Oh, Iris

Restoration and love and affection for a 1972 VW camper, Iris.

[lifewithiris]

Onto Iris this weekend to get her sorted for summer. First up some paint repairs, side window out to sort some bubbling creeping in, and n/s rear wheel arch lip cleaned up where it was looking a bit scabby.

[lifewithiris]

Nothing like a last minute job for our camping trip down to Cornwall tomorrow!

The Ctek battery to battery charger I fitted a few years ago has an input for a solar panel so I’ve added a 100W panel on the roof rack to keep our electrics running.

Can’t wait to get away for what will be our longest trip in Iris.

[lifewithiris]

A few hours this afternoon on some electrical upgrades for Iris. She was still running the original windscreen washer setup which relies on the washer bottle being manually pumped up with a bike pump!

I modified the wiper stalk to accept a micro switch, which provides a trigger to a new relay operated washer pump.

No more running out of washer fluid. 😁

[lifewithiris]

Leanne’s beetle rear bench all built up this morning. This combination of grey vinyl and blue fabric will look great in her blue bug.

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Started to get the van built back up today. Engine lid on and built up. Cab doors on, gapped and started to build up.

I can’t wait to have this little van back out for some summer fun.

[lifewithiris]

Neptune blue onto all the bits I’ve been sorting over winter. A super long day getting this all masked, prepped and painted, I’m absolutely knackered now though. 😴

[lifewithiris]

Pastel white topcoat applied today to the drivers rear corner, rear bumper, cab door tops and drivers a pillar.

A lovely warm day so the paint flowed beautifully.

Neptune blue to follow next weekend then just to put her all back together.

[lifewithiris]

A big push over the last few days to get everything into primer that I’ve been working on.

Now just to sand it all down, seam seal and get some colour on it over the next few weeks!

[lifewithiris]

A little more progress on Iris today. Both cab doors shaped and rubbed down ready for some primer as well as the A pillar.

Starting to clean up the Passenger front step where some water got under the rubber mat and started eating at the metal.

I’m hoping to get most of the bits I’ve been working on into primer tomorrow.

[lifewithiris]

Hopefully the last of the welding on the van.

A sliver of the driver’s A pillar lip had been slowly deteriorating so I’ve chopped it out and let in some fresh metal.

The passenger door was in much better condition than the driver and only needed a tiny repair to the bottom section. The rest of the seal channel looked good so I’ve just cleaned it all up.

Hopefully onto filling and priming next weekend.

[lifewithiris]

This is why you need two classic cars, drive one to go and repair the other 😂.

I’ve been working on repairing the bottom of the drivers door for a few days now. I ended up chopping a big section of the seal channel out, and the bottom plate. I’ve made and welded in some repair panels, and given it a quick coat of etch primer.

Now to just do the passenger door, which looks like it’ll only need the bottom plate.

[lifewithiris]

Stripping more bits off the van to sort. Drivers door off to get at the rust that’s eating away at the bottom edge. Bay doors are a bit of a crap design as the bottom edge is a big old water trap.

[lifewithiris]

Rust never sleeps. Cleaning up the bottom of the driver’s rear corner which had some rust creeping through.

Caught just in time as I should get away with just rust treating this.

[lifewithiris]

Working on my own vehicles for the first time in a while!

Engine lid off Iris to address some rust that’s creeping in around the licence plate hole. I’m going to repaint this once I’ve cleaned back the rust and treated it.

The top of the engine lid aperture is looking a bit rough due to lack of paint and water sitting behind the seal so I’m going to clean this all back to bare metal as well.

I’ve primed the section of the rear bumper that I scraped against a wall, so just need to sand it all down ready for a repaint once the weather is a little warmer.

[lifewithiris]

It’s only a small start but I’m trying to make some time over the next few months to do some repair jobs on Iris ready for summer adventures. First up, rear bumper off for a repaint after I reversed it into a wall at our old house.

Yes, this seems to happen too often as both Iris and Myrtle have suffered damage from me reversing them! 🤦‍♂️

[lifewithiris]

A job that’s been on Iris’ todo list for a few years finally checked off. Carpet lined ply headliner for the cab to match the rear bed boards.

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Swing out bracket back from the powder coaters this week and all installed. Works a treat!

And the swing out in action! Lovely stuff. Hopefully get the cooker and heater plumbed in soon so I can use them.