Dear All
I have a 1981 Westy with some side damage and rust. The area in question is the rocker panel (sill) and side quarter panel between the center window and the rocker panel - where the hook-ups are located. The vehicle has a dint in the quarter panel and has rusted out badly all along the seam between the rocker and the quarter panel above. I presume this is due to moisture behind the fridge and sink, and may we have resulted from a faulty water pump.
I have observed many vanagons in this area and most appear to suffer from rust along this seam. I am very handy with a welder, grinder, etc and have restored VW's before. The rocker panel is widely available and I will be replacing this. However, the side quarter panel is not available, and from what I have observed, anything from a breakers yard may be no better than what I have. I intend to straighten the quarter panel and weld a homemade panel along the lower 6", where the panel is rusty.
Does anyone have any experience of working in this area. I have seen lots of repairs in this area, so someone must have some advice. Mine was previously repaired with bondo and filler, but this was all bubbled and cracked off when the dint was caused by some 17 year old reversing TWICE into the side of the van!
TIA Michael |
Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of
Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection
will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!
Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com
The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.
Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.