Quite a busy weekend – only worked on the camper Saturday morning as I went to see my football team loose!!! Anyhow – Marked up the side panel with tape to use as a cutting guide and while I had the masking tape out I measured up the drivers opening and the seat rail position with my laser measure – I decided that I would also mark the spots where the laser ended – just to get it perfect. Anyhow before I could put in the side panel I decided to cut out the inner and outer wheel arch with the plasma – I have made I video of it – I hope it works – it’s so easy to use. [/URL] Once cut out the van had typical rot –ground all the excess and cleaned dup the areas around the B post and the bulkhead – the repair panel covered most of the rott – so scribed it out and but welded it up. – Made the bottom of the B post and seam welded that in position. You will see i had to use self tappers to hold the sections in place before welding. So Sunday Next was the welding to the side panel – tack welded it in – the clamps were a pain the arse to fit but I end up using a bit of masking tape to hold the rear clamps on while I fitted it. I decided to tack weld the whole panel on – so splodge of weld on splodge of weld moving all over the place so not to get heat build-up – well I must say it took 5 mins longer but no difference than doing a small seam weld – and hardly and heat build-up – so I think this for me was the best option. Ground down and the job was fine – the panel lines are good – but the curve at the bottom where it meets the B post is a bit off – all good until the last 1 inch where the side panel curves too the sill by a sharper radius by 8mm – so I think a bit of filler there (or I hope it’s so low you won’t see it) After that I decided to weld up the 2 sections for the wheel arch – now vwheritage say that buying the 2 sections separately and welding them was a lot cheaper than buying them welded – they are genuine parts and are good quality. Now the cost of the complete arch is £181.96 and to buy the bits separately (and spend 20 mins welding them) is - the outer is £28.96 and the inner is £67.25 – so total £96.21 – so saving of £84.00 just for a bit of welding – so top tip – buy the genuine inner and outer parts and weld and save £170.00 if you do both sides. That was it for the day as I need to re skin the driver’s door and hand before I put the wheel arch in place (also need to repair the A post as that’s full of rust just to see what it looks like in the hole!!!
Good work as usual. Glad the VW Heritage parts worked out ok as this may be the route I'll be taking.
Last night I was under the weather with a cold (still have it) – so off I went to the garage and pulled out the driver’s side door – got the new skin out and then looked at the rot that had set into the frame. So with a thick head started to make up sections I even got out my card and pencil (can’t do it in one as my bender won’t let me) any how after 1 hour of messing around I came to the decision that the door was goosed and what the hell was I doing wasting my time making lots of little bits. So I decided to buy a new one – it’s amazing how a head cold can ******* you off, and put you in the “cant be arsed mode” So with that put on hold I got out the sliding door – again rusted to buggery – but I got the repair section for the bottom – so without further ado, I got it cut out and welded in place – 9.30 had my fill for the night – went in. This morning I rung around and the only place that had a door (the correct one) in stock was just campers – so £299 plus £30 delivery it should be here tomorrow – but I now have 1 spare driver’s door skin and just campers deal came with a full set of seals (well I have already got them) so some more to sell on eBay.
Maybe you should have got in touch with"Josh" (JK) on here he sounds like a good bloke and has sorted out a few discounts for folk in the past. Good work by way
Interesting about the arches. I had wondered this myself and was suprised that it hasn't been mentioned before!! Good work too
Cracking work and progress as always, Lol'd at the mention your bender wont let you do it both ways. Fnarr.... fnarrr.... ;D
Thanks Guys Didnt do anything last night as i was full of man flu!!! - hopeing to get door today and change the hinges over and get it hung - i wonder how the gaps will be? Marc ;D
Finished off the bottom outer skin to the sliding door – ran out of 0.6mm wire so went on to 0.80mm wire – this seems to work better with my welder and gives me nice welds. The new door arrived so the first thing was to change over the door hinge as the old one has a 6mm pin and the new one has a 10 mm pin. On the old door hinge (middle bit that was to be re used) I painted the inner bit with primer sos I don’t get the thing on the wrong way round when I re assemble. Now getting the 6 mm pins out was easy – long coach bolt banged from the top and out they came. The 10mm ones were a pain in the ass – after messing around with bolts and bending them – I made a custom drifter – comprising of 2 raw bolts (left over) welded together and a small cheap socket that came free with a Xmas cracker welded to the bottom. So with this monster drifter I proceeded to smash crap out of the hinge pin – boy this thing was hard to budge. Half way through I was wondering if the things should be done from the other side (I was doing it from the top) – as the splines on the old door were at the bottom – anyhow a few more big blows with a lump hammer and they came free – so they are taken out, hitting from the top thank god. Got all the bits together and drilled out the old hinge – using 9mm 9.5mm and then 10mm drills – looking at the centre of both the old and new hinge there is a fine steel wire mesh in the centre that must be a bush – I could not recreate this so they have gone in metal on metal and as a nice snug fit. Hung the door – and for the first fit not bad – but I need to tonight to re cerate the bottom of the A post first and then get it all in –I hope
Oh yes forgot to mention- – now, I seem to be spending a few quid on the camper and it has been a one way street – but today I had some great news, so all this is about to change – the rusty panels that I cut off were weighed in and I got £6.00 back (bargain) – so when I do my final cost sum analysis I must remember to put in the £6.00 into the spread sheet. ;D
What a palaver last night was trying to fit the divers wheel arch. Made up and repaired the A post bottom. - The easy bit Offered up the new outer wheel arch and started to jiggle it to get the shut line something like. The side gaps are 8mm give or take a 1mm – so out came my 8 mmm drills bits to use as a guide for the bottom gaps. So one I had the gaps set, I had a look at the bottom of the door (see video) and had the shock of my life – the gap was so big, may be in the region of 40mm. So after another 20 minis moving and shuffling the arch around to see if there was some sort of way of compensating for the bottom gap – that was a total waste of time. Whatever I did just was not up to a good standard – so I had an idea – try and bend the bottom section in the vice to close the gap. Off it came and then I clamped it in vice – pushed like a fool to try and get it to budge it a little – all that happed was the bench and me danced around the garage- but I hoped that it may have moved a little. Put it back on – same huge gaps!!! Rubbish Next, got out my hydraulic jack- may be by putting a bit of force to the bottom may help? – well that was rubbish as well. Well, there was only one way I could see to get this something right………..Out came the grinder with a 1mm disk Marked where I felt was a good place to chop my new wheel arch – cut through most of the wheel arch but retaining the flat bit of steel at the back so I could easily bend it and not drop in 2 bits making it even more hard work to handle. Clamped the door in place so it would not move – then using 8mm drill bits between the door and the arch to get the right gap– clamped the wheel arch to the door – it all looked quite good apart from a cut in my nice new wheel arch. Welded up the cut I had made on the outer section and tacked the arch at both sides – took the 8mm drills out – and it stayed in place ------- It now looks like it should – with good gaps and maybe 15mm – 18mm gap at the bottom- if I close the gap up any more, the door would catch at the bottom – there seems to be a bit of a downhill gradient on the step. Got quite excited that it worked, and welded it in place – also welded in the inner wheel arch as well although not welded it to the outer yet – will need to get the jack out to push it out slightly to get the vertical alignment right………. The welding I feel is coming to an end – maybe 1 more week!!!!!
Marc, in a new bus that the arches are made for, the cab floor is approx 12mm higher making the profile of the floor different. Therefore you need to reduce the height of the inner step to suit so it doesn't foul both the cab floor and the bottom of the tub, leaving a gap along the length like this (which looks like your picture too). I find that if I cut the steps down something like the following picture to match the profile of the floor, the arch then lifts high enough at the front for the whole arch nicely meets the tub from front to back and the gap at the step is reduced. I've fitted dozens and never cut one other than the step mod. Here's one. To get good shuts, it's essential to completely and perfectly adjust the door - the actual one you will fit when the bus is finished - to the rest of the van before fitting the arch and leave it fitted while getting most of the arch welding done, just removing right at the end to access welding near the front. You should (I do) be able to use your spot welder right along the arch/tub join. One problem that arises time and time again, from what I've seen coming through the workshop, is that that gap at the "knee" is too small causing the door seal to peel out when the door is shut. I note that the first arch you fitted with the door too far forward (gap at the back too large) intending to sort this after. I hope you don't find that when you do so you get the problem I've outlined. Cracking resto though matey - you're really romping through it.
The cab floor is level with the new arch and i have just about got in on the button over the bend - i think the vid was a bit rubbish to see. will take better pis this week end.-- but yours looks perfect!!!! The other main problem i will have is that the hinges i have (1978) it only gives me side to side and up and down ajustment and i will need backwards ajustment to get it perfect, so short of bending the hinge forward i have run out of ideas. Thanks for the help marc
With the earlier hinges you can pack them out to move the door backwards, but as you have discovered with the later ones that moves the door forwards. Bending is your best option and if you go to far you could always pack them?
