3 months is about time for an update.
After doing a minor reno and other good dad stuff its back onto the van.
Picks dont show much, or how long it has taken to get to this point, but it has got a few new bits welded in, or partly done: seat cross member, floor footwell, and inner sill patches.
The passenger  door has sagged over the years (dont we all). I've taken the hinge pins out, look like they are just 8mm roll pins. Not sure if its  likely that new pins will be enough to take up any slack in the hinge.
Given they are welded on, how do you adjust for door alignment?I'm not game enough to play with the inner pillar much..
Coming from SMCKA are new outer pillar covers, larger front wheel pans to cope with 15" rims, and some stiffening gussets just for something more to weld on. An new front panel clip section is on order as well, as I ended up sacrificing the existing one to get the guards off, seemed the easiest way.
 
The rear shocker absorber mount bar(?) that runs under the floor seems to have taken a few knocks, and received some bush repair welds in the past.
 
 
My all-time dream wheels for the van are getting closer, (just Compomitive MLs ) in 15 x8. An email from Compomotive in the UK are saying they are "a total width of 225mm  - so et00 gives 125mm [ 5” out ] and 125mm in towards the suspension." I need to hang the rear bubbles to measure and see if that is an ok fitment.
One question though, they advised that there is only Gp4 stud fitment with the large pcd bush inserts, not std ford fit. Does anyone see a problem with this?You just need to use the sleeve type wheel nuts?  
 

 
 
oh Marty, I'm getting scarily close to hacking into the rear panel to fit the back bubble arch.
 
Do you want to pencil in any cutting guides to show what would be usefull for you?
? Sorry not  a good pic to play with.. In my head, i'm guessing the height to cut the skin which corresponds to the inner wheelarch arch height will be the key: the top of the bubble is just spotwelds  onto the face, and gets faired. Since I'm guessing you need both inner and outer wheelarch 'wedge combined', that makes it abit trickier any my normal method for most things of keep hacking at it until it looks about right, might not be possible!  
 
 

Hi Deano
Nice progress happening there👍.
With the rear arches you should cut the inners at the middle seam and follow it on an straight arc to each end. I don't need that much but will be handy if I could. The outer arch can be about 50mm or more above the start of the arch. A plasma cutter will do the job in minutes if you have one 😎.
I can mark mine to show abouts what I mean tonight..... Which reminds me I should get swinging at my mk1 again.. To much time on the Courier ute.

Deano,
Great work mate. If it was me it would probably be making garbage bins (the metal type) by now
 
I use the stainless hinge pins from the UK. They work well enough, but I have made them once or twice when the door part (fixed part) of the hinge hole has been too large due to wear and rust. Normally by that time the door is stuffed anyway.

Marty: Thanks, go it, the inner wheelarch tub extension to the bubble is fine, you confirmed what I thought. Plus maybe turning up a 10mm lip on edge of the infill panel so you'' ve got an edge to tack it onto the inside of the bubble.
Then cutting approx 50mm up from the arch is fine ok. I did not get to the point of loading the van up while it was still on the ground as you wisely suggested, so will wing it a bit to get the centreline, as I also have the diff out as you can see. What could go wrong.. I think that the start of the arch begins roughly in the same spot anyhow. well see.
A plasma cutter would be luxury. I thought I was doing well with a folder and air shears.
$400 bucks though: https://www.totaltools.com.au/111559-michigan-40a-plasma-cutter-plasma40 
Mark: I picked up 4 roll pins this arvo from the local nut and bolt place ($29 with a few metal threads, saw me coming obviously) so hope they will do. Dad's got a lathe, so could try the stainless thing also if need be further down the track. The panels just came in today also, and a new grille, hopefully some progress over the weekend..

Wow thats a nice bit of kit Deano. They certainly have become more available to the average person. Mate $400 is great for one that will do to 10mm and is so portable. Just have to justify using it more than once!

Mate, I just bought a wonking great Electric fat bike that is a beast. If the boss finds a new plasma cutter on the c/c i'll be worse off than a Weribbee duck. Looks like the cordless grinder with a 1mm disk will have to do.

Thanks Deano👍
If your contemplating getting a plasma cutter I recommend going for a 60a , I've got a chinee inverter 40a and struggles on 6mm plate and duty cycles on 10mm , always go more than you need right now to save buying bigger later. Having said that I also have a Magnum 60a plasma and that's brilliant..

What's going on with the rear shock bar, has it been broken before?.. I was trying to find a pic for nearly an hr of what I did to my blue van, couldn't find it so I'll try to describe what I done and it's better than original.
1st thing is throw the shock bar in the bin.
Next optional is cut the exposed bolts off, find some thick wall 2" RHS box and cut 2x pieces , these will be your new top shock mounting, use the original bolts to determine the hole size. Find a piece of plate to be the backing plate strengthener and weld this to the floor between the chassis and the stud, weld the RHS box to it and now your shocks are 3in further outwards and more upright , allow for clearance do the shock doesn't clash with the chassis ..I will attempt to get a pic of mine so you know what to aim for . I will prolly do this to the mk1 coup as it's also got incline shocks

gee, glad I threw that mount bar pic is as well. ;) 
I did not like the look of it, its definitely been repaired at least once before, but to be fair, that may have also been a long time ago. I'm guessing the van has come from somewhere inland, lots of dry dust inside, and not as much rust as could be expected.The front chin area looks like its mated with a stump at some stage also, poor old girl has had a few scrapes.
 
I'm ok with the above (apart from the overall concept i'm now effectively welding shock towers:much different from stitching panel skins, might even need to adjust the welder settings a smidge ;) ), but just thinking aloud at work, I take it that coming 3" more outward and correspondingly more upright, wont effect the shock length?
ie. make it slightly more compressed?
So long as this is going forward as an improvement or safer, as opposed to leaving the possibly suspect existing mount, it's ok by me and worth doing. From above the van floor, nothing will be visible as changed?
 
Plus if you have done it before Marty (and or others), and its not totally agriculture, then all good.
 
And thanks as always for your input guys, I'm happy to learn from others.
Please keep letting me know if and when i've gone wrong..!
 
I just want to get to the  stage of all arches on, a new set of wheels, and swap the 2L guts across, then it will seriously be beer time!