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WildIdea
Samba Member
Joined: September 17, 2016
Posts: 928
Location: Black Hills, South Dakota
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 Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 7:44 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Def no expert here myself.
Sometimes, when I try to craft a part, I don’t get it decent enough and the fixes start to mount up. Usually it’s on my first attempt. I learn enough from that I can craft an even cleaner more exacting usable part in half the time the second attempt. Doesn’t mean I use that one either.
Sometimes a die stamped repair piece is worth the money and it still takes hours to cut and fit. I try to save my fixes making those pieces fit better when they come just a little off. Good on you for crafting your own lower C Pilar, this is why I love these threads. |
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Goach2
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017
Posts: 522
Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 8:23 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Thanks WildIdea,
I've poured over countless threads myself, so if this helps the next newbie, then I consider it paid forward.
That's it for tonight, I'll pick it up again whenever I can.
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1977 FI Westfalia |
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orwell84
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2007
Posts: 2539
Location: Plattsburgh, New York
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 8:50 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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| Hang in there. You're doing great. It's slow going at first, but you already have the attention to detail required. You did a good job drilling at the spotwelds and removing the right parts. The part you made looks good and it's normal to be off a little and have to adjust it even after years of doing it. Most of the bus is a lot more of that and a lot of the parts you won't have to make yourself. A little at a time and you'll be surprised with how much you accomplish. Don't get ahead of yourself and cut too much bus out of the bus and keep it rolling. |
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Goach2
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017
Posts: 522
Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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| Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2018 2:04 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Thanks Orwell, trying to pace myself and not cut anything before I'm ready.
I had a little time today, so finished with the c-pillar:
I also made up some channel to replace what was rotted away. Will be interesting to see how this goes on the replacement panel 
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1977 FI Westfalia |
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Zed999
Samba Member
Joined: March 04, 2018
Posts: 1248
Location: UK
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| Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 2:21 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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| Tidy. I'm thinking you're going to get quite good at this. Some people slap it together if it's not going to be seen, but it's all good experience so you're approaching it correctly - aiming for perfection as you are doing is the best way to hone your skills. Who cares if nobody ever sees it. |
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orwell84
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2007
Posts: 2539
Location: Plattsburgh, New York
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| Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 1:38 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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| Zed999 wrote: |
| Tidy. I'm thinking you're going to get quite good at this. Some people slap it together if it's not going to be seen, but it's all good experience so you're approaching it correctly - aiming for perfection as you are doing is the best way to hone your skills. Who cares if nobody ever sees it. |
I agree. He sees the details that a lot of people don't bother with when they make these kinds of repairs. I know I didn't for a long time as I am redoing some work from decades ago with welded up body lines, overlaps where they shouldn't be, Bodged body lines are a dead giveaway for anyone who has spent time working on these buses. He also has the patience to get these things right. Speed and confidence are gained with each repair. |
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Clatter
Samba Member
Joined: September 24, 2003
Posts: 7544
Location: Santa Cruz
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orwell84
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2007
Posts: 2539
Location: Plattsburgh, New York
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| Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 8:25 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Those are great to have. I spent more time than I would like to admit trying to get an oil can out of a cab door. Flogged away at it for ages until I took a profile of the opposite door and found I was misreading the shape and stretching out the crown of the panel too high. The profile gauge told me it needed to be flatter, just a little...hard to see. After a little heat shrinking, oil can was gone. |
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Zed999
Samba Member
Joined: March 04, 2018
Posts: 1248
Location: UK
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| Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 10:37 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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I bumped into this car body metalworking thread today. I don't like the word when it's describing something that really isn't, but...awesome!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=548717 |
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Goach2
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017
Posts: 522
Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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| Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2019 8:44 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Spraying some weld-thru primer. I've put a heater right on the spot to heat it up, give it a coat and keep the heat on it (just not too close). Is this ok? It's about 47 degrees in my garage tonight.
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1977 FI Westfalia |
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Spike0180
Samba Member
Joined: June 06, 2015
Posts: 2269
Location: Detroit, Michigan
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 7:46 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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| Goach2 wrote: |
Spraying some weld-thru primer. I've put a heater right on the spot to heat it up, give it a coat and keep the heat on it (just not too close). Is this ok? It's about 47 degrees in my garage tonight.
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Do you have an IR Temp Gun? (They're cheap at a home depot/lowes) If so, shoot the metal and see what temp you have where the paint is. I'd suspect you're fine with the heater right there, but no real way to know without some sort of way to measure the metal temp. You just need to make sure the metal itself is warm enough. Your paint should specify a required temp.
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Brutis Patches Izabich: 1970 VW Transporter - 1776cc DP
Current State: Projects never truly end...
Location: Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Other cars: 2003 F150, 2003 Jetta GLI vr6-6sp
Sambastic: adj; the quality of being nit picky, elitist, expecting everyone to do things the way they believe is best with no regard to situation, "sambastic" |
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advCo
Samba Member
Joined: May 27, 2017
Posts: 373
Location: Houston, TX
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 7:59 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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I'm pretty spoiled now living in Texas, but when I was back in New England I did a lot of paint work during the winter out of necessity. The best tactic I found was to keep your spray can in the house (next to a heater vent or radiator) and let it get nice and warm. Then use the space heater method to get the metal hotter than you can touch it. Wait a few minutes for it to cool a bit and then spray. Wait 10 minutes or whatever the flash time is and spray your second coat. Keep the heater nearby until its set up for the 30 minutes required before welding.
Nice job on the pillar repair! Keep it up.
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"He pulled the mirrors off his Cadillac ‘cause he doesn’t like it looking like he looks back"
'68/'70 Ghia Coupe Project
'70 Westy Project - Champagne I Wannabe
A bunch of vintage Japanese motorcycles
"Much ingenuity with a little money is vastly more profitable and amusing than much money without ingenuity." -A. Bennett |
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orwell84
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2007
Posts: 2539
Location: Plattsburgh, New York
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:03 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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| advCo wrote: |
I'm pretty spoiled now living in Texas, but when I was back in New England I did a lot of paint work during the winter out of necessity. The best tactic I found was to keep your spray can in the house (next to a heater vent or radiator) and let it get nice and warm. Then use the space heater method to get the metal hotter than you can touch it. Wait a few minutes for it to cool a bit and then spray. Wait 10 minutes or whatever the flash time is and spray your second coat. Keep the heater nearby until its set up for the 30 minutes required before welding.
Nice job on the pillar repair! Keep it up. |
I don't think weld through primer is as much a worry as epoxy primers and top coats. I use halogen work lights as they put out a lot of heat and you can move them. I use an IR gun to check the temp of the panels. I don't usually don't do any painting in the dead of winter other than small areas with epoxy or weld through primer or unprimed filler. I probably wouldn't do any topcoating in the winter. Keeping paint, reducers and equipment indoors is a good idea too. |
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Clatter
Samba Member
Joined: September 24, 2003
Posts: 7544
Location: Santa Cruz
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 3:24 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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The key to using weld-through primer is to put it on very, very -thin- where actual welding will be done.
The stuff interferes with weld sticking so much,
That few pros care to use the stuff.
They must sell it for some reason, though..
If your welds won't stick because of it,
Then drill some holes so you can flow primer into there afterwards?
You can tell I'm not a fan, huh? 
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Bus Motor Build
What’s That Noise?!? |
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Goach2
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017
Posts: 522
Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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| Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 9:04 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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So I need to put a curve in the door-seal channel so that it curls in to meet the bottom of the door. Would it be best to find something around the same circumference and give it some gently bends? Not sure if that will cause the sides to curve in on it.
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1977 FI Westfalia |
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Mellow Yellow 74
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2014
Posts: 1615
Location: Sydney, Australia
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:28 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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| Goach2 wrote: |
| So I need to put a curve in the door-seal channel so that it curls in to meet the bottom of the door. Would it be best to find something around the same circumference and give it some gently bends? Not sure if that will cause the sides to curve in on it. |
Not sure exactly what you mean but it sounds like you need to fold a flange then use a shrinker/stretcher to curve the panel.
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1962 Karmann Ghia
1974 Deluxe Microbus
1985 Caravelle (Vanagon) |
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Zed999
Samba Member
Joined: March 04, 2018
Posts: 1248
Location: UK
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:29 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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| Goach2 wrote: |
| So I need to put a curve in the door-seal channel so that it curls in to meet the bottom of the door. Would it be best to find something around the same circumference and give it some gently bends? Not sure if that will cause the sides to curve in on it. |
It's a short piece and doesn't need much curve, but yes the sides will want to bend inwards. Finding something to fit between the sides will help, bending the sides back out after curving the whole piece will just straighten it. Heating it is the answer, if you can arrange that. |
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Goach2
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017
Posts: 522
Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 2:52 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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So heat it with a propane torch and bend it over the c-pillar? How red-hot does it need to be?
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1977 FI Westfalia |
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Goach2
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017
Posts: 522
Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 7:03 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Ya, heating something shaped like a 'U' and trying to bend it is not fun I did end up putting a split in and welding it up again
I cut the channel off of the damaged panel that was still remaining, it was pretty rusted actually, but nice underneith!
I also put the bottom of the c-pillar in place. Not perfect, but hopefully not bad for a first-timer.
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1977 FI Westfalia |
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Goach2
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017
Posts: 522
Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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| Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2019 2:57 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Had to do a 90 at the bottom of the channel where it meets the channel under the door. Figured I might as well my hand at attaching it. Not beautiful, but I will work it straight again when I'm done. I need to clean up some of the welds in some of the tough areas, maybe a stone of some kind to get in there...
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