Date:         Thu, 13 Mar 2003 10:01:58 -0000
Reply-To:     Herb Mooney <hmooney@RESTOREANDMORE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Herb Mooney <hmooney@RESTOREANDMORE.COM>
Subject:      Re: body panel repair
Comments: To: Willolyn99@AOL.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I've got 2 new wheel arches if you need them, I was going to do this but
went the bondo route instead. I may regret that decision later.

You have to get all the crap off the inside of the wheel well, drill out the
spot welds, pry off the panel which is seam sealed, spot weld or pop-rivet
the new panel, apply new seam sealer (very messy and smells real bad),
prime and paint. Sounded like more work then I wanted to get involved in but
prosy the correct way to do it right.

Let me know if you want the replacement pieces.

Herb in PA
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Marshall" <Willolyn99@AOL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 1:46 PM
Subject: body panel repair


> Hey all,
> Like many folks on this list, my right rear wheel arch is a bit crunched.
> Actually, it was completely flat when my wife mashed it into a bollard.
(she
> said it was more aerodynamic that way.)  I have considered replacing the
> offending part with one of the new body panels available, as opposed to
using
> large amounts of Bondo.
>
> My question: how does one replace the old wheel arch with a new one?  Do
you
> cut out the old and insert the new, or do you use the new panel as a skin
> over the old?  Also, does removing the old arch affect the structural
> integrity of the van?
>
> I've done similar repairs, like replacing the quarterpanel on an old Dodge
> Omni 024, and I've done Bondo many times, including wheel arch rebuilding.
I
> am just curious as to the nature of this particular beast.
>
> If anyone has done this repair (I know you are out there ;-) ), let me
know
> how it went and what to look for or be careful of.  Thanks!
>
> Bill Marshall
> '85 GL Tiico "Pandora"
> Aurora, IL