Project VAN!

[Th0m45]

Hi everyone. Thought it was about time i started project VAN!
After getting quotes on varius cars, the astra van seemed to be the way to go. Then my old mans mate offered me for this for a price i couldnt refuse. Van had a few wee things that needed touched up, so off it went to Heb Coachworks(local bodyshop) whilst there i got the tailgate badges removed and badges smoothed off and the few wee touch ups it needed.(big thanks too them for doing a great job. Will be going back there again) paintwork as a whole was very dull so the work done in Coachworks stands out. Will get the whole van machine poillished soon, should sort it out, fingers crossed

Put my debadged grill on and stuck an Irmscher silluette badge untill i get a genuine Irmscher grill got the roof racks to **** aswell lol. I soon got very bored of the standard black dashboard so i removed the clocks and put white faces on them (out of an Sri) and took off the centre console to paint it which im still in the process of doing.. the back was already ply lined when i got the van but i wasnt happy with it so i removed it, gonna put it back in but better and also removed the steel bulk-head thing that was behind the seats because it stopped me putting the seat back lol
Here is a few pics of the progress so far. will get more photos later and ill keep the thread updated with my progress

When i took her home.



Had this fixed in Coachworks and my boot




Had a wee helper aswell


To do list: Tow bar off, mud flaps off(got GM ones for it) centre console painted and back in. ply line back and fir 6x9s AND fix my electronics

[astra2004]

cool another mk4 van.good work so far mate

[Th0m45]

Had someone looking at the electrics on the van and he seems to just think the problem is caused because since the clocks are out its not charging the battery and thats why my power steering is gone so im happy its nothing serious
This is how its sits the now..


Also got this of santa


And these came for me in the post of AOC



I wasnt keen on the grill i had on it..


So i got this one local, Thanks Murray will fit it next week


All iv really been doing is wee bits & bobs, prepping for paint, cleaning up etc..
Before

After

And took off the interior trim round the rear window to paint it matt black instead off the gammy grey colour

[Th0m45]

spent all day on the van, gave it a check over to see whats neeeded for the m.o.t, hopefully order the bits needed next week, and get it m.o.t'd by the end of the month

gave it a full machine pollish, just need to wax it now, and do the alloys & glass, do that one night this week
sorted out my new stereo aswell, got it wired in, needed to get an aerial adapter for it.. will put it properly in place on monday when i put my freshly painted centre console back in :P
also had my old man have a look at my clocks due to the problems i had, nearly got them sorted now, everythings working bar millage & revs... :roll: getting there with it tho

ill add some pics off my pollishing efforts later on tonight

[Th0m45]

persuaded the old man to let me put it in the garage for a few days heres a few pics of it masked up and a few of my pollishing not great photos because of the garage light... but you get the idea with the reflection




all done

[John_SXI]

Looks good thomas! got alot of potential! like the mk4 astra vans. any future plans for it? would look nice with an sri-t or a gsi front bumper, colour coded and lowered! selling the wheels?

John Mackenzie

[Th0m45]

got a few plans, get it m.o.t'd and get my licence are the first on the list though :lol: after that is, lowered on coilovers, colour coded, maybe tint the windows, ill see about the fron end, still unsure naah not selling them, had a bit of interest in them though. they will do me, all mint with 4 new tyres when i bought the van, just a centre cap missing which ill get sometime hows your own car coming along bud?

[John_SXI]

aye that sounds a plan ach im no doing much with it....see what happens when funds allow. wouldnt mind a sri-t front bumper with gsi/irmscher back and sides :P whats it looks like the now will do. haha

[Th0m45]

sounds good. shall have to give me a run in it sometime seems like years since i spoke to you last :lol: i know of a irmscher rear bumper locally if your interested?

[Mr_GSi]

Coming along nice there mate

[GaryVaux]

Looking alot better! Nice work

[Th0m45]

Coming along nice there mate

Thanks mate

Looking alot better! Nice work

Thanks bud

Thanks again for the tips for arches and headlights

The paint was really quite bad when i got it, the drivers side door was a mile off colour as you can see if the first photos, so had it painted in the body shop but now the rear qaurter looks off cant winlmao so im trying to buff it all up, see if it lessens the colour difference.. hopefully!!

[MurrayM_]

van looks clean as said before, the grille will make it in my opinion

[Th0m45]

van looks clean as said before, the grille will make it in my opinion

thanks man

yeah it cleaned up nobad IMO had the grill on already, looks much better than the other one took it off for pollishing though, will go back on once the vans been waxed(tomorrow night hopefully)

[Th0m45]

had a bit of progress over the last few nights

- waxed the whole thing, needs another going over though
- cleaned up my alloys a bit (will do them properly when im doing my brakes)
- fitted my new grill
- fitted freshly painted centre console
- fitted new stereo
- fitted silver coupe seatbelts
- started to fit my bargain 6x9s and also started to clean up my engine bay a little

heres a few pics, none of my centre console or seatbelts because its a bit dark inside. ill get some when the vans back out of the garage

[John_SXI]

sounds good. shall have to give me a run in it sometime seems like years since i spoke to you last :lol: i know of a irmscher rear bumper locally if your interested?

yeah i'll have to take ya a lap or two! ano its been ageeeees eh! Might be in touch about the bumper! Van is coming on good now! grille suits it!

[MurrayM_]

grilles does look good, see how long you can last with them lights tho hah. get the front lights depo'd like gsi style ones and your onto a winner

[Fow16v]

looking good, as murray said the lights can be self tinted just like the gsi ones

[Th0m45]

yeah i'll have to take ya a lap or two! ano its been ageeeees eh! Might be in touch about the bumper! Van is coming on good now! grille suits it!

spot on yeah just give us a shout if your interested bud

grilles does look good, see how long you can last with them lights tho hah. get the front lights depo'd like gsi style ones and your onto a winner

yeah im happy with the grill. the red silhouette is a nice wee touch Murray im sure i wont last more than 1 night with the lights

looking good, as murray said the lights can be self tinted just like the gsi ones

thanks man yeah the lights are on the list, want to put it through its m.o.t before i start dismanteling anything else lol... this is it just going back together :P

[John_SXI]

you have pm.

[ardenvxr]

would look good with a gsi front bumper

[Th0m45]

you have pm.

replied bud

would look good with a gsi front bumper

GSi bumpers on Vans are to common IMO. i have an idea for the front end in mind though

[ardenvxr]

i have an idea for the front end in mind though

i'm working on a vxr bumper for my mates mk4 van

[MurrayM_]

i'm working on a vxr bumper for my mates mk4 van

that'd look mentoool

[ardenvxr]

that'd look mentoool

going to do the rear and skirts aswell