❋

The PhotoVan:
2002 Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 311 CDI (T1N)

The history

This is a car, owned by the government and abandoned by the auto repair shops. It was built as a wheelchair accessible car. It was pale red and had defective front drive axles for which the Mercedes dealer wanted $3,800, plus labor. It has four-wheel drive, was virtually rust-free and has a good diesel engine. It was purchased at auction for $2,500.

❋ The Purchase

The car was bought at auction for $2,500, which was the reserve price, but my highest winning bid was actually $1,700. But it was accepted. Then it was transported from Trondheim to its new home in Gjøvik.

❋ Before Purchase

Before it came here the car was in Tynset, owned by the government (NAV) and used by a wheelchair user. It was at the car repair shops a lot and had driveshafts and rubber driveshaft bootes replaced. 

❋ The Chassis

The body was almost rust-free and a good starting point. Only a little paint rust and very pale red paint. It had windows all around with a 360° view, which is very important for a photo van! It had about 200 thousand km behind it, but the engine still ran like clockwork!

❋ The Interior

The interior was adapted for wheelchair users, with a lift at the rear and special brackets for securing the wheelchair. There were panels and a roof that are usually found in Sprinter minibuses, and these were still in good condition. There were two single seats in the front. There was also an additional Webasto diesel heater mounted in the rear.

Red Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van parked on a gravel drive waiting to become the green PhotoVan.

Then the preparatory work was about to start. All rust and old paint were removed, and the surface was sanded and dulled prior to painting. A matte paint finish was chosen because the work was carried out in my own workshop, without proper exhaust ventilation or a dust-free environment, where achieving a smooth glossy finish would have been difficult. The green color was selected to blend into natural surroundings while still remaining visible.

The PhotoVan being painted in a garage, with the body painted matte green and covered partially with newspaper and masking tape for detailing.

The next problem was the shock absorbers. They were too long under the lower mount even though the original shock absorbers were used as the Mercedes dealer said they should be. But the car probably wasn't even out of the gate before the driveshaft boots were damaged. The picture shows that there is contact. After a little investigation, shock absorbers were found that were short enough under the lower mount so that they went clear.

Originally, these four-wheel drives were converted in Austria from being a rear-wheel drive to being a four-wheel drive and Mercedes simply forgot to change the part numbers for the shock absorbers. But that the workshops haven't figured this out is a mystery to me...!

I replaced the driveshaft joints for $180, instead of the $3800 that the Mercedes dealer wanted, and it has worked flawlessly since...

The PhotoVan parked on grass with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.

This is what it looked like when it arrived. Pale red and with ugly noises from the front axles.

Auto body workshop with the PhotoVan being customized. The van's windshield is covered with newspaper, and a gray bumper is placed on wooden stands.
Close-up of of shock absorbers that destroyed the driveshaft sleeves.
The PhotoVan parked on grass with a scenic view of fields, trees, and a cloudy sky in the background.

Good quality paint was used. Two-component paint with a color similar to that used by the military. The bumpers were given a paint intended for plastic and were given the color black. Now it remains to install the parts that were removed and remove the masking.

The final result!

The exterior paint job turned out surprisingly well!

Dark film was also applied to the rear windows to prevent visibility. The taillights were also changed from orange turn signal lenses to white.

MORE INFORMATION OF THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS WILL COME!