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Kaz - total strip down - 2nd Project - will have lots of pics!

69K views 210 replies 34 participants last post by  T4HULK 
#1 · (Edited)
Picked this up in September 2013 after viewing a few and hunting for a base van for a new build. Was a Private buy from a lady who had been using it for a small hobby catering business and thanks must go to @Turlough for giving us the heads up on this wee gem! So time for another build thread!

Detail:
2002 2.5tdi(blue) 88bhp Panel Van, Half Bulkhead, Hatch and some scruffy VW 5 spokes.
Heres the sweetness... only 44K on the clock, This van is so clean for its age I kid you not when I say that there is virtually no rust! - its perfect for our new project.

We love our existing van 'Mishka' (see 1st build thread here) and she will remain ours until the new one is ready and then she'll hopefully go to a good home where she can continue her travels and make them as happy as us! Basically, we have a +1 on the way and I want to do a new interior to reflect that as well as itchy fingers for going all out on detail this time round having learned alot from the first build.

As a result of a good price, facilities at our new house (that stonker of a garage/workshop!) We've SORN the new van so it can be dedicated to do the work on it at leisure.

I'll be closely documenting the build as it progresses and we have a target of it being ready by winter/spring 2015 (hopefully sooner and nowhere near as long as Mishska took!) EDIT - Well that date is out the window! Finally on the road in 2020!!
If anyone wants specific pics or detail do ask as I know from doing the first one sometimes a certain pic paints a clear picture!



This is the running update so far as a working list

General theme - offroad/trek/safari but it still needs to be a functional as camper + van ie usable to some transporting, surfing, and general everyday use with a family.

Engine
  • All Belts changed - DONE
  • Stainless exhaust + decat from pptuning - DONE
  • Remap + general tuning
  • Blank EGR valve - DONE
  • Pedal box bracket upgrade - DONE
  • Headlight loom upgrade - DONE
  • Turks Quad Headlights
  • Splitcharge + 110aH Leisure battery - DONE
  • Short-shift mod - DONE
  • 5th gear mod
  • Front Mount Inter-cooler - ARRIVED to do with remap
  • Engine bay lighting - DONE
  • Loud secondary Air horn for the craic! - DONE
Exterior
  • Total strip down - all insides, windows + out inc dash - DONE
  • Treatment of anything uncovered in strip down - DONE
  • Re-paint of whole van in Matt RAL 5002 - DONE
  • Re-paint of Roof in Matt/Satin Black - DONE
  • Air in-take grille - DONE
  • Existing A-bar Restored and matt blacked. - DONE
  • LED spots mounted to A-bar (single + doubles) - ARRIVED - to do post remap
  • Rear light guards restored and blacked - DONE
  • Existing Wheels restored and Powder coated - DONE
  • AT /Chunky tyres of some kind
  • Retro dubflectas - DONE
  • x2 side windows (slider on SLD) - DONE
  • Smoked indicators - DONE
  • Part Smoked Rear lights + LED upgrades - DONE
  • Front Fog-lights - DONE
  • Heat Gun treatment to the bumpers + boot polish - DONE
  • Slashed end Side Bars - Black - DONE
  • Replace mudflaps +Customise - DONE
Interior Cab Specific
  • Removal of all cab trim and dash - DONE
  • Clean down of all trim before re-install - DONE
  • Dash + cab trim to be sprayed Matt Black - DONE
  • Flash feature colour of door handles, winders + door release - DONE
  • Laying of electric cables - DONE
  • Re-install of cab fittings - DONE
  • Lighting in footwells Red LED strip base - DONE
  • Headlining & Visor wrap - DONE
  • gearstick extension - DONE
  • Fitted Seat Covers - DONE
  • voltage monitors + additional switch control for additional electrics (to be mounted into dash) - - DONE
Interior Rear + other - Going for lightish warm colours. Mostly open wood for units which are then blowtorch stencilled. Aiming to have a bit of a mash of post-industrial/steampunk detail features
  • Full flashing/soundproofing of all inside surfaces including the cab - DONE
  • Full insulation of walls, ceiling, floor, doors etc - DONE
  • Full conversion - similar bench seat set up to Mishska but with quite a few revisions and additions - sink, additional and relocated electrics etc. - DONE
  • Smev 9222 RH sink - DONE
  • Dometic fridge - DONE
  • Water pump - DONE
  • Eberspatcher heater - DONE
  • Units will be made from simple materials but want to burn-brand them with shipping stamps, 'this way up' etc to add to the theme - DONE
  • Leisure Bat + Electrics under Driver's seat/mounted to bulk head- DONE
  • Amp - DONE
  • 10inch speakers in rear hatch - DONE
  • 6x9 speakers in bulkhead unit- - DONE
  • Sub - Mounted in bulkhead - DONE
  • Upgrade Dash speakers - - DONE
  • Lighting in roof, spot and strip LED base - DONE
  • Cab divider curtain (own made) - DONE
  • All windows to use sucker on thermal screens - DONE
+ lots to be decided / stretched over time! H:H:H:H:
 
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#123 ·
Cheers chaps. - tbh Its been going on so long now its going down the perfection route. So whats another few months(years)I:



More dash stuff. Got a Passat Hazzard light switch (they are the same connection as the T4) so I could move it to the lower switch bank and do away with the wasted space OEM one and have replaced it with a twin port USB




I also have various backlit utility switches to install. They are larger than the existing ports. Rather than use the cubby space I decided to have a go at opening out the dash blanks to seat them into...





Trim trim....




Not much left but its enough to secure both the switch and lock it into the dash housing.



Seatd without the surround trim. but you get the idea.

 
#127 ·
I've made Mel and my kid jump so many times already and the vans not even out of the garage LOL:


Pickledog said:
Excellent! I was wondering how to fit my zombie light switch
Took the ashtray out and made a panel for the double usb and zombie/other as I want the old hazards switch location for a turbo gauge...(not that it's turbo-ing much these days.
They are great quality switches as well... I wanted to keep the OEM look on the dash switch positioning as best as possible without things looking too out of place so now everything will be in in the original switch bank.
Just wait till you see how I've managed to blend around domed digital voltmeter into the dash. [spoiler - i've used the cig lighter]


Also another tottaly unplanned mod - Engine bay lighting! - more coming soon
 
#126 ·
Excellent! I was wondering how to fit my zombie light switch T:
Took the ashtray out and made a panel for the double usb and zombie/other as I want the old hazards switch location for a turbo gauge...(not that it's turbo-ing much these days. :eek:
 
#132 ·
Chipped away at a few things today, namely fitting the radio head unit + AuxBattetry feeds. The result has meant for some reason that the dreaded aftermarket alarm has reared its head again and goes off every 30secons or so whenever the head unit is switched on. :*

So for me that's the final strike and I'll be ripping the alarm out once and for all.
 
#133 ·
A few updates image-wise in this post and some progress updates after a couple of days at it....

Ripped of the rest of that 3rd part alarm. Some amount of e but thankfully not too much damage to the original looms and was able to secure everything back with no faults.



It does, however, mean that the central locking no-longer works so I guess I need to find myself a factory loom for central locking and put that in? (also a fob addition to make it radio-controlled) What's everyone's thoughts on that - is it worth doing or shall I take out the actuators etc and sell them...:confused:



Some back-dated images...



The engine-bay lighting in place.




Dash parts going back together bit by bit as I close up the electrics and such





As I'm trying to make things look as stock as possible but also be functional... Spent a fair bit if time on the detail. Removed the Cig-lighter and modified the dash surrounds to take a nice flush marine voltmeter (display is in green also). I've moved the hazard lights switch to the main switch bank with a VWPassat switch and used the space to put in a double USB port.






I also knew I would have extra LED strips as I bought by the 5mtr reels so did a little be if silliness behind the bonnet grill. Its been set at a slight angle so that when moving it looks like its programmed fade L>R. A nod to knight rider. - See also here for a bit of Video twitter post
I can control these and others from the dashboard 'zombie-lights' switch.


 
#135 ·
A day of progress with good news and bad news....


Good;

Corrected all the terrible scrotch-block towbar wires and tidied it all up and fitted the seat covers spending plenty to time tucking everything in to get it just right. T: Popped them in to check all is well (need to get a smaller headrest for drivers chair as its the old Inka style which is too big for the covers (so are the armrests so had to order those, which will mean I'll have two quality inka armrests available to sell at some point.





Bad;

Well ... How did I forget to calculate for the wood panle. The distribution box is in the way meaning I can't get the seat secured back to the rails. :bhd:bhd:bhd






So I've had to open it up, dis-mount it, release a load of the cables to get the seat on. and then remount it properly so it all fits. I have had to put it lower down which as meant repositioning and disconnecting so much to get it in the right place and even trim the box a bit as it gets kicked out by the bend in the bulkhead. FFS. - Still got it all sorted now but in the process somehow one of the boxes switched connections has busted. Can't figure out what's gone wrong so going to have to rewire the roof lights into the one switch.

Slight silver lining means I've taken out the switch, blanked the hole with a grommet and then I can use the switch to isolate the footwell lights i'm putting in so if the doors are being left open I can turn them off from a hidden switch under the dash.
 
#139 ·
Finally sorted a mod that I was supposed to do pre-repaint but totally forgot... The gutter pipe mod!

There are quite a few how-to's on this but most of the images are dead so thought I would make sure I took a few.
Really simple most to avoid all the water (and leaves, gunk etc going down the front wing and getting stuck in the arch void leading to rot... I was able to do this easily without taking the entire wing off and didn't have to anyway as it was clean inside.

Simple bendy ducting pipe (or hose pipe can be used) and female electrical conduit joint. I chose to trim down the flange to get a nice flush fit and adhesive sealed it down and will tidy up the sealant once cured.
Ducting simple goes over the joint piece and then thread it through the arch and out the front exit hole from the void.





Secured it down to various lashing points on both wings. Easy on this side as the radio aerial is there.





 
#140 ·
Grabbed an interior door handle for the rear hatch + rod and did the coathanger fix to connect it all up given the absence of the standard fittings. Works a treat.






6quid ebay special for the remote central locking controller wired up to the actuators that are still fitted and all is working. Though I do seem to have poor voltage signal between the SLD contacts and its not getting enough juice to send the lock fully up/down... Something to investigate another time.







Most importantly, with the locking finally done I can put the dash back together. It was 4 years ago I painted all this up so its been a looooooong time coming to see it in situ.

 
#141 ·
Coming along nicely Papa T:
Dashboard looks nice, bet you're well pleased with that.

Good idea the 'gutter pipe mod', seen that somewhere else as well .................. where would the water go normally? down into the wing and drip out the bottom? Which would mean, in time dead leaves would undoubtedly accumulate in the bottom of the wings!




TURK
 
#142 ·
Dash looking great A:
Good idea with the water pipes for drainage. My inner wings were completely rotten so I'll have to give it a go... when I get the van back that is!
Did you have to remove the wings to do it? Or is it possible to do with them on? (here's hopingI:)
 
#143 ·
Yeah, so the water just empties into the void over the arch and will spill out front or the small hole at the door side.

I managed to do it fine without totally removing the wings... just did the 3 bolts on the engine bay and the two on the A-pillar. It opens out enough to get an arm in and secure the flange in place and thread the rest out the front exit hole. ( also helps to have someone just to hold the wing away slightly so it's not squeezing on your arm.)

Took about 40 mins to fit and I had super clean wings so didn't need to clean them out. I've seen them in other vans filled to the brim with excellent leaf compost, worms and all. Needless to say, those were rusted to buggery both on the wing and the arch.

and yes indeed, pretty pleased with the dash. Considering it was so long ago. - I used synthetic enamel paint so it's got a really crisp, thick and smooth finish. T:
 
#146 ·
I managed to do it fine without totally removing the wings... just did the 3 bolts on the engine bay and the two on the A-pillar. It opens out enough to get an arm in and secure the flange in place and thread the rest out the front exit hole. ( also helps to have someone just to hold the wing away slightly so it's not squeezing on your arm.)
T:
That's good. I don't fancy removing fresh painted ones completely.

Door trims look well, I did something similar but mine all chipped.. hopefully the enamel paint is tougher T:
 
#147 ·
Cheers chaps. - It feels like a milestone to have the cab finished. the dash parts (both black and green) had a min of 3 layers done. black is holding up well unless harshly scrapped - the synth enamel is great on the hard plastic, not so much on the soft (ie the rummer surrounds to the A pillar grip. Managed to get it on without too much touch-up needed.

In a roundabout way that's me now focused purely on building the furnature now. I:
 
#148 ·
But not before sorting the footwell lighting! - powered from the Aux battery perm live feed (that also does the Radio and USB/DC sockets on the dash) but run via the door switch negatives so they come on as the interior lights do.





Most importantly I needed to be able to isolate the footwell lights if I'm leaving the doors open so I installed a discreet switch on the end of the dash for that on the positive feed.








 
#151 ·
Heh, yeah I toyed with having them green (I do have 5mtrs of that and another 5 of RGB for the back.) but I wanted red specifically so it doesn't wreck my night vision + when dark you don't really see the green and vice versa in the daytime you don't really see the red. So dedicated red strips in this case but simple enough to swap out.

ps the green will be going externally... For the craic, I'm going for the late 90's F&F look as an optional night time choice but you wouldn't know they were there unless on. but thats for another time down the line I:
 
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