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Flash

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Everything posted by Flash

  1. While I was waiting for the paint to dry on the second batch of a/c condenser mounting brackets. I pulled the remaining badges off so that Mrs Flash could give them a bit of loving. The reproduction rear badge that I sourced a while back came unpainted, so it looks a bit bland. We ordered in a little pot of Revell enamel-based model paint (number 31 Firey Red Gloss). Mrs Flash gave it a few dabs with a brush and it came out pretty mint. The shadows in this photo make the chrome work look a bit manky, but in real life it's perfect. A really nice touch is the round hole in the badge that the spare wheel winch handle fits through. Talking about the spare wheel my original winch was seized solid and I tried unsuccessfully to resurrect it. But fear not as I have a cunning plan for a replacement that I'll talk about sometime in the future.
  2. And that's all of the condenser mounting brackets done. Some crappy quality photos of the brackets that mount to the body brace. This is the bracket closest to the rear of the van: And this is the one towards the front of the van: With the test fit successfully behind me, I've stripped everything out once again and the first batch of mounts have already received their first coat of satin black. More tomorrow.
  3. Today I kicked off the a/c install. My intention has always been to mount the condenser somewhere underneath the van and I had previously targeted the area between the RHS main chassis leg and the smaller body brace that runs parallel with the chassis leg under the load area of the van. It's nigh on impossible to photograph this in real life so I've had to resort to using a photo of a highly modified bare Thames chassis that I found on the net a while ago. The red lines in this image depict the proposed location for the front and rear edges of the condenser: The outer brace sits a lot higher than the main chassis leg which is perfect as it allows me to position the condenser at a slight angle - something that is critical to make sure that gravity helps pool the liquid to the bottom of the condenser. First step was to mount the twin Spal pusher fans to the top of the condenser so that I could check clearances between the underside of the floor and the fans. Used a bit of aluminium angle and a few stainless steel fixings to whip this up: I had a 50% chance of mounting these on the correct side of the condenser, but my first test fit showed the condenser tilting the wrong way so out she came and I quickly flipped the fans. Clearance is good, so I made a start on the mounting brackets. More tomorrow.
  4. Small job today. Way back in 2019 when I bought the van it came with a box of bits that hadn't yet been fitted by the panel beaters. Lurking in the bottom of the box was a sad looking fender badge. I could have fitted it, but somewhere along the line one of the mounting pins had broken off and in the past, someone had done a bodge job that I wasn't keen to repeat on the fresh paintwork: So, I've been rocking these two bodywork holes for way too long: My OCD could no longer handle the situation so I did some research and it turns out that these badges are common across the early Cortina, Capri and Escort range. I managed to find an onshore supplier and yesterday this pitched up: The same supplier sent me two fresh press clips, so I slapped the new badge on and everything is right in the world again. Thanks for looking.
  5. And I've now got the next batch of a/c related bits. Receiver drier with mounting bracket, pressure switch and a pair of adapter pads for my Denso compressor. And then my 23-inch condenser and a pair of 10-inch Spal pusher fans. I can't wait to start putting this lot together.
  6. I guess Aus would be the capital of a/c retrofits, but I reckon fitting a/c to a L200 would be pretty straight forward since it has a conventional dashboard. I'd be looking at a concealed dash unit something like this: They go for around $400 Aus which is around half the price of the unit I bought and you are then able to plumb the outlets up to your existing dash vents using slinky pipe. You should be able to slip a universal condenser in front of your radiator or worst case scenario use a universal under tray ute unit like this: Cost for that unit is also around $400 Aus. Receiver/drier bottles are cheap as chips (about $30 Aus complete with mounting bracket) Being a ute you won't need a grunty system so any belt driven compressor should do the trick. My local a/c supplier (Speedy Air Spares - check out his website) provides DIY hose kits that you can crimp yourself. He is supply only, but has advised on heaps of retro fits including a local who has fitted a/c to his 60's VW bug. I'm happy to help in any way I can Tori.
  7. Thanks Simon. And it's the wiper for the rear screen ?
  8. Well, it's official. The Thames van has taken over daily driving duties from our Mazda e2000 which headed off to its new owner last Saturday. With the cash from the sale burning a hole in my pocket I figured it was time to violently execute "Project A/C" so I hit the "buy now" button on a few bits and pieces and there was much excitement when the courier dropped off the first of the boxes a few minutes ago: And upon opening the box this little puppy peeked out into the light of day: Noice !
  9. You did a top job on the gauges Simon and the ignition switch is an absolute work of art. You just can't beat that vintage look. Quick question for you regarding the Nissan wiper motor that you used. Do you know what model Nissan it came out of? I played around with a few options for the Thames, but I'm not that happy with my current setup so I'm thinking of doing a rework and your setup looks ideal.
  10. It's a bunch of bits that I will be using @dmulally. I was lucky enough to find a factory bracket for the a/c compressor off a mid 90s Toyota Liteace that was running a 4YE engine - basically the same block as the 3Y that I am running so the bracket bolted straight up. I grabbed the Denso a/c compressor from the same wreck and it was still holding gas, so I'm hoping it will be okay. For the internal unit I am going with an underdash jobbie from Old Air Products. It was the only unit dimensions wise that works out depth wise so that it fits right up against the inside of the nose panel and doesn't protrude past the underside of the dashboard. This is the unit: Except I've gone for the brushed aluminium face plate for a bit of extra bling. In terms of the condenser, I'm going for the universal chassis mounted unit used on some utes and hot rods. It comes complete with a shroud and electric fan. Looks like so: I have the option of running two of these units in series if I want to improve the efficiency of the system. Then it's just a case of sourcing a receiver/ drier and a few other small components. My local a/c supplier also stocks a hose kit supplied with a crimp tool for DIY installations. The hose kit is about $400 with ends, bulkhead fittings etc and includes the cost of the crimper. A mate of mine has just done a setup in his MK1 Capri using the same hose kit and he reckons it worked out perfectly. I'm hoping to commence the install in the next couple of weeks and will update my build thread as I go.
  11. Thanks Bryan. That makes me feel a lot better. Our Moke runs at 80C all day long so I've been comparing the Toyota engine running temps to that which was making me a bit nervous.
  12. I've gone a bit troppo across here in the tropics. LOL In other news we sold our modern van this past weekend so the Thames has taken over daily driving duties. The modern van with its a/c made us a bit soft, so I'm furiously ordering a/c parts for the Thames at the moment.
  13. @dmulallyYep, full scoop already in place. It dropped the max temp a little bit. I'm getting a consistent 95C max in both traffic and at top speed these days. Still feels a bit high to me but she seems happy enough. I'm going to give the rad another flush as I still seem to have a bit of a brown tinge in the coolant when I last drained the system. Not lots, but just enough to stain the bottom of the bucket that I drain the coolant into.
  14. @ igor , now there's a thought! A little Wurlitzer replica tucked up in one of the corners would look pretty cool I reckon.
  15. Thanks for the feedback @Tiger Tamer. Yep super chuffed with how it has turned out
  16. This year is one of those significant wedding anniversaries for Mrs Flash and I, so a few weeks back I asked my lady what she would like. Now most ladies would ask for some new jewellery or maybe a new outfit or two, or perhaps a romantic weekend away at some fancy resort. But that's just not how my girl rolls. Without even thinking about it she immediately asked if we could rather spend the money getting the upholstery work done for the back of the Thames. Jeez, no wonder I love this woman so much. So, with the decision made off I headed to town to visit two of our local upholstery places. The first stop was at the auto trimmers. Now I get that these guys do nothing but cars all day, but I was still expecting the chap to at least comment on the Thames, but not a peep. He noseyed around with a measuring tape and then proceeded to give me one of those loosey goosey "between this and this" verbal quotes where you immediately know that the final figure is going to be nowhere near the bottom figure quoted and you are likely to get very little change back from the upper figure quoted. Anyhoo, undaunted by his lack of enthusiasm I headed off to the next stop which is a place that mainly specialises in recovering furniture. Now as I pulled into their driveway, I spotted this guy scurrying across to greet me and we proceeded to yarn about the Thames for a good 10 minutes before we even started talking business. It turns out that Bill is originally from Masterton where his dad ran a motor trimming business back in the day. The minute that Bill was big enough to reach the pedals on the sewing machine he was put to work and by the age of eight he was already doing diamond stitching which was all the rage back then. We chatted a bit about what I was looking for style wise and Bill was already throwing in some really good suggestions, so I knew I was on to the right guy. We looked at some samples, Bill took some measurements and the next minute Caroline the owner handed me a written quote that was significantly less than the first quote I got. Winner! Roll forward a few weeks whilst Caroline sourced the marine grade vinyl material and some top-quality foam, and I then took the van around for final measurements. Because the cushions are loose, I didn't have to leave the van with them which was another plus. Roll forward another week and late yesterday I got a call from Caroline to say that the cushions were ready for final fitting, so we wheeled through first thing this morning and Bill laid down some velcro to keep everything in place and then proceeded to do the final fit up. To say that we are blown away with the results would be an understatement. The job has turned out absolutely amazing. Rear facing couch looks like so: Bill even shaped the base of the front facing "dog box" so that it clears the engine cover tie downs: And lastly even our doggo seems happy with her comfy wee seat. Thanks for looking.
  17. When I climbed under the Thames to remove the radiator, I noticed a slight weep right where my two portions of lower hose meet. I was surprised as the engineering shop that had turned me up the aluminium joiner piece had done a really good job. Once I had it all apart and on closer inspection, I suspect that the issue is the placement of the clamps. I'm thinking I've got them too close to the transition point on the adapter, so I've now spaced them further apart. Took the van for a squirt around town to get the temp up then crawled under for a look see. So far it looks good, but I'll keep an eye on things just to make sure.
  18. Those following along on my journey will recall that I managed to track down an a/c compressor bracket for my 3Y engine back in September. At the time I mentioned that I'd need to grab the compressor from the same wreck as I needed the pipe manifold. Anyway, after that update I wheeled past the wreckers on my next trip into town and grabbed the compressor. The good news is that it may not be as shagged as I'd originally thought as the system was still pressurised when I pulled the compressor off. And this grubby puppy has been patiently sitting in the corner of my shed for the past six weeks: So this weekend I thought I'd pull my finger out and get the damn thing fitted. First step was to mock up the bracket and compressor on my spare engine. All fitted good, but when trying to fit the drive belt I noticed that the adjusting mechanism on the idler pulley had seized up. Used some heat, a few dabs of WD40, a piece of crusty old flat bar and a through bolt and managed to eventually free the thing up by using the threads on the bolt to force it one way and then the other. This way to wind the pulley all the way down: Then this way to wind it all the way up: Repeat half a dozen times with liberal squirts of lube and she was good to go. Next step was to work out how I was going to squeeze everything in between the side of the mighty 3Y and the right hand chassis rail. After a quick look about I realised that this was going to be a radiator out job, so out she came. For my first attempt I bolted the compressor to the bracket and then tried to slide the combined unit in from the front while trying to squeeze past the power steering pipework. Instant fail. The a/c hose tails were in the way. So those came off and I tried again. And .... another fail. The combined width of the bracket and compressor just wouldn't squeeze through the small gap available. Scratched my head a bit and then decided to try sliding the compressor in first from underneath and then slipping the bracket down between the compressor and the engine block from above. Worked okay, but when I came to bolt up the bracket to the engine I could only get three of the four mounting bolts to line up. Couldn't see past the compressor to figure out what was wrong, so I ended up pulling the bracket and compressor out for a look see. Tried mounting the bracket on its own and I immediately spotted the issue. The back bolt tab on the bracket is clashing with my home fabricated engine mount. Bugger. Had to drag out the engine crane to take up the strain while I whipped the engine mount out for a little nip and tuck: Pulled the offending engine mount out and you can see the witness marks in the paint where the mounting bolt hole is clashing. Gave the engine mount a little tickle with my grinder of angles and then mounted everything up to the test donk. Perfect Gave the engine mount a quick spritz of paint then chucked it back in the Thames. Squeezed the compressor and bracket back in the gap, then realised that I didn't have enough room to get the compressor through bolts in. Out came the compressor one more time and I chucked the through bolts into their sleeves like so: Back in went the compressor and after a bit of double-jointed spanner work, I managed to get everything bolted into place. The front lower bolt was the easiest of the lot: Well, it's all in with about 20mm to spare between the compressor and the chassis leg. What a relief as this was the part of the puzzle that was causing me the most angst. Some photos of the final position for your viewing pleasure: Now that I know it fits, I'll go ahead and order a new drive belt. I also need to replace the existing hoses on the compressor as they are facing the wrong way for my application. It looks like my local a/c parts supplier stocks the required pad to o'ring adapter for my Denso compressor, so I'll order a set of those too. Then it's just a matter of buying a new under dash unit, condenser setup, drier and a hose kit and a few other small bits and pieces. I'll take a punt on the existing compressor, but at least I know that I can get a replacement from my local supplier if needed. But all of that will have to wait until we have gained some funds from the sale of our Bongo van. In summary the rest looks pretty straight forward, I think...... famous last words. Thanks for looking.
  19. Apart from the usual small bits and pieces that still need to be completed, there are two high ticket items left on the Thames "to do" list, these being the air-conditioning system and getting the rock n' roll bed professionally upholstered. In order to free up some cash Mrs Flash and I have taken the decision to sell our current daily which is a 2004 Mazda E2000i. It will be sad to see her go, but the plan was always for the Thames to take over daily driving duties and we are now at that stage. So, although this update isn't strictly about the Thames, it still has a part to play in the overall project, so I'm hoping everyone will allow me some latitude. The poor old Bongo has spent the last few years living out in the elements, so she needs a bit of TLC before she goes on the market. The biggest job is resolving some rust that has crept into the edges of both side panels, so this morning I cracked into the first panel. A while back I replaced the panel in the sliding door with a window, so I was able to cut some patches from the spare which made the job a whole lot easier. Cutty, cutty, weldy, weldy, grindy, grindy and I'm almost there. Just needs a bit of bog and a lick of paint and she'll be good to go.
  20. Seeking advice - any input would be greatly appreciated. Checking out the engine specs for the mighty Toyota 3Y engine, the factory thermostat opens at 85 degrees Celsius and they state that normal operating temps are anywhere between 85 and 100 degrees C. Using a laser temp gun, I've been able to ascertain that at operating temp out on the open road the van runs a top of 97C measured at the thermostat housing (the last engine point before the cooling system). Idling in my driveway all day long I'm also measuring a top of 97C. I don't know enough about Toyota engines to determine whether my current temps are too high, but it does make me nervous that I seem to be fairly close to the maximum temp stated by Toyota.
  21. Yesterday arvo I took the Thames through to town for its hot date with the wheel alignment machine. As luck would have it the workshop was unusually quiet, so the whole crew gathered around for a bit of a nosey and the swapping of a few yarns. I had visions of them telling me that everything was skewwhiff as I had used some pretty rudimentary methods to line up the front and rear units before welding them in. But by some miracle everything was straight and all that was needed were a few extra shims to get the LHS camber spot on and a bit of adjustment on the strut rods to get the caster where we needed it. What a relief to have that job behind me.
  22. Mate, I am so chuffed for you. What a well-deserved outcome to an epic build. Happy motoring.
  23. Jeez, the mesh in my little fresh air flap was a real bugger to paint. Even although I was applying really thin coats, I still managed to clog up a few of the gaps in the mesh. Was able to clear the holes with my thinnest bradawl, but it kept chipping the paint, so it took a few iterations of poking and painting before I was happy. Doesn't look too shabby. Popped it back in with some fresh stainless fixings and it should be good for another few years. Oh, almost forgot to say that I found a perfect looking rubber seal in my stash to replace the sad looking cork original. Unfortunately, I don't have enough to complete the job, so I'll grab some more from my local rubber place when I'm next in town.
  24. The mesh covered bit of my fresh air flap has been in the vinegar bath for a few days, but is still looking a bit grotty. The mesh looks a bit delicate so I'm loath to hit the thing with a flapper disk, but I did give it a light sand and then chucked some rust converter on the parts that look a bit dodgy. While I wait for that to dry, I thought I'd move on to the next item on my snag list. So, from day dot I've had issues with my left-hand headlight. At first I attributed the issue to a blown sealed beam - the one on the right in this photo. A while back I fitted a new set of H4 units with LED globes, but was still having issues with both lights staying on high beam no matter what position the dip switch was in. So, first thing this morning I dusted off my copy of the factory wiring diagram and cracked straight into tracing the issue. Thought I'd start off by looking at the dip switch. This is a new unit that I fitted a while back. Popped both headlights out and did a continuity test on the wires running from the dip switch to each headlight. Quickly found an issue with the low beam wire on the left-hand headlight. No power getting through. Grovelled under the dash and discovered that someone had swapped the earth and low beam wires around on the little inline connector. I suspect this happened when the painters re-installed the headlights after the bare metal restoration. Easy enough to do especially with all the overspray that the mucky buggers had got on the main wiring loom. Anyway, with that sorted I've ticked another item off the "to do" list. Thanks for looking.
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