Littlebelter Bestel/Combi

[littlebelter]

Here are a few pics of my '72 van taken about 18 months ago after a very (unexpectedly) expensive repaint.
The colour on the front view is exaggeratedly yellow from the lighting.
It's actually mimosa.
I don't know how to put multiple pics in a posting so I
will make 4 separate posts.
The last one may be of interest to morris dancers?

Regards.

Pete H.

[littlebelter]

Sorry about the blanks. Don't know what happened there.
Anyway I re-read the guidance and managed to get multiple pics on but they are small ones I'm afraid.
Anyone tell me how to put bigger ones on?

[stefan]

Well well that makes 3 vans on the forum, if they get anymore common I will have to sell mine

[33grinder]

That gives us a standard to aim for Stef!

[pauldaf44]

Jan 9, 2010 16:01:59 GMT littlebelter said:

Sorry about the blanks. Don't know what happened there.
Anyway I re-read the guidance and managed to get multiple pics on but they are small ones I'm afraid.
Anyone tell me how to put bigger ones on?

If you give me a link to your flickr photostream I will do it for you. Otherwise actually click into the pic rather than just the thumbnail. What youve done there is linked to the thumbnail rather than the picture itself

[pauldaf44]

Scratch that MacP has already done it

[stefan]

I agree pete it looks very smart but i never have the money for a profesional respray i have to do it myself.

Still i will have to unpick mine to its componant panels and rebuild it before its ready for paint.

[littlebelter]

Remind me Pete please, a) why the repaint was unexpected b) why it was expensive

Well the repaint was not unexpected but the price was!

I am quite capable of repainting it but didn't (and still don't) have suitable premises.

A chap I have known for a few years has a business working on and restoring classic cars and a mutual acquaintance told me that he (the restoration guy) was short of work and feeling the pinch.

I had a bit of spare cash at the time so I took the van to him and said do the best you can for 1500 squids. I had bought the van intending it to be a birthday present for SWMBO and didn't mind splashing out a bit.

When I collected it he presented me with a bill for very considerably more than 1500 squids. He never told me it was going to exceed my price. Still, it did look nice and so like a silly bugger I eventually paid up, thus putting myself in the position I was (misguidedly) trying to help him out of! There's no fool like an old fool!

Once I started polishing it, I started to notice little runs and sags in the paint here and there. Could've done as good a job as that myself, I'm sure.

Never again.

Any more spraying and I'll wait until I flit to a house with a garage !

Cheers,

Pete H.

[stefan]

Thats sad all that money and not a first class job, think i would put cat poo in his letter box everyday for a week.

At least when i do it if its not perfect i do not mind as it costs about £150 to £200 all in.

[33grinder]

Well, she looks a darn site better than mine an Stef's vans and hats off to you for investing in her to keep her looking clean.

You've certainly raised the bar and given me something to aim for. I'm loving the colour too.

[littlebelter]

Mac and Paul - Thanks for the help with posting pics, here are a few "Before Pics".

[33grinder]

I think the Mimosa definately gives her a lift - would the vans have been sold in the same range of colours as the saloons?

Did you spray the paint internally as well, such as the door shuts, doors inside etc? That would account for a lot more labour costs in stripping her down etc.

[littlebelter]

Thanks everybody for your good words !

As you can see from the "Before Pics" the "Littlebelter" was fairly sound when I got her. A bit of welding to the N/S inner sill was the only bodywork needed for the test. I had renewed all the brake pipes & cylinders and converted to 12 volts. I am now in the process of fitting an alternator.

I reckon Stef is a hero to take on the red van!

I would be unlikely to live long enough to complete it, were it mine!

Regards.

Pete H.

[littlebelter]

L.O. 33grinder.

I am pretty sure that the Mimosa is non-standard for the vans but as you say it seems to look ok. It was a listed colour for the saloons in 1971.

They did spray the door shuts and the insides of the doors but I'm pretty sure they didn't take the doors off to do it, just mask the windows and take off the door cards.

Regards,

Pete H.

[dafdaffer]

that looks amazing..well done ;D

[stefan]

Only a week??!!!

Mac I only have one cat only so much comes out the back it would start to get hard work after a week .

Belter i may not live long enough to see my van on the road it needs that much work, and I'm only 32 .

Thanks to your before pictures i not know what the rear panel below the door looks like, on my van its a pop rivited ali panel .

[littlebelter]

Stefan,
You will see I cut off the back bumper (actually it almost fell off) and plan to replace it with a stainless steel version.

When I had a DAF van 30 odd years ago we had a lot of snow - just like this year. I thought it would be a good idea to fit some handles above the back door so that the co-driver could stand on the back bumper and bounce up and down to aid traction !

Regards,

Pete H.

[littlebelter]

Mac said:

But look on the bright side, the paint was cheap enough!

Yes, the paint was cheap enough (Thanks Mac) and I thought there would have been enough to do the job but he had to order more - another full gallon !!

Pete H.

[stefan]

ANOTHER GALLON wow the paint must be 10mm thick in places.

I may have to come over and mesure parts of your van for refrance for rebuilding before i start mine as mine has large chunks of fresh air round the bottom, and the top come to think of it

[stefan]

Yes mac my flabber was very gasted.

your paint problem is the sort of thing that usually happens to me.

[andrew]

I am falling in love with this van-it's lovely! As I remember the insides, the floor in the back was fitted out in wood. Do you have any photos of the inside? Sorry to come a bit late to this forum but am re-living my childhood, large chunks of which were spent belting around north Devon with my father in a Daf 33 van! Happy memories, eh?

[stefan]

better late than never