The Curates Egg, aka the Black Bollocks.

[difflock]

The rotten, salt water exposed G Wagen

A few random images, the more I look, the more I find.

Salt water had got into the cills and the front pass footwell/ carpet, as evidenced by the rust.

Though oddly? The floor is sound, other than beneath the floor behind the rear seat.

The aluiminium  water pump housing was also corroded and  perforated, and being "NLA" it has been welded, fingers crossed#. The radiator was also rotten, so it was recored.

 Etc etc etc.

P.S.

The wings are over 1 £ thousand each, times 2, plus ditto for the inner wings.

Gulp

So bodge it it is.

 

Edited September 26 by difflock

[roys]

Was it used for boat launching?

used to be the thing that annoyed when I ran Old Ford’s in the 80s I could keep up with the mechanical repair side of them but the rotting body work always beat me.

well done on repairing it looks like you have your work cut out.

[difflock]

No idea re its past history, except that I bought it through a club, a wealthy farmer in Kildare had had it, and had had it re-engined(by a genuinely gifted engineer) with an OM605 c/w a Dieselmekkan IP, and indeed  it goes like stink once wound up, frighteningly so on the somewhat oversized tyres..

But I figure(ed), in hindsight, that after he had had the replacement engine fitted, he took it for a play on a beach, and dropped the pass side in an unseen hole, and the salt water got in the cill and pass footwell, cos the drivers side is not so afflicted, whereas on the pass side the heads of the seat box securing bolts were stupid rusted away as was the very front body mounting bolt head.  

And playing card sized slabs of rust 4 to 5mm thick falling out of the pass side drop-cill.

But the son enjoys driving her, and since she is 1989 reg , a few more years will see her turned forty  .  .  . so I figured I would invest some time on her.

P.S.

When I get her through the MOT, that will be 3 out of the 4 fully road legal, since I got the van restored professionally last year, and the wee red G turned 40 this year.

So only 1 to go!,

Another 1989 LWB 300GD, cept this one is origonal and unmolested with very good trim and carpets.

Which vehicle the son in law, who is also big into his G Wagens wishes to do up properly with MB parts where required, because she is so unmolested and original.

I bought the vehicle to be Senior Management's daily driver, but then got the opportunity to buy the automatic van a few months later. So I simply parked her up.

Gibber, mutter an twitch.

Edited September 27 by difflock