Gman88667733 said:

The garage had it up in the air and gave their opinion.
He said it is definitely not a 'rot box' and he feels that other than the bits needing sorting at the rear, it is a very solid van. For a reasonable price he is going to sort it out properly so that that section isn't a concern probably for the time I have the van.
Given the mileage, the mechanical condition and the price we paid, we are going ahead with it. But keeping both eyes wide open to sort any other rust issues as soon as they start.

Had he said it isn't worth doing, id have listened, but he didn't seem at all concerned by it.

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Well he has seen it, and we haven't, so he should know better than us. And everyone's circumstances are different, so maybe it isn't worth doing for others, but is worth doing for you. I hope it all works out, Good Luck.
And Thanks for an interesting thread.

That is indeed good news when a question or some advise is asked, most of the time it’s based on experience and guess work. It’s as as simple as that. Bonus that you have been quoted a good price for the welding,

jimboy said:

That is indeed good news when a question or some advise is asked, most of the time it’s based on experience and guess work. It’s as as simple as that. Bonus that you have been quoted a good price for the welding,

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Definitely. I think he wants to help me out a bit as I've given him a lot of business lately!
After that it'll be my turn to get underneath and scrape the loose underseal off and treat.
Had a quick go with a disc cutter and flap wheel and it very quickly went to very clean metal in the area around the flakes of underseal.
Hoping to use the wire brush on my drill and getting one of those multitools with scraper attachments to do it all.
Can't say I'm particularly looking forward to it, but it's got to be done!

Gman88667733 said:

Definitely. I think he wants to help me out a bit as I've given him a lot of business lately!
After that it'll be my turn to get underneath and scrape the loose underseal off and treat.
Had a quick go with a disc cutter and flap wheel and it very quickly went to very clean metal in the area around the flakes of underseal.
Hoping to use the wire brush on my drill and getting one of those multitools with scraper attachments to do it all.
Can't say I'm particularly looking forward to it, but it's got to be done!

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Good man, this sounds like a good project. Sounding very boring, make sure your eyes are well protected, rust in your peepers is very bad indeed, it can be very serious, I know by my time in the oil yards. I had my eyes scraped on a number of occasions. When I get my eye test they tell me my eyes are like road maps, I still bare the scars...

Gman88667733 said:

Definitely. I think he wants to help me out a bit as I've given him a lot of business lately!
After that it'll be my turn to get underneath and scrape the loose underseal off and treat.
Had a quick go with a disc cutter and flap wheel and it very quickly went to very clean metal in the area around the flakes of underseal.
Hoping to use the wire brush on my drill and getting one of those multitools with scraper attachments to do it all.
Can't say I'm particularly looking forward to it, but it's got to be done!

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Oh my .getting underseal off is hard work and tough in the soul, I have total confidence in you.

An old chisel makes a very good scraper for getting through strongly adhered stuff that still has to come off for whatever reason, or even a new chisel but extra care required!
This will sound silly but don't get so stuck in you end up removing underseal you don't need too on the sound parts that you will be coating later.

Jack

I can attest to the value of eye protection. I spent a very very uncomfortable half day in the Edinburgh eye pavilion after momentarily removing my goggles when grinding! It flicked a very small rusty particle into my eye and because it was hot it burned into my eye. Made it very difficult for them to get out. My left eye has never quite been as clear as my right ever since! Also given myself a "flash" (some call it "arc eye") a couple of times when I was inexperienced and got the rod stuck to the work piece and, stupidly, raised my face shield to see what had happened just as the rod broke free. Gives a very good flash! and is extremely uncomfortable - like a big bit of grit in your eye for a day or so! I strongly recommend avoiding this!

jimboy said:

Good man, this sounds like a good project. Sounding very boring, make sure your eyes are well protected, rust in your peepers is very bad indeed, it can be very serious, I know by my time in the oil yards. I had my eyes scraped on a number of occasions. When I get my eye test they tell me my eyes are like road maps, I still bare the scars...

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Way ahead of you there. I'll be wearing a mask and goggles.

jackwhoo said:

Oh my .getting underseal off is hard work and tough in the soul, I have total confidence in you.

An old chisel makes a very good scraper for getting through strongly adhered stuff that still has to come off for whatever reason, or even a new chisel but extra care required!
This will sound silly but don't get so stuck in you end up removing underseal you don't need too on the sound parts that you will be coating later.

Jack

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So there is no harm in leaving the decent underseal alone?

Gman88667733 said:

So there is no harm in leaving the decent underseal alone?

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Gosh no leave all the good stuff alone it is still doing it's job and later with and extra layer of grease/oil/whatever over the top will continue to be extra defence.

It is very important that if you have flaky bubbly rust next to sound underseal you scrape where the rust and underseal meet to make sure the rust hasn't got behind the underseal. If it has scrape back the underseal starting rust patch side until you have removed the flaky bubbly rust.
If it is just rust spots on the paint not under the paint you can treat the spot and coat over.

I hope that makes sense the way I have written it?

Leave any sound paint alone too as it's doing it's job and will be extra defence under what ever you choose to slosh over it later(-:

Yep, the bits that are not broke don’t need fixing so to speak.

Most of it isn't flaky rust, it's just surface rust. I assume it all needs to go?
It's only really the back end bits that are flaky, but the garage are sorting them.

Gman88667733 said:

Most of it isn't flaky rust, it's just surface rust. I assume it all needs to go?
It's only really the back end bits that are flaky, but the garage are sorting them.

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If its surface rust not covered by underseal
Clean the rust off with wire brush , primer paint then top coat then wax / oil etc