69 delta green westfalia restoration

[leon]

WOW :shock: over 2 years since I last posted on my thread. Being a man of my word, this one's for you AD4M
What have I been up to for all that time? Well, on the van I've mainly been using and abusing, and it has certainly started to take its toll on her, so I decided to take her off the road and give her a little bit of TLC.
Now I've got to take my hat off :worship: to all those people who reckon it takes a few hours to replace panels. I have started to fix up my front panel with a much needed windscreen repair, and it has taken me a lot longer than a few hours.
Take note ratty van owners, this always looked like solid rust! I didn't think it would need as much as it has.
Here's what I've done so far. Enjoy.
Looks pretty solid if not a bit rusty.





After screen's out.







Initial cut and clean



Dinitrol 900 down the back



panel cut ready to butt weld



and the weld.













Next stage is to tackle the klokken krappen bottom panel repair, which may take a month. :roll:

 

[gninnam]

Nice work dude

Did you take any datum points to make sure that the screen will fit back in?

 

[Lee C]

So that's what patina looks like after a couple of British winters :shock:

It'll look good again soon no doubt!!!!

 

[AD4M]

Looking good Leon! On track for the summer hols then? Let me know if you need a hand getting the screen in.

 

[leon]

Nice work dude

Did you take any datum points to make sure that the screen will fit back in?

Cheers andy, I used the natural reference points on the bulge (swage line, wiper holes, inner screen lip etc..) for lining up the panel, plus a couple of measurements from the top of screen to the bottom so I reckon all should be ok for refitting the screen. I did use an original cut too so it fitted like a panel should without modification.

So that's what patina looks like after a couple of British winters :shock:

It'll look good again soon no doubt!!!!

Hopefully will thanks. It has been running a bit longer than a couple of years, more like a few

 

[leon]

Looking good Leon! On track for the summer hols then? Let me know if you need a hand getting the screen in.

Hopefully Adam. May take you up on that offer, cheers.

 

[gninnam]

Cheers for that - keep up the good work.

 

[leon]

Moved onto the inner front panel and bottom of the 'A' posts.
Couldn't get a cut for this, so bit the bullet and decided to buy a klokken krappen panel. As It wasn't even slightly close to the original I decided to use it to replace sections and save original metal rather than replace the whole lot.
The inner panel was full of sand and rust and had left it looking like this.



Cut out as much as needed ready for modified klokken plop.



A little example of how good these panels are.
Front piece is how it should look, rear piece is what it actually looks like. :roll:





After some cuts, hammering, bending, swearing, it's starting to look a bit more how it should.



Welded in and a piece fabricated for the bottom of the 'a' post plus the additional overlapping piece.



and the fabricated 'a' post itself





Stopped taking photos at this point, but moved on to the other side which wasn't quite so bad, plus the middle piece. Took a finished picture with plenty of Dinitrol 900 painted on.









Will hopefully get the middle panel on soon.

 

[leon]

Placed the next piece on to see how little modifying it will need!
Perfect!!!! :lol:

 

[Airtime]

Good to see this thread updated again!

Great work on the front panel so far. 8) I'm shocked to see how terrible the fit of the repro panel is... :shock: :evil:

 

[Skidsurf]

great work Leon, very impressed with your welding!!

 

[gninnam]

How do they get away with selling cr@p like that :evil:

Glad to see it's moving on dude

 

[leon]

Cheers, for the coms.

How do they get away with selling cr@p like that :evil:

Glad to see it's moving on dude

Because we keep buying it, and there's no alternatives

Well, managed to finish the inner panel.



Front panel repair comes tomorrow. I do have a panel already, but it's the short one which I thought would be ok. Don't like the holes and the dents at the bottom of the valance, so decided to weld the higher panel in.

 

[USwesty]

Looking good Leon! How's the new portamig? Your repairs are awsome! So suprised how rusty it was On the underside of the front panel looked so solid on the outside.is dinitrol 900 paint or rustprofer?

 

[leon]

Cheers Alex.
Portamig is excellent. Reckon it's paid for itself already.
Dinitrol 900 is an epoxy primer/ rust convertor.

 

[leon]

Outer panel on. Would have cleaned it up more but it was late and didn't want to upset the neighbours.
Just weld the vent up and badge holes now for that super smooth look. 8)



Should have cleaned it before i took the pic :roll: Not a bad effort for a klokken ploppen.

 

[midlandpaintwerks]

Brilliant job Leon , so its true even hippies can weld.

 

[easy]

Very nice work 8)

 

[leon]

Thanks easy

Brilliant job Leon , so its true even hippies can weld.

It appears they can. Now, can anybody recommend a body shop in the Midlands that could paint the front?

Badge holes welded up and re drilled to the right size and all keyed up ready for a bit of filler.

 

[Lee C]

Looks class that like!!! 8)
Well done that man!