Under cab tool box floor section repair 1966 bus

[Mr Margaret Scratcher]

Need to reair this section on my bus, is it possible to do so without reniving the tool box section above? Seems like getting that out involves lots of spotweld removal and unfolding of the wheel tubs.

[Ring-Free]

But then you have to disconnect all the pipes for the cables and the heater and partially reattach them through the sheet metal. Possible but not so easy

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my current challenge

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=779910

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[Mr Margaret Scratcher]

[Mr Margaret Scratcher]

I'm hoping I can get away with repairing just this section, where a liad of wet leaves had sat for a while

[Mr Margaret Scratcher]

Got out there again today:

Drilled out the spotwelds where the panel meets the sides

I'm going to cut this section out:

Big bit chopped out, now just need to trim off the flanges at the side where the spotwelds are, and then trim along where the panel meets the flange of the toolbox section itself:

[Mr Margaret Scratcher]

Chopped some more - decided not to go right up against the flange on the passenger side in order to be able to dress the welds there back and have it look factory, although now as I write this I wonder if it will look better if there's a welded seam right the way across on both sides?

The other alternative is to hide the weld underneath the toolbox, but that will involve working on it from beneath.

While I was at it I marked up a template to fix the chassis side plate tgat had rotted through where it attaches to the toolbox floor:

[Mr Margaret Scratcher]

Side repairs"

It's been a while since I welded and it shows, but it didn't seem too bad after I ground the welds back to see where I needed to add more tacks. Also, despite starting afresh with the repair panel, I still ended up with a 2mm gap along the bottom, so I've had to try to bridge it using some copper backing

[BarryL]

You have got to be the epitome of gumption.