Hello Looking at maybe replacing the complete front arches if to much work is needed on the current ones. The 72 only ones are a bit more scarce and a lot more expensive, the decent ones i have seen are £250 a side For anyone wondering 72 only arches have a late bay style lip on the outer skin but an early style inner and step to mount the earlier bumpers to Do the early 68 - 71 arches with a flat outer skin fit ok, i think they do because i think @kev might have done it but just wanted to know for sure or if there is anything else you have to do or change I can pick these up for about a £100 so a big saving and should look ok on a crossover Ta
Use a genuine late arch and modify the step, or cheat, fit a late arch and cut the floor to match and change the cab mat, Fannys yer aunt
Do you mean cuts from a rot free van? If so they will fit, but it's very easy to get a late arch and convert the step bit to look like an early which is more original. If you mean the klokkerholm complete early arch which is just under £100, don't bother, they're rubbish.
The main thing is the early bumper mount, can you buy a late outer and early inner and join them together?
I was going for a repro one from cool air maybe. http://www.coolairvw.co.uk/Item/Sho...Arch/211809501/T2_68-72_Front_Wheel_Arch.html
Those are poop upon poop, you will be dissapointed when they rot out in a few years, go genuine!! The bumper mount is thee easiest bit to fix
I will have another look about then and see, am i right in thinking the 72 only arch is made up of a late outer skin with this for the inner mount http://www.coolairvw.co.uk/Item/Sho...Arch/211809514/T2_68-72_Inner_Front_Step.html
Buddy dude, listen to the restorers. Forget anything front arch related except genuine. You might even be able to save the vertical part of step from floor down which makes it a piece of pee. Adding some captive nuts to the bumper is nowt compared to trying and failing to make a £15 piece of Marmite step fit, then watching it fall off next year. Words cannot describe how poo these parts are. Now that's 3 restorers saying same.
If they are that bad quality i might try and keep my original outers they only have a couple of small holes in them, probably better to make up little patch pieces then? Its mainly the bumper step mounting points underneath thats rotted out, how would you recommend replacing them? Repair sections or is it easy make my own up
Or keep a look out for some arch cuts from a rot free van, there's usually loads at shows, takes a bit longer to prep the panel, but it's worth it in the end.
Cool, just wondering how the early arch fits, did you fit them yourself ? Straight swap or a bit of messing ? If I do have to end up changing mine at some point, be it body cuts or genuine panels, it may still be easyer to find early ones rather than 72 only ones Cheers guys
Me and my brother inlaw (i made the tea) they fitted straight in without a problem I bought them from jk
I have noticed thou that my gap around the door isnt perfect (it only a bit thou) but that may be due to the door not hanging properly Listen to the exoerts and get originals at least they have a better chance of fitting perfect first time
Thanks kev, good to know if I do need to, I think I'm going to look to repair just the mount area if I can, going to look later at what they sell to just fix that bit, or make a bit up
