soon to own barn find , may bee

[jjay1]

Hi All,
Hello from sunny ( not ) west wales. I have been offered a Safari but the owners not sure on the model, and its been standing for 18 years!. all that's wrong is the door frames been removed and covered but its been kept dry all this time and is supposedly damp and mouse free. I can hire a low loader but is there specific advice in attempting to free up what i imagine would be very stuck Axel/chassis works. Sorry to sound very amateur but my interest is usually with VW air cooled vans, this is a total minefield for me and trying to gen up as much as possible. thanks in advance Jjay.

[Brian M]

Hi JJay, and welcome to the group.

The second Safari I dismantled had been standing in grass for 15 years when I was offered it. The owner pulled it free and for 5 metres behind his tractor and then I towed it home immediately.
The wheels turned freely and the brakes worked at about 50% of their normal performance.

If you check the wheels are going round and that the tow hitch goes in and out to activate the brake, you can tow the Safari for a short distance at modest speeds.

To help you in the next stages of you advancing through the minefield we need to see pictures of the current condition!

[jjay1]

Hi, thanks for the welcome and advice, things were not as it seemed on viewing. The guy was very nice and had a 14/2 1976 and a 12/2 1981 as far as I could make out from the plates. Basically the bigger van was shot through with 18 years of strain on the floor and chassis stood on a slope, and a lot of wood rot, not To mention the fact it was beneath overflowing guttering!. The smaller van was superb but he was reluctant to sell although it had been standing for over 8 years. We will keep looking as keen to get working over the winter as our VW bay is in storage and my driveways crying for something to be tinkered with. Thanks jjay