Astravan Pickup....

[vantastic007]

Ok, here is my next project...

I am going to chop my van into a pickup (like a Maloo) then make the cab roof a removeable hard-top.

Any thoughts...?

I have converted a Mini Clubman estate into a pickup - pictures to follow - when I find somewhere to host them!

Matt.

[vantastic007]

See the before and afters of my mini....

[dewismotorsport]

I did a 5 door nova saloon a few years back welded up the back doors and cut the roof off, you just need to make sure you replace the strength that you take out, but good luck with it!

[paddy>gsi/turbo]

hi do you still have rear glass? have got a clubman parked up

[sneakycorsa]

If i remember right there was one on ebay ages ago, looked good to be fair...

Good look with it fella....

[andy.w]

Astra pick-up

[paddy>gsi/turbo]

andy w looks nice that was going to do that to my van. do you no who owns it? pics of back

vantastic do you have clubman windows?

[vantastic007]

I am going to my dad's house in a week, if I have got the windows they will be at the back of his garage. He never throws anything away lmao so I'll get back to you then. If I have them still you are welcome to them.

As with the mini, before I chop any big bits off I am going to reinforce it. As the mini did not loose its cab roof I did not add any strength to the windscreen. I will have to for this one though. Does anyone know what makes the windscreen pillars stronger on a mk3 Astra cabriolet.

I have done some work on getting rid of the dreaded rust, once that is finished the mods will begin.

I made a nice exhaust. Had some nice alloys, but I put them on my Corsa when I sold that last year.



My van still has the 1.7 tractor engine in it, will get round to changing it once body mods are done. V6 or turbo 2.0 ? That's a full discussion on its own .

[paddy>gsi/turbo]

cheers i do need some were you from? what car you planning to chop into a pick up then? have you seen the mk4 link?

[paddy>gsi/turbo]

astra windscreen surround is strong as is triple skinned and goes round complete screen. you planning on doing a mk3 van? cab windscreens are diffrent to other mk3 astras

[vantastic007]

This is the fellow....



Got it off ebay - v. cheap. Had been used by a jet washing company, so the back end floor and one sill was completely rotten!
Engine has done 145K but with a new cambelt and some new seals seems good enough to keep me going till I can get something a bit more lively.

I am in Cheshire - wouldn't mind joining a club round here for customs, any about?

[paddy>gsi/turbo]

looks a clean mk3 van front end been replaced colour looks off? looks rust free! when you gona start it?

[vantastic007]

The front has some history, it has had a bang on the front.

This picture was taken in the rain (not as shiny as it looks ) on the car's best side, a few years ago...

The rear wheel arch and spare wheel well are being patched up. I am wondering whether to get a wheel arch repair panel or go with the patches I have put on. Do van specific repair panels for wheel arches exist, the pictures on websites always look like ones from an estate or hatchback.

[vantastic007]

This is what I managed with patches and an edge joggler...



Once I get the bumper off the rest will be fixed...

[vantastic007]

Here is the home made stainless twin pipe and back box - made from scarp bits found lying around.



You can see how rotten the spare wheel well is. This is well on the way to being repaired now. Can't wait to start the mods....

[nutter driver]

need more pics of the mini if youve got anymore?? my next project is going to be exactly that conversion with some sort of xe lump stuffed in the front, havent decided whether to go big or small block yet, but hey thats quite a long way off!!! looking forward to seeing the astra done, should be nice!!

[vantastic007]

OK, you asked for it....

















































Phew.... enjoy...

[vantastic007]

While I have the side apart to do the wheel arch, should I fit a flush racing fuel filler I have lying around? Bit like the one in the pic...



I am not sure ....

[vantastic007]

My wife is collecting the rear wheel arch panel today
Won't be able to start cutting till after the weekend though
A soon as the clocks change I'll be out each night doing what I can.
I will be building a carport (that also doubles as a spray booth - with the temporary addition of some large poly sheets and an extractor fan ) at some point!

I have chosen a colour scheme - Ford ASBO orange and black bits, I like the contrast and I don't fancy spraying metalics. I could have gone with the VW yellow I used on the Mini, but I fancy a change.

Keep up the good work everyone, I have been on this forum for only a short time and already been completely staggered by the effort and collective knowledge that is shown in the postings.. I feel well at home here!! lmao

[Peteyboy_essex]

you do realise that ford asbo orange is a metalli pearl, one of the hardest colours to spray, aside form candies

[vantastic007]

Mmmmm, after posting that I thought to myself, "knowing my luck that is probably a metalic finish!" doh! lmao

Ho hum, I guess that most colours on modern cars are metalic or pica (or whatever it is)?

What I am after is the rich orange colour, more than the exact paint. When I chose my mini's colour I looked through loads of samples holding them up against a gloss black sample, to get the one with the best contrast, guess I'll have to do the same. I do like the contrast between coloured bodywork and black trim, mirrors etc...

Having tried to touch up metalic on my old capri - i know how hard that can be!!!

[paddy>gsi/turbo]

hows the van coming on?

[vantastic007]

Hiya all,
Got the repair panel for the rear wheel arch, and of course they sent me an estate one with back door cutouts! It doesn't matter as I have repaired that area already and it is more the top and lip of the arch I cannot make myself!
Weather, kids and trips to dad's have stopped me doing much.
If its dry tommorrow I will be cutting though...
I have been sizing up rear windows and looking for a tailgate with window not glued in. A polo mk2 hatch (not the coupe) looks a good candidate, might go to a scrappy/ebay for one soon.
I am wondering about the tailgate for the pickup. As this car is NOT going to be used on a farm etc, I was wondering if welding it up for a clean look may be the way forward?
I looked for my old mini glass, but I'm afraid my dad had a lot of glass taken away when he had double galzing fitted last year and it all went...

Cheers
Matt

[vantastic007]

Bit of an update, finally escaped to the van and cut the old wheel arch off, the repair panel has been cut already to fit.



Lost quite a bit of the inner arch also , that will have a home-made panel popped on it. The wheel arch on the other side is soooo much better thankfully.

[sam93]

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