Bongo 4wd refurb *DO NOT DELETE*

[Bongolia]

Finally ...The roof!
I had been putting this off as I was not sure of the best method of dealing with this damage.
I had a plan formulated but as we all know the best laid plans etc.

From the beginning here are a few pixs of the what was found inside the roof section using a USB camera.
The spots of rust are caused by two things, one is a nail gun used for pulling out damage in blind or difficult to reach panels and the second where you can see the Jap thinners can are from a pin welder. The other images show rust forming at the panel joints and at the D pillar.
https://goo.gl/photos/Jd1LMAYhtYSnYhpJA

The outside sections looked relatively good but with slight bubbling under the paint work.
The paint was removed using a abrasive mesh wheel on an angle grinder so as not to remove any metal. The filler on the front screen pillar area was 10 mm deep in some spots.
Heres what that revealed.
There were two patches, the foremost one was a very poorly executed repair that had been welded to the screen pillar interior panel and so blocked any form of drainage down the screen pillar interior. The second was the Jap thinners can made using a pin welder.
You can see in the last image the damage that was repaired using the pin puller, the little raised bumps along that area.
https://goo.gl/photos/4NiKkgDu9nEu3RAq8

The patches were removed to expose the underside.You can see the damage to the internal structure caused by the poorly repaired front patch.
The second tin can fix just covered a rust hole, had the repairer treated the underlying area before patching it would have made an acceptable repair. These repairs were from two different repairers I believe.

https://goo.gl/photos/VnBDTS94oMKgLp6KA

The gutter was badly corroded and rust had caused pinholes along the length of th roof panel along that side but mainly around the points where the internal structure had met the roof outer skin.
https://goo.gl/photos/pXsYmk8AE8EGi4CeA

Because of the poor front repair blocking the drainage route rot had set up around the screen pillar door shut.These images show that damage after the rusted sections had been removed.

https://goo.gl/photos/6Js7JJRqcHyPHrqd7
The Plan
Obviously the front interior structure would need to be made safe, as this is covered by the roof skin it was an easy one not having to worry to much about the cosmetics just the structure.
The outer skin of the roof panel gave a different set of problems there where a few options open to me such as capping or cold filling but as the corrosion was between the seams of the gutter it would need this area to be removed to see the extent, if any, of the damage to the underlying panels.
The rust to the rising portion of the roof skin above the gutter rose slightly higher than the first swage so I would cut this section just below the upper swage to leave about a 8mm lip to fix the new section to, the swage hopefully providing some stiffness to minimize distortion if it were to be welded instead of glued. The gutter section was to be removed by drilling out the spot welds with a special drill bit that cuts around the out side of the spot weld leaving the spot weld attached this is then removed by grinding.
I eventually decided on welding as I didnt feel confident that the narrow flange left after cutting out would be enough of a surface area for gleuing the panel in place given the stresses here and the additional weight of the awing.
These images show the preliminary cuts, the drill bit and the removal process. The horizontal cuts were made in three stages for reasons explained later.
https://goo.gl/photos/whfsByKXpNotSETGA

Repair panels
Also suspect was the screen surround flange given this and that the weld would be very close to the screen edge the screen was removed by Will the Windscreen. Fame at last!
The front section of the roof would be more awkward than the gutter panel as there is a flared compound curve at the crown and the rust had extended as far back as the upper gutter section of the AFT.
I had thought this would have to be made in three pieces but I was able to form it using two panels.
The numbers on the front section show the tacking points each one needed to be aligned before they could be finally continuously welded.

https://goo.gl/photos/uNzVQyeVvkdTVAGLA

The second section was actually the more difficult as it has raised part to meet in with the remaining sound upper AFT drain.

https://goo.gl/photos/2gMHSweEiFTBVe6S7


As the cut along the length of the roof skin was being made I noticed that the roof was droppingand pinching the cutting disc.
As I intended to reinforce the roof panel to support the addition of the awning I made three smaller cuts and welded in the reinforcements before cutting out the remainder.
The reinforcements were placed over, or close to, the B,C & D pillars.
These were made from 16SWG steel folded at the base to sit in the horizontal gutter section. They were stitch welded at the base and MIG plug welded through the outer roof skin.
The gutter repair section was made from 20SWG steel folded along its length, zinced and pinned into position before continuously edge welded along its length at the upper swage.

https://goo.gl/photos/ZnCvrXq2gLExZDhf7

The gutter horizontal section was drilled to allow for plug welding along its length 32 plugs were needed.
In one of the images you can see next to the hole the plug cut from the panel using the spot weld cutting bit.
Finally the MIG plug welds were ground to be level with the surface of the panel.

https://goo.gl/photos/kodNtUErqXQhmiH77

The front section of the roof was leaded and filed to shape and then polyester filled along with the roof flange weld.
Normally I would have left the filling to be carried out when the whole shell was being prepped for paint but as that is some time off I felt easier knowing that the roof area welds were sealed. in order to do this I would need to run the thinned zinc paint in between the repaired sections flanges and then I could wax inject the repairs and so seal up the interior welds that are not accessible with a paint brush.So the filler here would need to be applied first before that could be done.
A mucky business as you will see.
The gutter was blocked at either end and very thin mix of zinc paint flooded into the gutter allowing it to seep between the welds and as it turned out run all over the panel below it!
The excess was brushed over the filler to seal that also.

https://goo.gl/photos/Va3asvbkbUbtJasDA

Finally the D pillar patch was welded in place. I had intended to cold repair this but realized I had used the material on a previous job and as it is Saturday and the pub is open I welded the patch instead.
As for the screen flange there was nothing really to have worried about but as I have gone this far it was worth the cost of having it removed it has allowed me to clean back the small amount of rust and prep it for paint and I now have peace of mind that I have got everything.
My next job is to ensure that all is totally waxed up and sealed. The leveling for paint and the cosmetic stuff will come later..

Total time taken to get it to this stage is 260 hrs so at £62pph add to that materials and sundry items of 460.00 well you can do the maths.
However it keeps me off the streets and I can say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this chapter of the refurb.
Bongos are infectious are they not.
I will be fitting a Webasto Thermo Top heater as soon as work permits and at the risk of boring you lot to death I will cover that in another thread as well as the rest of the refurb.
I hope this lot has been of interest to some of you peeps and I apologies again for using links and not directly view-able images.
And that ladies and gents is that.....

[mikeonb4c]

Fantastic as ever to read the progress report - jeebers that is one rebuilt Bongo. Never seen such a thorough job!

[Bongolia]

Fantastic as ever to read the progress report - jeebers that is one rebuilt Bongo. Never seen such a thorough job!

Now thats out the way the real fun bit begins.
Treated myself and SW sometimes MBO to a take away mixed Kebab as a reward for putting up with me.

[Merlot man]

Man this is just fantastic work and your correct , bongos are infectious
A friend and I wired brushed and rust killed under the bongo yesterday and I thought we were doing big work
Keep up the great and inspirational work , I'm looking forward to hearing about the heater in the roof space , sounds really interesting .
Brian

[Bongolia]

Well I havn`t been letting the grass grow under my feet in the past few weeks with the Wasp.
Although we have been unusually busy I have been making slow progress.
Things are getting a little awkward to schedule though ,lots of bits are becoming dependent on other bits sort of a thing.

Engine rebuild is done but I am STILL! waiting for the injector pump to come back so we are on stop with the engine refit at the moment that of course means the box cannot go back at this time either.
Pump faults found where internal seals worn warm up valve not functioning and one injector out of kilter and different to the others , may have been incorrectly replaced at some time?
So that has pretty much the refit snookered for now.
https://goo.gl/photos/NpcuaEvfHtf9UnQR7
The Webasto Thermo Top is all dummied n place and the stand pipe has been fitted to the tank. The tank has been flushed, cleaned de rusted and re-fixed into the van. Annoying but the boiler had to be fitted to the offside and the inputs are on the nearside so the pipe work will traverse the van as will the exhaust. I had planned on fitting it into the void occupied by the air cleaner box but with so m many resonating chambers on the intake I thought it best to leave that lot put and fit to the off side instead.
The final heater pipe runs and exhaust will have to come after the drive train is back in (see what I mean about the scheduling) and then tested and the install signed off. The heater is a very compact mini oil fired boiler essentially and plumbs into the Bongo cooling system. I have it fitted under the passenger eat attached to the chassis rail in the space previously occupied by the cold weather valves. The electrics,charger and fusebox will live above the heater isolated thermally by a boxed assy.
https://goo.gl/photos/F32xZWEQJ1zEQ2XB8
The Taxi heater unit worked out well. As you can see from the images we had several “design mods “ along the way but its more or less sorted just the ducting to secure, I cannot do this until the water tank arrives and I know how much space I have in that area add to this the need to incorporate an EHU heater in there somewhere. I am trying to retain the original trim panel here just modding the heater panel area into a pocket for mags and glasses the reading variety.
https://goo.gl/photos/tqzmrajL3QtzssUz9

The underside has been de rusted and the awkward bits sandblasted (filthy job) and then Fertanned. This was washed off and the underside wiped down with thinners before acid etch primer to the bare bits, two coats of hammer finish then finally all box sections underside where re waxed and underealed
https://goo.gl/photos/rXjNs3xg2aa3Tu1t8
I have left the engine bay area in the factory grey which is sound despite a few chips and scratches, it having spent most of its life covered in a thin film of diesel muck and oil, it has cleaned up quite well. Still have a bit to do there though with ATX pipes that are badly corroded but serviceable.
https://goo.gl/photos/ZDZKz6y4DgHDBk7j8
Axle has now been refitted and an LSD will go in soon but I want to get the Wasp drivable first in case there are any issues with the replacement diff.
I had to cut one of the rear shocks off as it had seized on the fixing so two KYB shocks went back on.
There is is significant difference in diameter between the old ones and the new KYB being far chunkier I have an air bag assist on order but delivery is 10-14 days! So a bit miffed about that had I realised there was such a lead time I would have ordered it earlier.
Hindsight is etc
The amount of rust on the rear axle and tie bars etc was quite astonishing it was more like you would expect to see on a seaside capstan than a vehicle and required chipping off before grinding out!
10 off 40 grit grinder discs later, 1kg of garnet blast and it was all good to go, a fresh coat of Epoxy black with the Panhard rod and anti roll bar in silver couldn't resist it, brake calipers in red?
https://goo.gl/photos/9zP87eBcGQRhBiKfA

Now the axle is back in we are able to move on to the braking system and get that checked over and cleaned up.
Tow bar assy was in a similar condition to the axle so that been treated and will look pretty sharp & nice in epoxy grey. This will also carry the EHU socket.

So next week after a bit more faffing with the underside and final cleaning of the engine bay area refitting components etc. I should be able to turn my attention to cleaning off surplus wax from the interior panels and start the lining of the van with insulation prior to the wiring. Another change of thinking here. As I now know the panel voids are used for venting I will not use mineral wool to pack the voids but rather double insulate the outer paneling with bubble and insulate the inner trim panels from the rear thus leaving the void unfilled allowing for air circulation, bit like a cavity wall jobby.

As to the interior fit out I have been mulling it over and can see problems with the first design I had in mind. This was basically two compartments, cooking at the rear (from inside and out) wardrobe to the Offside and a reversible centre bench seat set up to face into a dining area or in the other configuration facing forward, with passenger and drivers seats reversed so forming a face to face seating area for 4 people. The problem with that was in practice it would be difficult if set to forward to get to the back and the essential alcohol store or when used as bed exiting to use the loo.
So a rethink is underway so as to use two more front seats to replace the centre bench (both of these would be on swivels), this would allow access between the seats to the booze at the back without to much disruption and would make two small single beds when reclined against the fronts..
This will require an extra set of floor runners and mods to the seat frames. So that s still on the drawing board at this time.
Got some prices for this lot from George at Bongospares all very reasonable too.
Seems George is doing quite well on plugs!

[mikeonb4c]

Great update - can't wait to see this beastie when done.

[Merlot man]

This is am epic tread
I feel like I'm doing no work at all on my bus
I didn't know that the voids were used to vent the cabin so I'm going to be looking very close at how you insulate the sides as I plan at some time doing this myself . Thanks in advance
And yes brake calipers red ......because race bus
Keep up the great work
Brian

[Bongolia]

CENTER SEAT TO STEP THRU
I have been trying to sort out a solution to the Wasps seating/ sleeping arrangements. Basically the van will have two areas kitchen and eating at the back along with loo and wardrobe. The other area would have driver and passenger front seats reversed with the bench seat facing forwards forming a four seating area with space for a table in between.

Anyhow after a lot of thought as to how the van would actually be used we decided that we would probably eat in the front seating group if it were easy to access the rear from there without having to disturb the seating or clamber over the back of the bench seat to get there. The other requirement was to have two beds downstairs if we were to take sprogs along or just fancied a quick kip in the afternoon as you do when you reach a certain age.

Finally we decided to chop up the center bench and fit two single Bongo seats to the frame ( thanks to Merlot man for the heads up on the MX5 recliners could have been embarrassing ) these would fit to the original carriage and allow a step through in between.
We had thought of making up two frames and fitting an additional; set of floor rails to allow each to slide up and down the tracks in the end though we decided on using the base of the center bench seat so negating the need for a second set of rails.

So this how we did it.
Stripped down the center seat to leave just the frame and mod that to allow for a step thru between the single seats.
https://goo.gl/photos/2oqywdGZFaEo3tRB8

A 3" diameter tube was cut to fit in between the carriage side plates (do this before you make the cuts to the old tubes )
and then braces carried down from the old frame to support the now two separate seat frame sides.

https://goo.gl/photos/T1JeaswA8NxGh3ia7

In order that the new singles would match up to the fronts the new fixing points were installed and a new box section mounted to the frames to carry the second set of Bongo seats. Note the seats need to sit further out on the carriage.

https://goo.gl/photos/4FXQpNRaFmT1Whfr7

Next job was to alter the release mechanism for the sliders. This was factory done using a tube that crossed under the bench.
We had considered using a cable release for this and running the cable inside the center 3" tube but thought this a bit fiddly so we went with two separate release catches. This was an easy way out all it required was the old activating tube to be cut down and a couple of bearing areas at the end , weld on the levers and a spring return and Bobs your uncle. The springs will need changing for lighter items at the final fit.

https://goo.gl/photos/peGqEcHbmXVYw1ERA

So here the thing mocked up with all brackets tacked up and seats bolted in place.

https://goo.gl/photos/YP9Yxe3AbaEXHaMDA

All the original plastics will refit to the frame with only minor mods to allow for the center cross tube else all as standard there. I will need to do something with the inner tubing and seat sides unless I go all Ikea and polish and lacquer the steel but I prefer the softer look of trim carpet or the like. The rear center belts will still function so the stalks on the front seats can be removed and that area tidied up with material from the center seats.
Just needs to be stripped and all welds finalized and dressed then it can sit in the corner until a matching set of seats arrive.

For anyone thinking of doing a mod like this there is an easier way but it leaves you two higher bars to step through rather than one low one to step over. But you will still need to re position the seat bases if you want them to align with the fronts.

https://goo.gl/photos/YP9Yxe3AbaEXHaMDA

This way leaves all the support tubing in place as well as the release cross tube. The front tube and cross tube could be disguised with some sort of cover possibly holding two drink recesses or the like.

[mikeonb4c]

Woa! Absolutely brilliant - they'll be queuing up to have that mod done. Will there be an issue with insurance? Can't see why, as long as seat belt mounting points remain as original and providing insurance is notified.

[Bongolia]

Woa! Absolutely brilliant - they'll be queuing up to have that mod done. Will there be an issue with insurance? Can't see why, as long as seat belt mounting points remain as original and providing insurance is notified.

I cannot see why it should providing it was carried out properly. I suppose if there were an incident and injury was caused to an occupant by the seat failing in an accident then maybe that could lead to problems if it could be shown that the injury was a direct result of the seats failure. I dont think the aleration of the seat would negate any insurance claim else.
I suppose it depends on the small print at the end of the day. So best to check. If it were then the same would apply to swivel seats or any seat change come to that.
Our policy does not require any notification although ours is traders policy that extends to cover any privatly owned vehicle we add to the MIDB.
I will check that with our legal support people and report back.

[mikeonb4c]

Woa! Absolutely brilliant - they'll be queuing up to have that mod done. Will there be an issue with insurance? Can't see why, as long as seat belt mounting points remain as original and providing insurance is notified.

I cannot see why it should providing it was carried out properly. I suppose if there were an incident and injury was caused to an occupant by the seat failing in an accident then maybe that could lead to problems if it could be shown that the injury was a direct result of the seats failure. I dont think the aleration of the seat would negate any insurance claim else.
I suppose it depends on the small print at the end of the day. So best to check. If it were then the same would apply to swivel seats or any seat change come to that.
Our policy does not require any notification although ours is traders policy that extends to cover any privatly owned vehicle we add to the MIDB.
I will check that with our legal support people and report back.

I agree with you about all this and think there is a tendency at times to scaremonger on here. The first essential is to notify and insurance company I think. But it ought to be the case you'd think that unless something associated with the modification has played a material part in an accident leading to a claim, then the modification should not per se be used as a reason for invalidating a claim. HOWEVER, I'm having a very difficult time over a mobile phone failure that appears due to a product default but where the manufacturer appears to be trying to duck out of their responsibility because of something I did after the failure but that they are now trying to say invalidates the warranty. If I don't get satisfaction I'll be posting a warning (about not buying their stuff) on here!

[Bob]

Mentioning Trading Standards can get results.

[Bongolia]

Woa! Absolutely brilliant - they'll be queuing up to have that mod done. Will there be an issue with insurance? Can't see why, as long as seat belt mounting points remain as original and providing insurance is notified.

I cannot see why it should providing it was carried out properly. I suppose if there were an incident and injury was caused to an occupant by the seat failing in an accident then maybe that could lead to problems if it could be shown that the injury was a direct result of the seats failure. I dont think the aleration of the seat would negate any insurance claim else.
I suppose it depends on the small print at the end of the day. So best to check. If it were then the same would apply to swivel seats or any seat change come to that.
Our policy does not require any notification although ours is traders policy that extends to cover any privatly owned vehicle we add to the MIDB.
I will check that with our legal support people and report back.

I agree with you about all this and think there is a tendency at times to scaremonger on here. The first essential is to notify and insurance company I think. But it ought to be the case you'd think that unless something associated with the modification has played a material part in an accident leading to a claim, then the modification should not per se be used as a reason for invalidating a claim. HOWEVER, I'm having a very difficult time over a mobile phone failure that appears due to a product default but where the manufacturer appears to be trying to duck out of their responsibility because of something I did after the failure but that they are now trying to say invalidates the warranty. If I don't get satisfaction I'll be posting a warning (about not buying their stuff) on here!

Why not bang a money order on them . It is suprising how quickly they come around.

[mikeonb4c]

Money Order? How does that work then?

[Bob]

I'm guessing Small Claims Court:

https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/overview