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orwell84 Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2007 Posts: 2528 Location: Plattsburgh, New York
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2021 8:35 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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I would clear all the rust off the seam to make sure it’s sound. If it is, I would cut and weld behind it and leave the seamed part alone. With the original, the front of the hockey stick goes under that little close out panel.
If the seam is crusty, you could cut out the overlapping panel and weld a patch over it following the seam. |
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2021 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Made first cut for inner panel, separated the spots too:
Wondering if I should just separate the outer skin on the seam step? Or just treat rust and keep as much as possible. Not thin, but has corrosion up where the rubber mat holes are:
_________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2021 3:32 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Cut out a little more skin to reveal some corrosion in the back panel:
Still some skin to cut, but I feel like this is enough in the back to build on.
Will treat the inside before welding. Anything I can spray up into the dogleg cavity to preserve? _________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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busdaddy Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004 Posts: 51057 Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2021 4:22 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Wow, I'd just replace the entire dogleg and be done, so many little potential holes and bubbles later the way you are doing it.
As for preserving the rest go to Canadian tire and buy some Rust check inner panel protectant, don't put any on until after you finish painting since it creeps out of the seams. You'll also need a shutz gun and a metre of 1/2" OD PEX tubing as well as a short bit of rubber line to connect it to the tip of the gun. Shove the tubing up into the dogleg as far as you can and pull the trigger on the gun as you withdraw slowly, prime it first since it takes a minute for the goo to make it to the business end of the tubing so it can spatter out. Park on cardboard or gravel for the next month since it'll drool out all over your fancy driveway and make a mess.
I like to use a 50/50 mix of the inner panel and undercarriage stuff (red and green labels respectively), the red label stuff is too thin by itself IMO. _________________ Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2021 6:14 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Well, after lots of pondering I made my cuts. So far I'm happy with them, keeping as much of the original metal and bends as possible. Backside has been wire-wheeled and first treatment of rust converter to get the unreachable. Will do a few of these before paint:
_________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2021 5:58 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Cut got a little wide, but happy with the fit so far:
_________________ 1977 FI Westfalia
Last edited by Goach2 on Wed May 05, 2021 12:05 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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orwell84 Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2007 Posts: 2528 Location: Plattsburgh, New York
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Posted: Wed May 05, 2021 10:54 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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That looks really good. |
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 9:32 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Thanks Orwell, still learning as I go. Not sure what everyone uses to smooth out the final welds, I always seem to have the texture left. At this point I start to thin the metal, so have to be real careful:
A little more fitting to do on the outside skin. Will clean, paint and lube inside before I close it all in.
_________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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orwell84 Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2007 Posts: 2528 Location: Plattsburgh, New York
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 10:23 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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That looks good. That kind of texture is normal and in a place like that I don’t worry too much about making it beautiful, I just make sure that there are no pinholes or voids in the weld. I would rather have the weld a little proud than thin the metal around it.
I knock down the weld with the side of a cutting disc on a die grinder until it’s almost flush, then blend it in with a mini belt sander or flap wheel...something that removes material slowly. I often use a dremel in tight spaces. I often knock down the tacks as I go. Do a round of tacks, grind them down, repeat.
Even in places that are visible, I don’t really make it look perfect because I end up using at least some filler after getting it as close as I can. I still can’t do metal finishing well enough to not require filler
I think you have the right idea with that repair. You have kept all the body lines and reference points. |
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Sat May 08, 2021 10:05 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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So glad I opted for the flange/punch tool:
Good old Rustoleum oil over the rust converter:
_________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 9:18 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Before I mess it up with weld-through primer...
_________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2021 4:28 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Putting things together. I wonder how much of this crappy spotted seam I can grind off. Will have some filling to do for sure.
_________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2021 5:29 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Forgot how nice a fresh flap disk is...
_________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2021 9:46 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Still working away at it. Got the piece I cut out back in and just some spots left to do and cleanup.
_________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Sun May 16, 2021 3:17 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Got all my spots filled and ground, think I'm done for now on this. Next going to strip the whole dogleg and try and remember how to shoot the epoxy primer again. _________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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orwell84 Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2007 Posts: 2528 Location: Plattsburgh, New York
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Posted: Sun May 16, 2021 3:18 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Nice job! |
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 7:58 am Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Small hiatus there that involved some work on a few other projects. One of those was a '67 Baja, but that's for a future thread. I'm turning attention back to the bus, as it's the ugliest vehicle in my driveway and I'd like to remedy that.
I started poking away at the driver's side rocker and found this:
Normally this would be a bad sign, except that I added this feature about 5 years ago to pass inspection. Now it's time for the permanent solution.
So I have to do the fender and a bit of the inner wheel well, the bottom of the 'C' pillar, the inner rocker and upper/lower outer rockers. While part surfing I came across this one piece outer rocker:
https://www.busdepot.com/9555001
Clearly my previous work won't qualify for a Barrett-Jaskson record breaker, so originality is not likely going to make a difference and this panel eliminates the nooks in the seams where rot happens. My question is, has anyone used this panel before and if so, how did the faux seams line up? _________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 12:50 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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So, inner rocker removal sucks, really hard to see where all the spots are and it's typically more than just a little welded circle. Pretty much had to cut it up and grind the bits left in the weld.
Had also patched this in the wheel well as a temp fix:
Gone now
This is sad, the bottom of the B pillar looks really good from the outside
But the backside of it is rotted through
I think I'll be able to reattached it and the good thing is, I can weld it to the lower/upper rocker as well, which is impossible to weld the two pieces together when it's on the vehicle.
_________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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Goach2 Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2017 Posts: 518 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario
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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2024 12:50 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Started on the inner fender, cut out a few bad spots and made up some patches with some scrap I had on hand.
Also ordered the one-piece rocker from Bus Depot. This same one is actually used in the Haynes restoration manual, so can't be that bad?.... _________________ 1977 FI Westfalia |
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busdaddy Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004 Posts: 51057 Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2024 2:33 pm Post subject: Re: Body Panel Replacement - A First Timer's Journey... |
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Goach2 wrote: |
........Also ordered the one-piece rocker from Bus Depot. This same one is actually used in the Haynes restoration manual, so can't be that bad?.... |
Back when that manual was written it was the only part available, and the definition of "restoration" varies greatly.
It's quick and dirty, if you aren't worried what anyone who know's bus bodywork will think do it. But it looks like you are getting in rather deep with the rest of this job, why top it off with a cheapo part that shows?
Or are you planning on a coat of bedliner all the way up to the windows when it's done? _________________ Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
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