Hello again. recently uncovered the bus for the first time since last summer, as i really need to crack on with it, im goonna have to do most of the work myself due to money. at the moment im trying to get my head around what ive got to do.....im a novice. so i would appreciate your thoughts on the following. first off, the cheapo arches i bought last year (was aware theyd be a crap fit) are about 10/15mm too short ie ive offered them upsnug to the a post and the arch is 10mm short of the b post, so in very simple terms do i just weld on an extra bit to the arch to make it right? Next is about front panel and lower inner valance/panel benind deformation panel. Ideally id like to replace the valance rather than patch up...is it possible to do this without replacing main front panel? Which brings me to front panel, it seems in fairly good condition apart from these bits Other bowl is fine Lower nearside corner of windscreen Bottom edge Inner front lower windscreen corner Also a bit of crud on top edge of join at airbox. Would patching these bits up be ok or would you replace the whole panel? Bearing in mind i want to do that lower inner vallance thingy....all comments appreciated
Really i know your right but i was kind of looking for an excuse not to! Dont know what the hell im doing but f*ck it, think im gonna rip it off. Not now like cos ive had my sunday dose of vin rouge
From your photos, although not too clear - I'd agree that the front panel will need replacing, unless you like patching! looking at the arch though, I'd say get some more pics up, and show it butted up to the B post so we can see whats going on at the step end, as it shouldnt come up that short.
as for patching, dunno if i like it! My metalwork experience consists of - making a metal concorde at school, about 3 days hacking and grinding on the bus last summer under the dreamy eyes of davidoft. ive fiddled with the arch a bit more and got the gap downa lot but its still not right. will get some more pics tomorrow
Stop and deal with the bits you've cut off first before moving on and cutting the front panel off, having a bus with everypart cutout will be be daunting for a 1st timer, and you'll end up covering it up with a tarpaulin and ebaying it in the winter! Seriously though, most people will say the same, tackle 1 bit at a time.
cheers for the input mr kruger sir. it was the sills/jacking points we did last year and they are ticketyboo cock on thanks to david oft. we had chopped off the arch and meant to do it at the same time but then i had to put a stop on work so it never got done and has been left till now, but i cant afford to to get david back in. anyway heres the arch clamped on at a post and at b post by jiggling about (the arch not me)ive got the gap well down but its still about 3 or 4 mm, so the return lip that would weld to b post is just not near enough
As kruger said un clamp the arch and butt it up against the B post then post a photo of the front step part of the arch Those klockerholm panels are very poor quality in general
Yup concentrate on getting what you ( I ) started for you , don't worry abot the front panel, yes it needs a new one but not for the mot , as above clamp the top rear of the arch in the right place and get a weld on it manipulate the rest to get a good door gap then get a weld on the front and then all the ones inbetween
Hello big d. Tryin to get an action plan together at mo. I wondered about front panel as I thought it would be best to do the inner valance before sticking on the defo panel, and to do inner balance would need the front panel off ?? Or you reckon I should do defo panel and worry about inner and front panel later? For the arch, if I tack it on starting at b post , you reckon it will marry up to a post ok even though it appears to short at mo?, sorry for the confusingness of my questions but I am indeed confussed » appreciate all the replays
The arch should stretch with a big set of vice grips, if cash flow is an issue you could not bother with the front panel and just put a flat sheet of steel across as a temporary measure for mot etc, then do front panel and deformation later, do you want it on the road this year? A bit ugly on the road has to be better than a bit less ugly and still off the road! Front panel plus an inner is gonna be somewhere near £300 for parts and front panel is a tricky thing to do. Have you got yourself a welderising machine?
Yeah the price of those two panells got my Brown eye winking. Like the idea of a temp steel panel, good thinkin mucker. Would like it mot'd this year ~ as you say on the road and a bit ugly is better » bit like me. Got a proper welder and had some practise and not too shabby. Next time I home ill have another wiggle with the arch
finally got another go on van. tacked on arch at b post got my door gaps roughly right place. had to shim my top hinge to get the door right. And this is the arch at a post if i tack it all the way around and it doesnt meet the a post then is it just a case of adjusting those tabs to make them meet up? or is there a bigger issue here? just wanted to check before i go any further. cheers
get a clamp and clamp the arch until its a close as you can get it to the A pillar, make sure the door gap is good, but don't adjust the door to much as its most likely in the right place and the arch is the issue. Also to make it pretty just like you, weld the arch to the b pillar behind the arch so you cant see the welds and to preserve the panel lines
Yeah I adjusted door beforehand as it was a bit saag. The welds on outside of b pillar are just temps while I work out what I'm doing, will weld the rear and clean up the front later. Only just started and already feel like I've had enough
