Hi, does anyone have an original, unrepaired inner front valance on their bus (the bit that goes between the front edge of the cab floor and attaches to the top of the crossmember)? I need to make a new one but don’t know what the pressings look like. It would need to be photographed from above, from behind the kick panels. Cheers
You can buy these now, if your budget can stretch to it. Otherwise the pictures may be helpful. Bit of a pain to repair as the pressing is quite complex, I wish these were available when I repaired mine! https://www.alanhschofield.com/ourp...el-6872-will-fit-later-models-211805331D.html
Yea I’ve seen those new ones but I’ve just fitted new cab floors so I don’t really want to remove the whole thing and have to re-weld the cab floor, the top bit of mine is ok it’s just the bottom bit that has disintegrated. I’m ok with fiddly fabrication-I quite like the challenging bits
Cheers for that-That’s the earlier type, deeper valance but it gives me a bit of a clue as to what it should look like although the holes are different...... I’ll have a look at mine today and see what I can come up with...
That one is now complete with outer front panel and deformation panel inner and outer. It’s difficult to get a meaningful picture down from above. Have you got a front panel on? Maybe order a new one, copy it then send it back?
this is the area I’m working on. The photos are taken from the front edge of the cab floor behind the kick panels, looking down over the edge. What you can see here is the inside of the front panel and the new crossmember clamped to the ends of the chassis rails, the lower, rotten part of the inner valance has been cut away-this is what I need to make and I just need to see the shape and layout of the pressings in that lower part of the valance.
The method that JamesLey used in his thread is probably your best bet. I did something similar and went through the trouble of reproducing all the different stampings, etc. Other than the holes that the wires run through, there is no functional vale in doing it this way. It's also almost impossible to see down into that section, so there is limited value in making it pretty. I just wanted to see if I could do it and was trying out some new metal working skills. As nice as the Schofield panel is, it's probably not worth it as only the bottom looks rotten, same as my bus. You would only be using a small part and it would probably be difficult to fit and cut to size without mauling it. I would recommend doing it in sections and welding them up as you fit them. As long as the back of the panel doesn't interfere with anything and you have holes for the wiring...you're good. It keeps the outside out and the inside in. Here is my link on the Samba: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=694646&start=40
Yea, I’ve got an idea what it should look like so if I can’t get a cut I’ll probably just patch it up the best I can. Cheers
It looks from your photos that you have cut away the bottom of the nose. I can’t tell how far up you cut it or if you are planning to replace the nose, patch it or do the whole lower nose with a pre-made panel. I think the best way to repair it if you are leaving your cab floor intact is to repair it from the front. You may need to cut the front panel higher to get in there. My front panel was in good condition and it pained me to cut it to get access but it was the only way I could get in there and get it all cleaned out. I did do some of the welding from the back under the bus but it really sucked. It is a sucky panel to do if you are trying to preserve the original metal work around it. Good luck with your project.
