Holiday time?
ADVERTORIAL Danny and Clive get serious to get the T4 finished in time
1994 VW Transporter 1.9D
Engine 1896cc/4-cyl/ohv
Power 60bhp@3700rpm
Torque 94lb ft@1700rpm
Gearbox 5-speed manual
Top speed 80mph
0-60mph 19sec
Fuel economy 39mpg
PC and Amazon
Fixing Up is a collaboration between Amazon and Practical Classics in which we show you how easy it can be to revive and refresh modern classic cars that are a bit down on their luck. Using tools and parts sourced through Amazon, Danny Hopkins and Clive Jefferson will rejuvenate a series of modern classics starting with this, a VW T4 Day van.
Just as they have always done, the resto duo will fix up cars at the PC workshop, only with Amazon’s help, they’ll be able to do it quicker and more effectively.
The workshop will also become a TV studio, as the restorations that Danny and Clive attempt are filmed and broadcast.
Filming a show which involves classic car restoration is truly risky. The TV side of things involves strict deadlines and expensive tech. It requires things to be ready and easy to shoot and it thrives on cleanliness and clarity. Restoration, on the other hand is a dirty business. It is fraught with failure at short notice and suffers from being completely unpredictable. The two are virtually incompatible.
Which is why working on ‘Fixing Up’ with Clive in the PC workshop carries an added frisson. The good news is that Clive and I have seen a job or two in our time and can usually find a fix and with Amazon, Mann Filter, Liqui Moly, Yuassa Batteries, SONAX cleaners and NOCO Chargers on board, we realise that no problem is insurmountable.
As we rev up into the final instalment of our T4 revamp, Clive and I were sorting the most important final jobs. I was fitting a new undertray (no wonder a previous alternator had failed) as Clive rewired the dash to accept the new radio and speakers. We bought a new speaker bar to link with our phones for ‘picnic sounds’ and I had a go at stripping out the old wiring to the leisure battery to install the new one and its new board…
We painted the rock n roll bed and secured the cupboards. In all honesty, what was a pretty shonky sleeping situation previously, had emerged a rather smart hotel room on wheels… it really looked like somewhere you might want to spend the night. With that, and the decision to keep the universe headlining, the interior required only a clean to be complete.
Both Liqui Moly and SONAX cleaners were deployed, along with a seat cover and a handmade drinks holder across the centre of the cab. Then curtains! If you want to spend the night somewhere then blackout curtains will help make sure street lights and an early sunrise don’t disturb your rest. Two hours it was done.
‘Filming a TV show and classic car restoration... incompatible!’
Time to focus on the exterior then, and some nifty accessories. Portable fridge, awning and Type 4 compatible tent. Stove, gas bottles, kettle, water carrier and a fantastic roofbag to put them in… a roofbag mounted on an inflatable Handirack, which is a brilliant bit of kit allowing you to carry stuff on the roof without having to fit a standard roof rack. Finally a bike rack from Allensports… which is light and packs small when stowed, but is good for two bikes and fits the back of the van perfectly.
Clive had swapped the original orange indicator lenses for clear items. Usually I
hate this sort of meddling but actually, on the T4, it smartens the nose up. Plus it sits really nicely with the new blue paint job… Clive and I stood back and, with the new tyres shined, were presented with a vision of an ‘as new’ camper. Our six episode journey had been extremely tight. It had involved late nights and long days but it had been worth it.
We had an MOT in hand with only one advisory and with insurance and Tax applied it was time for a run… to a place in the sun. Clive and I set off on a giant test to a nearby field - our festival for two. The new starter spun the diesel and we set off. The van was now heavier but I hardly noticed, particularly now we had serviced the engine and let the Liqui Moly diesel additive clean out its tubes. The new tyres and the brake service made it surefooted and positive to pilot… there were real differences.
On reaching our field we were greeted by Greg, the drone man, who had called RAF Wittering (our neighbours) to ask if he could have a flight… the answer came… yes… and suddenly Clive, the T4 and I were being buzzed from every angle by an electronic insect with a camera strapped to it. Bonkers. But cool.
As we drove back and forth being filmed it suddenly occurred to me that in this van, at this moment, going absolutely anywhere – AT ANY MOMENT - was a distinct possibility. Clive and I had made a proper living space on wheels and it was begging to be used.
If you watch the final episode of fixing up you’ll see us setting off into the sunset, what you won’t see is the fact that we didn’t turn round, we just carried on until we hit the coast… that’s what owning, and particularly restoring, a T4 does to you. ■
‘We have made a proper living space on wheels and it’s begging to be used’