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+--- Thread: The "Neverwas" AVQ van goes home at last! (/showthread.php?tid=3219)
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The "Neverwas" AVQ van goes home at last! - Martin Prior - 19-08-2019
Nearly two years ago, we were commissioned to rebuild a hideous van conversion on a Mk 1 Ruby chassis.
A previous owner had cut off the back end of the saloon body and, seemingly without a lot of thought, had attempted to build an all-steel van body. Crude, ugly and immensely heavy, an early decision was to scrap it and replace it.
There was, of course, never a Mark 1 Ruby van. We decided to adapt one of our standard AVK (Mark 2 Ruby) van bodies to fit the ARQ front end.
This job has been something of a pot-boiler, but is now finished - bar painting - and was collected by the customer yesterday. Satisfaction all round, its seems!
So, to latch onto another current thread, who wants to commission a "Woody"?
Apologies for the commercial!
RE: The "Neverwas" AVQ van goes home at last! - Rogerchummy - 19-08-2019
A wonderful job - just wondering why you didn't paint the new van body in a grey colour that matches the front
RE: The "Neverwas" AVQ van goes home at last! - Martin Prior - 19-08-2019
Thanks, Roger. It's just in primer at the moment; our customer will be doing the paint job. The steel panels are in a standard primer, but most of the new work is panelled in aluminium and so is painted with an etching primer, which is a different shade of grey.
RE: The "Neverwas" AVQ van goes home at last! - Bob Culver - 19-08-2019
All that artwork certainly seems somewhat wasted hidden in a van. What a contrast with modern vans, all done with a few blows of a giant press!
A woody would seem the ideal device to display your skills. Presumably there was also some other motive for building them inside out?
RE: The "Neverwas" AVQ van goes home at last! - Nick Lettington - 19-08-2019
The state my ORT is in, it wouldn't take much to remove the rear end...
RE: The "Neverwas" AVQ van goes home at last! - Mike Costigan - 19-08-2019
Very impressive, Martin, just one comment: you need to drill 3 large holes in each of the back door linings to provide the ventilation through the louvres!
RE: The "Neverwas" AVQ van goes home at last! - Duncan Grimmond - 19-08-2019
That looks the business in my book! A lovely job.
I just noticed a van body on eBay....
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Austin-Seven-7-Ruby-van-body/383109766717?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
RE: The "Neverwas" AVQ van goes home at last! - Nigel Ricardo - 19-08-2019
I think that could be the body that came off the Neverwas by its location and user name !!
RE: The "Neverwas" AVQ van goes home at last! - Martin Prior - 19-08-2019
Ah, no flies on you, Nigel!
Duncan of course built the magnificent non-standard AVK fuel tank for the van.
Mike - Sssh! I realised as we loaded it into the van that we'd forgotten the ventilation holes!
RE: The "Neverwas" AVQ van goes home at last! - Duncan Grimmond - 19-08-2019
Oops! Foot in mouth disease. I didn’t make the connection