The Renovation of Skylark

Taking the old roof lining off, top surface was easy but the foam scrim backing was a pain

Sound/insulation put on he roof, might as well as I had some left and I had gone this far.

New perforated ivory headlining on, it was a one chance job with the spray glue as once it grabs there is no going back! (Unless you want to destroy it!). Not too bad a job, not perfect but cleaner than the last one and wife happy now.

Last but not least a new set of seats for the front, Smart car seats and not bad for £40 for the pair, not a mark on them and the blue matches perfectly    From a left hand drive so got to swap them around but not a major job. Need to remove the seatbelt guides and take off the seatbelt connectors though.

Nice head lining job, and those seats are nice in blue. Smart car seats in a hijet are the bomb.

maralions wrote:Cool. Are you still intending to sleep two, i.e. one on the original higher bench behind the driver and then that wider one underneath? How does it work with the little seat behind the passenger being higher? It looks like a good modification. I'm thinking about replacing the tops of all the boxes to look nicer as someone's put some 15 year old duct tape on and I can't get the bloody stuff off. Actually seems easier (and more sensible) to remake the old ones with nicer tops. I'm really tempted to remake the whole thing out of lighter stuff but again it's getting the whole set up out including the wired in cooker and sink that puts me off.

I also really wanted to make it into a double sleeper instead of two separate singles but couldn't find a way to make it work - can't lower the driver bit because of the gas bottle and and can't bring the passenger one up because then there'd be no leg room under the cooker.

Have you tried Goo Gone to remove the duct tape..?

Time for another update, seats now in the van and looking the dogs danglies!

Fitting was easy, longest time was measuring where the rails had to go. Some others have had to 'modify' the drivers engine cover but for whatever reason I didnt need to. A nice driving position now (wasnt that bad before though). Best £40 spent so far.

Looking just as good from behind.
Next is the rear interior and bought the curtain material yesterday so will be breaking out the sewing machine After that.
Not had as much fun in a long while! (Sure that says something about my life! Suppose I'm easily pleased.
One more item thats due to arrive is this:

As I needed to redo the leasure electrics thought why not go the whole hog and do it right (www.switchpanel.co.uk) Electrics not my best skill so leaving that till the end as much as I can then I can just concentrate on that but some holes etc have to be done ready hence me getting it now. Summer is fast approaching and wife niw wondering if it will be ready and what she let herself in for so suppose I had better pull my finger out and get a move on!

If you don't want to have traditional drawing curtains one idea could be to sew lots of small magnets in the hem, this way they would stick to the metal frame around the windows, and could either roll upwards or pull off and get stuffed somewhere. Might be nicer than having loose curtains flapping around..?

Curtains are going to be as original, on tracks but with small sections of velcro that stick to the door panels when you want them shut. Seem to work out ok.

nice work

Now to the interior....a work in progress so here are the photos:

This is how it starts, one 8x4 sheet of lightweight Vohringer ply

Not bad to cut, just been using a jigsaw and a good eye to follow a pencil line

All cut, trimmed with T edging where required and drilled. Now which bit goes where?

Drilled it as per original using pocket holes, makes it much neater and stronger joints apparently.

Nearly there, just drawer fronts to sort then install hob, sink and connect it up.

Very impressed!

That's smart, a lot thought gone into it ... Don't show the weenybago though, it will be expecting more from me

Cant take credit for the design of the kitchen unit as I just followed the pattern of the old one. Adding a new slide out shelf though and changed wood from 18mm MDF to the 15mm lightweight plywood. Seats will follow similar to existing setup just altered a bit to suit what I need but outwardly probably wont look design wise much different.

Just an update, managed to virtually finish the kitchen unit, one slide out shelf to fit and some aluminium heat shielding to cut and fit then thats done, water storage unit and seats next.

Looking great.

It is very nicely done.

Starting to take shape now but all the jobs now seem to just take ages.

Thats the water tank box under the cooker unit (got to pipe it up yet)

Seat/storage unit starting to come together, its now back to just above original height and more comfortable to sit on now. The originals that were there had been cut down to much lower and sitting was far too low to be comfortable and no use at the table. Only thing it allwaed was a full width bed but as its mainly a day van for us, seating height is more important.

Fantastic job you are doing here Raggy - really impressive!

I think that it is time you stopped Teaching and took up Motor Home building instead.
That is superb workmanship Raggy.

Outstanding work, quality takes time.

Hope you're keeping a set of templates...

That idea crossed my mind...but I havn't for he cooker unit. The seat unit is a bit more make up as I go along from ideas what I want and looking a photos of existing ones for ideas.

Can I ask where you got your wood from for the units? Is it very lightweight? I've been looking into options but it seems things are either heavy or the price of solid gold!

Its Vohringer lightweight ply, and yes, it costs but weight saving for me is worth it and finish on board is good. One if the main costs is delivery and minimum order which is usually 3 8'x4' sheets at approx £100 delivery. I thought good and hard over cost but in end thought it worth it for what I had already done. There are alternative boards but watch out some have a paper surface and not a hard wearing one. Some places will sell the board but wont deliver so depends qhere you are and what transport you have. I used Grassroutes Leisure. Think you can get some lighter weight unfaced ply cheaper but depends what you want.

I might look into painting some ply or just covering it with felt like the original. I'm one of these annoying people who likes the whole vintage thing so a bit of chalk paint might be OK on some of it. I've never liked the wood effect unless it's got a more rustic quality to it.

Do you think regular 10mm ply would do or too thin?

Most use 6mm on a frame, 12mm possibly (which is probably what original is, mine was) or more usually 15mm which is what mine is now. If I get chance might do a weight comparison between two, standard 12mm and lightweight 15mm just out of curiosity.

I do like the original style how it isn't framed, but it certainly is heavy. I remember taking out just the section behind the passenger seat and noting how much weight it carried. I acquired some aluminium frame from a shower door and am going to look into thinner, lightweight ply in combination with that for the bed area, which may also help me make a fold out double.

If anyone wants to get an original interior have a look at this Linky No idea of cost but could save lots of time and you'd have sink, cooker etc. Exactly same as what was in mine.

that pop up roof
isnt there somebody on here who would like that??

Little bit more done today, sorted out the hinged lids for the seats.

Finally finished, for those in need moments!



Now to look at the small seat/storage unit that fits behind the passenger seat, also acts as end of passenger side bed area. Getting there but summer comming up quickly and so many little jobs to finish off. Next trip out is Whitby in a couple of weeks, not camping in it but a good trip out over North Yorkshire Moors.

Nice edges ! Love the grade of this job.

Yeah this is super cool. How much do you think you've spent on the whole lot of wood, edging, etc? Just so that I could price up a similar job