A bit Of Advice From You Knowledgable Types!

Discussion in 'Mech Tech' started by keithandtrudystype2, Dec 13, 2011.

  1. We have had Alice for just over a year now and are looking at what needs doing after a very siccesful sumeers' camping. Mecahanical bits and pieces and servicing no problem for me, the big worry is the body. She needs a drivers side arch, no probs, rear corners, battery trays, valance including inner, again no big issues, standard stuff. The major worry is the roof gutter rails, when we attached the awning last year in a howling gale in Cornwall, it has pulled the weak point towards the rear corner which is weak due to rust, all the passenger side is pretty poor and the rear section is solid but there are a couple of holes in the roof. We have a Devon Moonraker so the holes are covered.

    The big question is do we bite the bullet in spring and get all this done. We dont want a full restore for financial and other reasons and we like the original interior so dont want a full strip down just yet.

    So we can understand most of the issues, the question is how much work is involved with the roof gutters? Suppose it means that the Fibreglass roof has to come off. Advice would be more than welcome together with likely scales of cost. Also, any positive reccomendations for restorers within the midlands (South of Birmingham) would be welcome. Is there any repair possible to the gutters without welding?

    Cheers

    Keith
     
  2. to do the gutters correctly is a massive job to patch the roof is easy! to get too the inner (strenght) section of gutter and inner frame which will be rottern or heavily corroded if your lucky due to water sitting in the roof framework:'( you will have to cut the roof skin off to do it right not a cheap or easy job!

    you will have to remove the roof and canvas, the headliner, the full interior and the glass! to do it right without damaging anything
     
  3. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    That's it - cheer him up. lol
    Sadly bang on though.
     
  4. well he did ask how it should be done :eek:
     
  5. we need pictures....of the gutters...
     
  6. You know when you wished ypu had never asked....
     
  7. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    If I were you I'd give serious consideration to selling and getting a different one - once you start on the roof, it might be good money after bad and no going back. Just guessing blind over the web of course...
     
  8. Zed's right, although not what you want to hear. On my van, the gutters were the most difficult piece of work. Had to have sections chopped out of a donor van and carefully welded in. And I didn't have any roof-rot...

    Not good news.
     
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  10. Birdy

    Birdy Not Child Friendly

    I'm going to be full of cheer for you :)

    Anything is possible. Baghead had work done on his roof. Check out his resto or drop him a PM. Also VWOlive who also has a Moonraker has had welding done to the roof where it bolts in around the pop top hinge.

    Post up a picture so we can see what your up against.
     
  11. Birdy

    Birdy Not Child Friendly

    Is that it!!! :lol: I'm joking. To some that's what they would call patina.

    Some bits may fall off and need welding in but that isn't very hard to correct.
     
  12. Cheers Birdy, so its not terminal then! Good to hear some positives!

    The question is how do we get it fixed, I know VWH and JK do roof gutter sections, the bottom of the gutter is sound, just the return edge is not good and its right where the awning fixes.
     
  13. Alan Schofield does lengths of Bay gutter section I think. Could be worth a look on his site.
     
  14. Personally I would steer clear of JK and this is just my own opinion. I use them alot for generic parts but wont be using them for body sections again in a hurry. if your going to a garage to get it done, get them to buy the parts and get an estimate on labour time. Always hear people getting stung that supply body panels etc and the garage spend an eternity trying to get them to fit.
     
  15. MorkC68

    MorkC68 Administrator

    We have used the Schofields/VWH gutter sections as the fit is as near original (btw the VW Heritage repair section is made by Schofields..Schofields are cheaper).

    We used the same section with no complaints!
     
  16. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

     
  17. Roof rot is on the back under the dormobile top so no where near the gutters, just 2 small patches...
     
  18. Looking at the section available on Scofields, it seems to be the gutter plus the roof section, as you can see, with ours its just the outer bit, anyone any ideas how our van could be repaired without the full sections intruding into the roof, or any quick get by's until we get the van restored?
     
  19. With rust, what looks like a small blister on the outside is usualy massive under the paint, be warned, sorry for the doom and gloom. :eek:
     

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