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A Picture from MSS of how the project started - a ERF B Series with a 14 litre big cam engine, I thought this appropriate to start this section
After I first bought the sherpa, it underwent a full service and attended to a couple of the problems with the gearbox. Other than changing the lettering I had no intention of any alterations
The rear panel was repaired after many years of the welland sledge hitting the back, and many hours were spent with T-Cut and a buffer, the lettering eventually came off so as it could be replaced with a very different version of Bassaleg Hire colours.
The Bassaleg Hire lettering was finished just in time in February 2007, as it started to snow just as we finished
At Lowham 2007 I managed to pursuade Geoff Garrett to help me alter the pump, so we removed the pump, increased the fuel to the max and opened the revs up - it made a vast improvement!!
After Pickering I had two weeks, in which I stupidly decided to undate the body shell and change the colour scheme. Having found a damaged shell we managed to make one out of the two, using all LDV Convoy body panels and interior, while keeping the basic chassis of the Leyland Daf van.
After many hours of fabrication, the front started to come together and look more like a LDV Convoy, many hours of preparation had to go into the rest of the vehicle to make it ready for painting, aswell as fitting all the new interior around the altered floor pan that is needed to allow the body to sit over the engine. It also took a lot of work to convert all the electrics to work on 24volt.
After another day of masking and sheeting everything in the workshop the time came to paint. Two coats of primer, and one top coat left it looking nice and white and shiny!!
New bumpers, lights, grill and accessories were fitted, aswell as a new air horn and freshly painted exhausts, all that was left was the worst bit - painting the chassis!
All of the chassis was steam cleaned, and rubbed down ready to mask and paint black
The body was masked and the whole of the underneath was painted black, aswell as me!!
Just about finished, all thats left is to make a new lower bumper, finish the signwriting and put the old front wheels on, seeing as how the new ones were fouling on the chassis.
Two weeks of late nights and no work in the day - worth it all though!!
With the signwriting finished, and the interior bulkhead, all the team could go home, leaving me to load ready for croeslan
Driving to the yard ready to load - very happy with all the work!
Fuel problems at Diesworth meant that not much pulling was done, after a change of fuel filter when we got home and some more fuel, all seemed ok
Now we are back in the workshop we can finally get on with some of the jobs required. The first on the list is the problem with the 4 way valve. Number 2 air tank had not been building for a while, so on further investigation the diaphram in the valve was split. A new valve should solve the problem
Also started to strip the front end after the front end had a shunt, with the plastic bumper removed, the damage was found to be a bit more serious.
The main front cross member was badly bent so that needs to be replaced, also the chassis bumper has been removed for a coat of paint, and so as new fan belts can be fitted aswell as it has been found that the boost pipe is split
The next job now is to rig up a new kill system, and sort out the oil leaks
There you go Mr Angel - that should be u shaped in the other direction!!
The new front bumper fitted, which should hopefully fit the plastic bumpers better than the previous one
The electric fans refitted to the radiator after repair. Hopefully they should keep the engine cooler.
New fan belt fitted, and gasket on compressor to solve major oil leak.
Extra cross bolts added to the exhaust pipes incase of turbo failure.
Split boost pipes replaced. Hopefully some boost should now be made, after the one pipe was found to be missing at Malpas.
New engine side panels made and mounted to van body incase of engine failure.
Tweedly dee and tweedle dum steam cleaning the chassis outside, ready to touch up where repairs have been made.
New kill made up and fitted using a system similar to Dragon Power, but using wire rope to aid operation.
The next job was to repair and strengthen the rear end, where a sledge had beaten it!
As can be seen the main bars in the back had been severely damaged, so the whole rear section was cut out and replaced with new, stronger steel. Note some of the old colour showing through now due to the rear end being used from the original van
All finished with new light and bumpers, this time panelled with white aluminium to allow easy replacement in future.
