Club 80-90 Forums

Hi Van people, i'm looking for some help and advice please.
MOT day is near and i took the van to the mechanic i use today. He told me that the back end is a definite fail and that most panels will need to be replaced. Pretty sure he was only concerned about the exterior panels as he said an MOT fail can be on a jagged edge that someone could cut themselves on. He said it is solid underneath when he had it a couple of months back anyway.

He also said i couldn't get the panels i'll need for the van to pass it's MOT and that i'll need to spend a grand or more getting someone to shape metal to fit.

I'm hoping you guys have some better news for me I'm happy to buy new panels (if they are available?). Could do with some advice on who sells the best pre fabricated panels? Or if you have some for a good price i am happy to travel!!

Here are some pictures of all the bad bits to help you get an idea.

Passenger Side Rear:





Drivers Side Rear:





Passenger Side Engine Bay:



Driver's Side Engine Bay:


Here is some other pictures of obvious rust (please let me know if you think any are an MOT failure):

Drivers Side Windscreen:

Above Front Bumper:

Drivers Side Gutter:


This is my first van so any advice is much appreciated. I've got a mate who is a welder and is willing to help me replace/fix these.

Cheers.

You are best asking the MOT man exactly what he will be failing it on - he's the one that has to sign the ticket.

FWIW, the only point I can see that should be a problem is the hole on the right hand side (empty) battery box, due to the jagged edge..

Once you know that is the only problem, then I'm sure your mate will be able to fabricate a repair section and fit it in place.

That said, be aware that once you start on a body resto you will find much more corrosion that you think meaning it will take a lot longer and a lot more money to put right.

Fingers crossed for you

I'd be concerned about your rear swingarm/jack point. This was mine when I opened it up and on the surface mine looked in better condition than yours...

Rear trailing arm mount by Mark Shaw, on Flickr

That mechanic is clueless when it comes to the availability of panels for the repairs the van needs, there are lots of panels being reproduced , check out what Brickwerks have in the T3 body section. If you need the panel under the windscreen I have new rhd and lhd versions to sell.

The engine bay rot will be an issue with mot but rest looks ok you could fudge the jagged bits and make them safe ,plenty of panels available for the t25.if you want to replace all panels going to be expensive ,can you weld might be good idea to learn.

I agree with fazzer, check out evening classes at your local college. Cost me £200 for a 10 evening course, and then I bought a welder. £Thousands cheaper, and plenty of help/advice available here. And unfortunately lots of horror photos to show what lies beneath the surface... You either need time (and a willingness to learn new skills) or deep pockets for these vans, but we mostly think it’s worth it.

If the van is not a daily driver and you can afford to have it off the road a little while, then I'd consider just putting it in for an MOT to see what it fails on.
You've then got a rough worksheet of jobs that need attending to keep it on the road. But bear in mind the MOT is only going to pick up testable items and really is only a bare minimum assessment of road worthiness at time of presentation.

Hi people, just got in from work and really appreciate all the replies i've had.

The van is now booked in for the 1st of March with another mechanic who sorts my car out. He's a family friend so hopefully they'll be kind!
A good friend of mine is a welder by trade, he doesn't really do vehicles but he's said he's happy to help out and teach me!

I would like to do some work before the MOT to hopefully get it to pass. I don't mind working on it more over the summer, but it would be good if i can clean it up for now and keep it on the road while i source parts.

So is the engine bay rot, drivers side hole and jagged spots the place to start at the moment? Are the cracks in this picture an MOT issue?:


Thanks again fellow T3/25 people

Am in the process of ‘tidying up’ my van..
That was months ago, and still at it, but can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!
Being able to fabricate/ weld makes it viable. If I would have paid someone else I dread to think of the cost.
Though I have to remove the bad stuff, including previous repairs, some good, some not.
It’s always worse than it looks, these things rust for fun in certain places.
Loads of help on here, has kept me going to be honest!
Most panels are available either Brickwerks, schofields, Vw heritage and just Kampers if you must..

mshaw1980 wrote:I'd be concerned about your rear swingarm/jack point. This was mine when I opened it up and on the surface mine looked in better condition than yours...

Rear trailing arm mount by Mark Shaw, on Flickr

I have been concerned with that swing arm. It stood out when I bought it. Will be another area to take a look at in the summer.

fazzer wrote:The engine bay rot will be an issue with mot but rest looks ok you could fudge the jagged bits and make them safe ,plenty of panels available for the t25.if you want to replace all panels going to be expensive ,can you weld might be good idea to learn.

Cheers fazzer. A good friend of mine is a welder and has offered to help. Is it worth buying anything pre fabricated for the engine bay? We will hopefully be able to clean up the outside jagged bits and hole for MOT and then buy panels to do a proper job in the summer.

The Hairy Camper wrote: Are the cracks in this picture an MOT issue?:

In my opinion no, because
1. a bit of flaky paint isn't going to cut a pedestrian
2. The bumper is more prominent, so the metal is not exposed
3. You can put a piece of tank tape over and problem solved (yes really)

I'm not an MOT tester, but know a few good guys who are, but it's the MOT tester that decides and there's little point in trying to second guess him.

Have a read of https://www.gov.uk/government/.../mot-i ... -and-7.pdf page 138. The "prescribed area" is generally an area within 12" of a suspension or seat belt mounting point

I couldn't tell from the photos, but the trailing arm mounting points are a regular point of MOT failure, so best having a pre-MOT check on those

937carrera wrote:

The Hairy Camper wrote: Are the cracks in this picture an MOT issue?:

In my opinion no, because
1. a bit of flaky paint isn't going to cut a pedestrian
2. The bumper is more prominent, so the metal is not exposed
3. You can put a piece of tank tape over and problem solved (yes really)

Thanks again mate. Looks like i'll be purchasing some tank tape

I'd fabricate engine bay metalwork ,I bought an outer sill for mine couple years ago quality was poor and so thin so I made my own at work .if I need to do any welding on mine I'll always try and get bodycuts ,more work cleaning them up but well worth it.

Original vw outer panels are thin as standard, some replacement panels can be a poor fit, if you can afford it get the best quality ones. The photos of one side of the engine bay shows some serious rust in the chassis part that the engine bar bolts on to !

RogerT wrote:I agree with fazzer, check out evening classes at your local college. Cost me £200 for a 10 evening course, and then I bought a welder. £Thousands cheaper, and plenty of help/advice available here. And unfortunately lots of horror photos to show what lies beneath the surface... You either need time (and a willingness to learn new skills) or deep pockets for these vans, but we mostly think it’s worth it.

I was thinking of doing this as our van will need welding jobs and I shudder at the thought of paying thousands for someone else to do it. After the 10 eavining said you feel confident enough to weld onto the van not sure if I would still be terrified