TheSamba.com :: View topic - Upper body prefab steel to make but into a panel

Wed May 21, 2014 9:28 pm

Hey all, wondering if anyone knows if any company makes prefab steel for me to put into my bus which the PO made a huge hole in the side of.... I want to make it back into a panel.

thanks

Wed May 21, 2014 9:47 pm

Damn those POs.

There is a bunch of framing you would need too, not just a slab of sheetmetal. What do you have against a Riviera?

Wed May 21, 2014 10:24 pm

So much easier to just screw this in and maintain the value: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1575777

Thu May 22, 2014 5:58 am

[quote="busdaddy"]So much easier to just screw this in and maintain the value: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=

He would still need more metal to make that work but can be done! That would be your best option with more camper windows for the other side.

Thu May 22, 2014 6:42 am

Yeah, that wasn't a PO hack. That was an American camper conversion (Riviera?) Why don't you just make it back into a camper?

Thu May 22, 2014 7:02 am

And get 60's with it.

Thu May 22, 2014 7:40 am

sorry i guess i need to restress that what I WANT is a panel. Nothing against Rivieras, but mine is already a bus with a hole in it. That part is already reality. What I want is a panel. The question I'd love answered is if there is a prefab option or not. Cheers.

Thu May 22, 2014 8:45 am

chucknox wrote: sorry i guess i need to restress that what I WANT is a panel. Nothing against Rivieras, but mine is already a bus with a hole in it. That part is already reality. What I want is a panel. The question I'd love answered is if there is a prefab option or not. Cheers.

if anyone makes one it would probably be gerson aka kassicfab but I doubt he does

I sure gerson either has or can make the inner supports for you
but you would be better off just getting some sheet metal locally for the outer skin

Thu May 22, 2014 5:04 pm

Panels aren't hard to find. I would put a window in it and sell/trade it for a panel with less holes in it and save a lot of work! You have the huge hole, holes on the other side, and the hole in the roof!

Thu May 22, 2014 6:15 pm

This ^^^^^

Thu May 22, 2014 7:36 pm

The steel has but a slight arc to it, new flat metal will be fine after a bit of flexing, 18 or 20 gauge will do. But you do need the inside ribs.

Thu May 22, 2014 8:03 pm

are you going to add upper vents in the rear part too? I think the panels all had those.......

Thu May 22, 2014 8:07 pm

consvws wrote: are you going to add upper vents in the rear part too? I think the panels all had those.......

almost all panels, except the ones with a walkthru

Thu May 22, 2014 9:14 pm

mandraks wrote: consvws wrote: are you going to add upper vents in the rear part too? I think the panels all had those.......

almost all panels, except the ones with a walkthru

Oh! I wondered what the deal was on those, just looking in the classifieds & was thinking their can't be that many panels with vents filled in :? Thanks for the info.

Thu May 22, 2014 11:33 pm

Nobody makes an over the shelf ready to order replacement pice of sheet metal for a panel in that area that big. There is a guy in the classifieds that makes filler panels to get rid of smaller camper windows. He may be able to make one that big if he has Tooling that big. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1413100

Otherwise your going to have to find original metal from a donor bus that someone is parting out.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1602224

Also try a wanted ad in the classifieds. Good luck.

Dustin