it. Such skills and determination, and the will to do it all to such a high standard. It just happens to be a (rather handsome) work truck; it could have been any exotic car. Massively impressed.

John

[jonsey]

Very nice

[teaboy]

That is the cat's whiskers!

[jamesd1972]

Better than new. Remarkable results from a tent in the garden.
Hat duly doffed, thanks for bringing us along on the ride.
Bet you will own any VW meet you get to !
James
P.s good find on the daily!

[grizz]

In my last update, I showed how the welding had come to an end. Which meant, it was time seal it all in with epoxy. 

Now....I took a week off work to get this next bit done as it was heading toward Autumn and I wanted to get some paint on it. 

I spent 4 days cleaning, degreasing, keying up and prepping the inside and underneath of the cab ready for paint. It was with out doubt the most boringly painful part of the restoration yet. So boring....that not a single picture exists of this process.



All I can offer you is the result!........epoxy and seam sealer.....































Then on with some stone chip. My preference is Dinitrol 447 as it's rubberised and sticks like the proverbial to a blanket. It's not cheap....but it's the best I've used....and I've used a few disappointing products in the past.











......and once all that was done....there was only one thing left to do......2k acrylic top coat.....in white...











While I was there.....I masked up the engine bay and painted satin black ( rattle can ).......








One thing I was really pleased about was, there is absolutely no filler used anywhere while completing this bit. There are a few small imperfections, but its all going to get covered with either sound deadening, floor matts or interior trim.

commycouper





Not sorry for quoting some random pics, mainly as a reminder from the previous page. Not that we forget.


So where do any of us even begin.



I, like so many others can only look at your work in absolute amazement.

Despite you having the scars, experience, truck and seeing what you have built here, I really wonder if you know what you managed to create here Dan.

Some of us manage to just get stuff done to a functional standard, but you have gone and built this truck as if it is a prosthetic limb for someone very special.

Your attention to detail, finish and fit is above what a manufacturer would offer.

Your build deserves to be on the shortest of short list of mind blowing builds.

[wildrover]

^^^^ What he said

[kevins]

Looking superb, I'm with you on not using filler on the underbody(even though my repairs are nowhere near as good as yours) with the higher stress in the panels and propensity to absorb water using filler seems a recipie for future corrosion.

[grumpybadger]

Wow, from weld to paint in a single bound.
Superhuman.

[metalshapes]

Absolutely beautiful.

Do I see the beginning of a stripe design there?

Looks like that will compliment the lines too...

[johnthesparky]

As above,

Excellent work and was going to ask if that was stripes

[commycouper]

Jun 24, 2023 18:04:04 GMT misteralz said:

That is looking fantastic.

Cheers 👍🏻👍🏻

Jun 24, 2023 18:16:34 GMT Norman said:

Looks great Dan, you must be pleased. Great attention to detail which shows up in the finish. All the best, Norman

Thanks Norman 👍🏻. I've been doing some more paint work on the truck yesterday and today. But it all went horribly wrong 😕....that'll be two days wasted then. It would seem that it was too hot for paint today. The paint was drying to quickly.....and all I have to show for hours of preparation is a white lumpy mess. 

Jun 24, 2023 20:50:02 GMT jonsey said:

Very nice

Thanks Jonsey 👍🏻 👍🏻

Jun 24, 2023 21:47:15 GMT teaboy said:

That is the cat's whiskers!

Thanks Mr Tea 👍🏻👍🏻

Jun 25, 2023 6:49:21 GMT wildrover said:

^^^^ What he said

Thanks Wildrover 👍🏻 👍🏻

Jun 25, 2023 10:26:41 GMT grumpybadger said:

Wow, from weld to paint in a single bound.
Superhuman.

😁😁....yes, the way its pictured in the thread it would suggest so. Unfortunately, the whole cleaning and prep stage wasn't captured for evidence! My feeble excuse is, as I was underneath the truck rolling around on the floor a lot, I kept my phone indoors so that it didn't get damaged in my pocket.....or, I just plain forgot....which is probably closer to the truth! 😁😁

[commycouper]

Jun 24, 2023 19:10:31 GMT jjeffries said:

I just got in from my garage, toiling on something utterly simplistic compared to this. My results are, as my Dad would have observed, “maybe not pretty but certainly strong”. Then I see this work of yours, taking an object so “ordinary” and bringing out all the beauty in it. Such skills and determination, and the will to do it all to such a high standard. It just happens to be a (rather handsome) work truck; it could have been any exotic car. Massively impressed.

John

Thanks John 👍🏻......there were a few bits that I wasn't happy with, but it's all going under sound deadening or floor mats anyway. I do have to keep reminding myself that it is indeed a work truck. I find myself being way to fussy about it at times. When actually, a 'that will do' attitude will more than suffice. 

[commycouper]

Jun 25, 2023 6:48:13 GMT grizz said:

Not sorry for quoting some random pics, mainly as a reminder from the previous page. Not that we forget.


So where do any of us even begin.



I, like so many others can only look at your work in absolute amazement.

Despite you having the scars, experience, truck and seeing what you have built here, I really wonder if you know what you managed to create here Dan.

Some of us manage to just get stuff done to a functional standard, but you have gone and built this truck as if it is a prosthetic limb for someone very special.

Your attention to detail, finish and fit is above what a manufacturer would offer.

Your build deserves to be on the shortest of short list of mind blowing builds.

Once again Rain, thanks for your kind words. I quite often find myself spending way too long on areas that won't even be seen. I keep having to remind myself that this is a work truck and I should reserve all the attention to detail stuff for my next project. 

Also, thanks for bringing the content over from the previous page. It's really annoying when you do a big post and then it immediately gets left behind because of a change of page.....I appreciate it 👍🏻

[commycouper]

Jun 25, 2023 6:26:19 GMT jamesd1972 said:

Better than new. Remarkable results from a tent in the garden.
Hat duly doffed, thanks for bringing us along on the ride.
Bet you will own any VW meet you get to !
James
P.s good find on the daily!

Thanks James 👍🏻. Unfortunately working under the tent showed its drawbacks today. I was painting the upper rear of the cab. But it was just too hot under there and the paint dried so quickly it didn't have time to flow out. So now I'm left with a lumpy mess that I've got to sort out. I should of known better really....that's what happens when you rush something 🙄🙄

[commycouper]

Jun 25, 2023 7:16:08 GMT kevins said:

Looking superb, I'm with you on not using filler on the underbody(even though my repairs are nowhere near as good as yours) with the higher stress in the panels and propensity to absorb water using filler seems a recipie for future corrosion.

Thanks 👍🏻.....even on the outer panels I try to keep filler to a minimum. Working under the tent means that what ever filler work I do, has to be coated with epoxy on the same day. As the filler is hygroscopic, the last thing I want is for it to absorb any moisture over night.

[commycouper]

Jun 25, 2023 16:58:21 GMT metalshapes said:

Absolutely beautiful.

Do I see the beginning of a stripe design there?

Looks like that will compliment the lines too...

Jun 25, 2023 20:18:21 GMT johnthesparky said:

As above,

Excellent work and was going to ask if that was stripes

Cheers chaps 👍🏻👍🏻......yes, I wondered if anyone would spot the scribbles on front wing. I will be putting some sort of stripes on it once it's done. I have lots of different designs on paper, but the one I favoured is the one marker penned on the truck. If you zoom in on the last picture in the previous update, you'll see the pen lines on the door and the rear panel before I wiped it all off. I think this will be the design I'll go for.....or something very close at least. 

[maf260]

Just..... WOW!

[commycouper]

Jun 26, 2023 9:07:09 GMT maf260 said:

Just..... WOW!

Thanks 👍👍

[commycouper]

Right, a quick update today. Only a few more and I think I'll up to date.....ish.


Once the inside and underneath of the cab had been painted, it was time to turn my attention to the rear of the cab.....well....the lower half of it. 


First job was to remove the old mastic type stone chip. which with a sharp chisel was fairly easy.... 













Then prep the rest of the rear panel for epoxy primer...











........and then on with said primer.......














Next was to seam seal the join that ran from top to bottom on both sides of the cab. Its the 'Dutch fold' bits of the panels that I was banging on about in earlier updates.

Not sure if the photos really show what going on here.....but they're the only two I have for your perusal....so here they are...










I had a different brand of stone chip coating ( not the brand used recently under the arches since the full resto ) that I had used on the drivers side underside way back at the beginning of this thread. It was ok.....but I wouldn't use it again for anywhere under the wheel arches as I found it had started to chip off in the short time I had used the truck between putting it on and then taking the truck off the road. But, the bit I had left was earmarked for the rear panel. Now.....from standard, the very lowest part of the rear panel was heavily coated in stone chip. So I tried to replicate it......sort of. I tried to get heavy spatter without runs....I think I just about got away with it.....
















Then it was on with the Dinitrol 447 over the whole area......













To top it all off.......white top coat. While I was there, I repainted part of the chassis immediately after the cab. Despite begin covered up, it had gotten a bit bashed about and suffered some 'grinder rash'..( not a euphemism )  while sorting the rear of the cab.....




























That's all for now folks......I'm busy next weekend, so I'll update the week after.

Cheers Dan 👍

[jjeffries]

I think the blokes in Wolfsburg will want it for their factory collection.

John