Foster & Day -- getting it back on the road

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   hi all

i'm after tips for getting my old Foster & Day back on the road.  short wheelbase, same length overall as a car, perfectly designed for traffic convenience.  coachbuilt 1988 on top of a VW Transporter TD4 rhd.  according to an old post somewhere on this forum, it's one of only 17 built, so i'd like to do right by her.  she took me on an absolutely spectacular Lap around the Baltic Sea when i first bought her.  (woke up parked in a bouncy castle in finland, once;  and had a MAJOR snowstorm+wind slide to 45° at 50mph for 100yards or more (recovered on-the-fly and motored on) a week later)

but she's been sitting off-road for several years (long sad story).

and now i need her OFF my mate's driveway, so that his long-suffering wife can have the family home all lovely and shiny and presentable for when all her rellies roll up en-masse for their eldest son's confirmation in June.
yeah, a couple of weeks away...

2 things to fix:
1. mechanicals:  get her running again and roadworthy.  engine service, new brakes (pads? calipers?).
2. cosmetic/body-repair:  an oddly protruding metal strut from a polish petrol station pulled a bit of the top trim & body work out.  not monstrous (still watertight!) but probably needs the front part of the roof being replaced.  plus some miscellanies, like fixing the door that got screwdrivered open by a ratbag druggie in Tallinn, Estonia

so
first things first:

she's in Croydon, south london.
anyone know of:
a/ a good mechanic nearby-ish that could sort her out?  
and/or
b/ a good mechanic ANYWHERE that i can more-expensively truck her to?

i can recommend Bridport Mechanicals (iirc) on the south coast -- they are old skool mechanics who sort ANYTHING.  when my newlybought Morris Oxford (Series III, 1957) blew a brake cylinder nearby on the trip back from Cornwall to Hampshire, they impressed the trousers off me for sheer professionalism.  workshop had everything from new bmw's with laptops hung off them to an ancient custom-built campervan with bits of the engine stuck on with ducttape.  and they were all over my old beast with real enthusiasm and real knowledge.

but bridport's a hell of a truck-back journey from croydon.  i'm thinking probable £££....

anyone got any suggestions?

(i have some photos -- i'll upload them once i've got permission (asked for from Tee3), or else try to find a 3rdparty site i can stick them on/link to)

cheers and hope you can help
DD

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DD Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 19 May 09 Status: Offline Points: 57	Topic: Foster & Day -- getting it back on the road Posted: 19 May 09 at 22:11
	hi all i'm after tips for getting my old Foster & Day back on the road. short wheelbase, same length overall as a car, perfectly designed for traffic convenience. coachbuilt 1988 on top of a VW Transporter TD4 rhd. according to an old post somewhere on this forum, it's one of only 17 built, so i'd like to do right by her. she took me on an absolutely spectacular Lap around the Baltic Sea when i first bought her. (woke up parked in a bouncy castle in finland, once; and had a MAJOR snowstorm+wind slide to 45° at 50mph for 100yards or more (recovered on-the-fly and motored on) a week later) but she's been sitting off-road for several years (long sad story). and now i need her OFF my mate's driveway, so that his long-suffering wife can have the family home all lovely and shiny and presentable for when all her rellies roll up en-masse for their eldest son's confirmation in June. yeah, a couple of weeks away... 2 things to fix: 1. mechanicals: get her running again and roadworthy. engine service, new brakes (pads? calipers?). 2. cosmetic/body-repair: an oddly protruding metal strut from a polish petrol station pulled a bit of the top trim & body work out. not monstrous (still watertight!) but probably needs the front part of the roof being replaced. plus some miscellanies, like fixing the door that got screwdrivered open by a ratbag druggie in Tallinn, Estonia so first things first: she's in Croydon, south london. anyone know of: a/ a good mechanic nearby-ish that could sort her out? and/or b/ a good mechanic ANYWHERE that i can more-expensively truck her to? i can recommend Bridport Mechanicals (iirc) on the south coast -- they are old skool mechanics who sort ANYTHING. when my newlybought Morris Oxford (Series III, 1957) blew a brake cylinder nearby on the trip back from Cornwall to Hampshire, they impressed the trousers off me for sheer professionalism. workshop had everything from new bmw's with laptops hung off them to an ancient custom-built campervan with bits of the engine stuck on with ducttape. and they were all over my old beast with real enthusiasm and real knowledge. but bridport's a hell of a truck-back journey from croydon. i'm thinking probable £££.... anyone got any suggestions? (i have some photos -- i'll upload them once i've got permission (asked for from Tee3), or else try to find a 3rdparty site i can stick them on/link to) cheers and hope you can help DD
	I used up all my sick days so I called in dead.

nic Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Vanorak Joined: 02 Feb 06 Location: Isle Of Man Status: Offline Points: 1027	Posted: 20 May 09 at 09:57
	is it a syncro can't help with your search for a mechanic but get some pictures up :-)

DD Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 19 May 09 Status: Offline Points: 57	Posted: 20 May 09 at 22:01
	if "syncro" means it's got syncromesh, then: yup i'm TRYING to get some pictures up, but photobucket's not playing nice. you can see them here: http://s561.photobucket.com/albums/ss54/DD_brick-yard/
	I used up all my sick days so I called in dead.

DD Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 19 May 09 Status: Offline Points: 57	Posted: 20 May 09 at 22:04
	hey. i think i see the problem. the URL was apparently http://s561.photobucket.com/albums/ss54/DD_brick-yard/ but when i copypasted that, it came out (incorrectly) with hyphen inserted b/w "brick" and "yard". how the h*ll that happened from a simple address-bar copypaste i have no idea...
	I used up all my sick days so I called in dead.

DD Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 19 May 09 Status: Offline Points: 57	Posted: 20 May 09 at 22:05
	ah ha! that showed no hyphen in Preview, but on Posting the hyphen was autoinserted. it's not a photobucket problem -- there's some groovy automungifier converting posts' texts on this forum.
	I used up all my sick days so I called in dead.

Tee3 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Coprophagous Cretin Joined: 06 Jun 04 Location: Huddersfield Status: Offline Points: 9756	Posted: 20 May 09 at 22:11
	its that bloody Baxter and his swear filter! I tells thee! Baxter (Forum Fuhrer) is a stickler for correctness. So he must have a filter on the forum to insert the hyphen when people miss it out. I could remove it, but he'd probably slap me...
	YOU CANT EDUCATE PORK http://www.tee3.co.uk/

Tee3 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Coprophagous Cretin Joined: 06 Jun 04 Location: Huddersfield Status: Offline Points: 9756	Posted: 20 May 09 at 22:14
	nice pic that
	YOU CANT EDUCATE PORK http://www.tee3.co.uk/

nic Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Vanorak Joined: 02 Feb 06 Location: Isle Of Man Status: Offline Points: 1027	Posted: 21 May 09 at 08:38
	Syncro as in 4WD :-)

TeeB Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Yardie Joined: 24 Oct 07 Location: Worcestershire Status: Offline Points: 926	Posted: 21 May 09 at 09:26
	Looks a nice bus
	1985 Westfalia Joker Jubilee

DD Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 19 May 09 Status: Offline Points: 57	Posted: 21 May 09 at 23:40
	>4WD ah! no, it's not. i rarely went off-roading in it, so i didn't feel the lack ;) >nice pic... nice bus ta. you can see why i want poor Clarence back on the road again. the place is Jotunheimen in Norway. utterly wonderful. no roads thru it -- just for hiking. with BIG "huts" about 6hrs apart everywhere, wherein is much civilisation and comfort after great days in the wilderness. good food and good wine and good people.
	I used up all my sick days so I called in dead.

DD Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 19 May 09 Status: Offline Points: 57	Posted: 21 May 09 at 23:42
	actually: BIG TIP FOR EVERYONE HERE: Scandinavia. SUPER campervan-friendly. you can park/sleep anywhere you want, and every "layby" is typically a spot of extreme beauty, and they're setup specially for campervans! nearly all have dumping tanks for toilets, and lots have powerpoints etc.
	I used up all my sick days so I called in dead.

Lynns Boyfwend Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 27 Jul 09 Location: Broadstairs Status: Offline Points: 1	Posted: 27 Jul 09 at 21:26
	H i DD, I saw your F & D on your friends drive earlier this year, i popped a note in the door but never got a reply. I bought my F & D a year ago from a guy I know in Dymchurch , Kent. Its an H reg Horizon Classique which the guy converted from auto to manual and from 1.6 diesel to a 1.9 TD from a Seat Torledo and fitted power steering. If you want anything doing, he can do it. We've spent loads fitting a solar panel, inverter, tv/dvd, water purifier, JK alloy wheels, new air vents, captain seats and loads of little bits and bobs. It looks like an old camper but with all the mod cons. Just got back from S/France, cant wait to do it again. Best camper we've owned, think this one is a keeper ! We are taking it to Vanfest again this year, so maybe we will see you there?. Anyone out there got any info on these campers? Old adverts, sales brochures or reviews from mags. Does anyone know what happened to Foster & Day? Merci, Lynns Boyfwend
	Listen carefully, I shall say dis only once.

nic Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Vanorak Joined: 02 Feb 06 Location: Isle Of Man Status: Offline Points: 1027	Posted: 28 Jul 09 at 08:53
	HI Lynns, got any photos of your van? I have one of these based on a 1.6td syncro. Foster & Day are no more, however a couple of guys on here have bumped into Maurice Day in the pub on a few occasions, I too would love to know more about these conversions. Nic

nic Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Vanorak Joined: 02 Feb 06 Location: Isle Of Man Status: Offline Points: 1027	Posted: 28 Jul 09 at 09:23
	This is how mine is looking these days;

TeeB Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Yardie Joined: 24 Oct 07 Location: Worcestershire Status: Offline Points: 926	Posted: 28 Jul 09 at 14:56
	Loving that Nic, SkaTastic......
	1985 Westfalia Joker Jubilee

nic Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Vanorak Joined: 02 Feb 06 Location: Isle Of Man Status: Offline Points: 1027	Posted: 28 Jul 09 at 16:38
	cheers TeeB notice the slight nod to Karmann with the Foster & Day on the side

deanow Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 19 May 10 Location: Manchester Status: Offline Points: 3	Posted: 19 May 10 at 16:05
	Hi All, New to this site but wondered if anyone had any idea of what one of these vans is worth based on average condition?

busbuddy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Vanorak Joined: 22 Jul 06 Location: Leicester Status: Offline Points: 2068	Posted: 19 May 10 at 21:16
	all depends on what you mean by 'average' condition can be 4k to 10k depending on spec and condition
	Karmann

DD Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 19 May 09 Status: Offline Points: 57	Posted: 19 May 10 at 23:21
	heh. i keep getting chancers offering to buy it, then offering £100-200 and acting outraged if i don't take the money straight away. there were only ever either 13 or 17 of this model ever built. 13 according to someone posting on this forum a while back; 17 according to someone who recently left black marks on the road outside the mate's pub that it's currently parked outside, emergency-braking when she saw it and coming in and telling them she's part of a special-interest group trying to track them all down and that there's only 17 of them ever built. i still need to get the camper part of it tidied up... bloody hard finding anyone capable of fixing coach-built stuff.
	I used up all my sick days so I called in dead.

DD Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 19 May 09 Status: Offline Points: 57	Posted: 19 May 10 at 23:24
	that was YOU was it?? it was parked/lodged at a mate's place at the time, and the lady of the house transcribed your number and binned your note, and the (mis)transcribed number turned out to be a confused little old lady out in the country somewhere. sorry about that!
	I used up all my sick days so I called in dead.