Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey...

[Goach2]

Thanks BD, after careful consideration it just makes more sense to go with the full panel rather than the two. Not everyone's preference, but for an amateur like me, it should give me my best results.

Question for anyone who has welded in an inner rocker with the camp interior still in the bus; is it going to catch fire?!
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1977 FI Westfalia

[orwell84]

The Haynes restoration manual is great and describes solid functional work. Nothing that I would call a bodge, but some of it definitely not restoration quality. Some of the methods I wouldn’t use, like overlapping and spot welding panels. There are many things on a bus I don’t consider worth the time to do as restoration work. I really don’t care about replicating factory seams that can’t be seen.

Since the book was printed, there are better options than the one piece long side panel that is commonly available. I used the 2 piece panel from Klassicfab. It came out a lot better. I don’t know if it’s still available. It’s a hard panel to do without warping. You will most likely need to get behind it to get it straight after welding.

[brass gears]

Back when I was replacing metal on my bus, there were 2 options on the L.S. rocker. One was the ‘universal’ ‘50-79 no seam, which looked terrible and one piece with the seam rolled in. I was able to obtain the one piece with the seam rolled in and was pretty happy with how it turned out. Not perfect, but 25 years ago, there wasn’t the Klassic Fab. Only those in the know will know.

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‘70 transporter
‘ 64 beetle

[orwell84]

I checked the KlassicFab site and it looks like he isn’t making that panel anymore, which is unfortunate as it was the best one I found and it is one of the most often replaced on a bus.

Schofield’s has a number of versions of the 2 piece panel that seem to be better options. Have them shipped from the UK isn’t crazy expensive and worth it for this part. The one piece panel you have isn’t awful. It’s better than what was available before it was made. The edges are more difficult to fit with the b pillar body line as there are no flanges on the side panel.

It’s one of those repairs where it’s worth it to get the best panel you can find. Fudged body lines in this area are a dead giveaway.

Oh and the link:

https://www.alanhschofield.com/ourparts/cat_644615-Side-PanelsPillars-Posts.html

[yugo42]

I have that same Bus Depot panel (actually a UK Preservation Parts panel so the steel is nice). The fake seams are so much wider and more round than the factory seams. I'm debating whether to cut it at the vertical seams and try to make my own flanges. I'm more worried about blending the vertical seams with the good metal above than I am making the lower one look real.

Those Scholfield panels look nice though, so it's tempting to order those and use my existing panel to make other patches...then again my bus never had outer rockers to speak of so anything at all is an improvement

[brass gears]

So, if I remember, I reshaped the vertical seam at the C pillar using a 3/16 or 1/4 in section of key stock bent to match the curve of the panel and hammered it down so it would match the width of the existing seam at the rear.
For the front, I folded it over to meet the B pillar, which was replaced. I left the horizontal seam as it was. One less place for rust to form between panels ?
I have some prints somewhere of the procedure.
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‘70 transporter
‘ 64 beetle

[brass gears]

So, just to correct my post above in regards to the left side rocker. When I was replacing mine, the rocker I got was a one piece from B pillar to the wheel arch with the seams for the lower rocker and the C pillar rolled in. I don’t see this as an option anymore. Looks like you can get the B pillar, rocker and the wheel arch section as separate pieces now.
I guess you would weld the wheel arch to the rocker and to the B pillar and install the assembly onto the bus.

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‘70 transporter
‘ 64 beetle

[Goach2]

I appreciate all the input on this, it looks as though everyone has to go with the approach that they're most comfortable with or what's available at the time. Here's some updated progress:

Inner fender cleaned up

Pulled out my 'C' pillar templates from the other side. Nice that I don't throw anything away...

New metal around the sink drain

Patching in the fender

I was contemplating whether to open the rocker above the floor or not...

Glad I did

Fitting up the new inner:

Holes and weld-thro primer

Beginning of a 'C'

Beginning of a 'B'

'C' done

Floor piece added

'B' done

Wheel well patch

Here are two things to mention for anyone who is looking to do the one piece rocker panel; It doesn't line up exactly with the original body lines. The pressed in panel gaps are not tight 90's

If you hammer the gaps square, it pulls the panel in about 1/8-3/16's and lines up much better. Also, there is no panel edge for the lower portion, it's one flat piece end to end. You have to make your own

Question: Before everything is closed in, where should there be drainage holes in the B to C pillar area? The B pillar outter has one, the inner rocker has the little 'spouts' along the length of it, where does the C pillar drain? I have to ask as I've yet to see a whole one
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1977 FI Westfalia

[brass gears]

Found this from the classifieds.

Shows a drainage hole on the B pillar. I remember there was one when I was replacing mine, but I didn’t put one in. I was worried about water getting in there and couldn’t understand how water could get in there in the first place, so I left it out.
Unless someone else can explain the reason for it. Maybe for the sunroof models?
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‘70 transporter
‘ 64 beetle

[brass gears]

And just to add to this procedure. Have a peek up from under at how the long panel meets the wheel arch panel. I can’t remember how they were welded together. Lap weld or pinched .Circled in red. Did you get an arch panel?

[img]https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2492515.jpg[/img
Also, I think it would have been better to have welded in the B pillar after the long panel. I can’t see how you’ll be able to get those two welded together now. Unless there is access from behind the inner rocker?
Another photo of the construction from the classifieds.

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‘70 transporter
‘ 64 beetle

[Ceckert64]

I just recently went through a lot of this stuff on my 71, for the long panel I made the folded edge by pounding the recess/ flat with the edges sticking out and I first cut relief slots where I was going to be folding the panel.

I first did the C pillar, got the in place, did the lower quarter panel and welded that to the C pillar. Then I put the long section of rocker in and welded that to the B and C pillars through holes in the cargo floor. You could cut an access spot if you wanted so you could weld. Also gives you a chance to get paint in the rocker after welding.
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1964 sunroof Beetle Restoration "Herbie"
“Joann” 1970 Elm Green Squareback
1972 Sierra Yellow Tin Top Westfalia Camper
“Fitz” 1971 Westfalia Poptop

[orwell84]

You’re doing a great job. Because of the way the bus was welded together at the factory, it’s impossible to duplicate some of the construction of the inner panels. The front wheel wells in particular, are a sheet metal sandwich with seams that can promote rust. The long side panel you are using will require some creativity with welding or filler to make the body lines look good. It’s totally workable though.

You are doing great work. Just keep on keeping on. It will look great when you’re done. Your skill level seems about where I am, though I’ve been at it for many years. I have welding in my bus that has held up perfectly for over 25 years. It’s totally worth it.

[Goach2]

Wow, that's a big compliment, thank you Orwell. I got a rough Baja back on the road last winter and hand-formed every piece from flat stock. It will never be original, but it was a boost to my confidence on pushing forward on this project.

To answer Brass Gears question, I am planning on doing some careful welding in the seam and then shaping it later. I did it on the sliding door seal channel on the other side, but this will be much tighter to work in.

Here's a rough mockup

And front arch tacked in

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1977 FI Westfalia

[Goach2]

To anyone who has been following this thread; I had a small article posted in the Sept-Oct 2023 Hagerty magazine. Hopefully the next article has a finished and polished bus

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1977 FI Westfalia

[Goach2]

Fitting up the one-piece rocker:

Rear seam looks decent, a little filler later will finish it off

Turns out when I started tacking it in that the faux seams were still to far off.

I ended up cutting one seam out and making a new one with a narrow flat piece the size of the seam, with a piece of coathanger welded down one side. I welded it into the gap and filled all the seams with weld. Turned out pretty good, but to do it again, I would have done it on the bench

Started addressing some bubbles over the rear wheel

Lots of rust dust inside, most of this is inside the fueltank area, so real hard to get to. I ended up pulling the cabinets, which looking back was super easy and I should have done it before starting this repair

This back corner over the wheel well had a ton of seam sealer and a hole into the fuel tank area

I ended up cleaning it up and welding it shut, after spraying a ton of oil preserve into the hole.

Cleaned up the backside of my welds and threw some paint on it

Close enough for inside the wall...

Patched the rear wheel arch

Since I had access to it, the sink drain drops through a hole in the floor. There's a cover on the underside that's tek-screwed into the floor. I ended up bending a new two-piece cover, drilled new holes through it and the floor and welded a couple of nuts on the interior side.

This way, I can bolt/unbolt the cover from the underside without having to do the screw thing.

Now painting the underside and around the drain, then the interior goes back in.
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1977 FI Westfalia