Ah, you seem to know me - preferring disasters to be drip fed! I did suspect something behind the seal as I had an ingress issue at the top to fix when I did the gutter. Can see a likely silent assassin already. Seam Sealer it is then. It’s great stuff. Easy to work with and to make look neat - there has been no pride or attention to detail on this van it seems. I’ll do my best though. All major joints, seams and welds etc i’ll use sealer. Do I need a special heat resistant product? What about fibreglass, fibreglass filler and body filler? Ok in an engine bay where it’s not a structural concern? I’m sure to have to get some welding done, so if I can reduce the amount yet not sacrifice quality i’ll go for it. Thank you Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes, i’m sure some welding required. Especially for anything structural. Fortuitously the guy who helped the mechanic remove the engine is a welder Also works only 6miles away. I’ll finish off cleaning everything up and get a consult from him, armed with your advice. Those pillars are solid all the way down, but it’s all just boxes isn’t it - once water is in there it’s heading south I’ll remove the bumper etc and have a good look. Not much muck underneath but i’ll not hold my breath. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This stuff good it’s a adhesive and sealer and certainly better than bathroom sealant the previous owner of my van used everywhere including on the chassis https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/u-po...dW_ZdgqoxBTiHQoO1CyLGj3cnTiQCV3hoC-tAQAvD_BwE
Great. Thanks for that Matty. I’ve read good things about Tiger Seal - not tried it myself yet. The things we discover by POs hey If I get mine right i’m hoping i’ll be long gone before the next owner curses me! A potentially stupid question (because i’ve not read it done anywhere): Is it a bad idea to do all the underneath (well prepared) in a good Seam Sealer, then paint it? The stuff i’ve used can be smoothed out and even sanded. Don’t worry, i’ve not done it! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No don't use it as filler. Although yes if a bit more makes it pretty why not. I'm too guilty of seam sealer crime to have taken during pictures, but my engine bay and one tray is a jigsaw of repairs like many. to Tiger seal, I used it on mine too, it's the best AFAIK.
Prime first, then seam sealer, then top coat. Above pics are after... Clean, Degrease, Key with 220 Prime with zinc182 spray can(s) (great stuff). One coat of brush painted 2-pack with a dash of hardner rather than the full mix. That makes it thick and amazingly self leveling. You probably can't do the 2 pack, it's dangerous, I did it in a wind tunnel with an enormous extractor fan than emptied the unit every 4-5 seconds.
Thanks for the photos. Looks great. Haven’t seen many progress ones so it’s good to see the layout of another. Seems we had the same original colour. So, hatch seal off (largely not pretty) and we have a Prime Suspect: Other corner not quite as bad, but same result internally. Fibreglass patch there ok? It all sits on what looks like new structural metal: Appears to be new, like a lot of this rear section - with some really crap stuff mixed in with it. I guess we all have budgets that draw the line somewhere...a line intended to return to at some point. Cheers. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It looks like your rear chassis is rotten and someone has welded a plate over it and also to the engine hanger Get a flat bladed screwdriver and have a good poke above and all around your engine hanger You need to be looking up higher than the engine hatch seal channel for your point of water ingress Pull the main rear hatch seal out and look in the corners and along the bottom of that.
I just wanted to show you a messy engine bay can be made to look quite good once it's all joined together with seam sealer and painted. More finished here... I cleaned my firewall and perforated roof parts with mr muscle oven cleaner. Bye bye stains, good enough to refit without painting them.
More likely culprits then? I’ve done the top, so the sides and bottom were next anyway. Slight separation between that central panel above the hatch and the rear corners. Water finds it’s way hey. Had a scrape around your excellent arrows...then realised I’d done the wrong side Will grab a coffee and do the other side. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Fantastic. That looks amazing. Mint (colour pun) condition. You must be very proud - I would be. Mine is in a very similar condition...when I close my eyes and forget reality! Still, it does show what time, effort, technique and knowledge can achieve. Thanks for providing the inspiration! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Nice under the hatch seal. Do you think the internal damage might be historic and the cause has already been addressed? If yes I'd be tempted to leave that high level stuff for another decade.
It doesn’t look bad does it But it only takes a little gap for water to get in there so I’d clean out the seal channel and give it a good brush painting. I do think the rotted out d post top inside the engine bay may be historic My concern is judging by the other work that’s been done and the fact the inner has been left like that Is that the d post is in a bad way and they have just covered it over with new corner panels.
Probably, but @PanZer journey started with a £5 hole in an oil pipe, progressed to a new engine and now a dig right in resto and respray? Things are getting out of hand!
ha ha yes, it’s gotten that way hasn’t it I do have to draw the line somewhere. For now I just need to live to fight another day! At least i’m discovering issues to solve at some point - provided I’m not ignoring anything that will mean it all just falls apart before that day arrives. If I can stop bad things getting worse for now then that’s progress at least. Having seen where that D Pillar connects to I think I know the ultimate culprit. Will post later as I promised my mum a countryside walk To think what I bought was supposed to be just a customisation job Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
On the bright side, @1973daisey 's bus was carved from filler over a framework of rust flakes and it served him well for 50,000 miles and many years.
Yup it’s the norm for things to escalate like this With rot in the chassis rails and d post doing anything apart from cutting it out and welding fresh steel in Is just putting lipstick on a pig
