 |
 |
|
 |
 |
Stuff Needed:
A
willing helper
Welder(!)
Lots of molegrips
Sheet metal
Card for templates & scissors
Hacksaw with sharp blade
Riveter & 4 rivets
Grinder / nibbler & plenty of
cutting discs etc
Hammer & Dolly set
Tinsnips
Drill (to drill spotweld holes) or a hole punch if you have one
Assorted spanners
Adjustable Spanner
Trim removing tool or other
suitable prying device (flat blade screwdriver etc)
A sharp knife (if you're going to replace the front screen rubber)
Time taken: Can be done in a day or a w/e but take your time and don't rush
Front panels on late bays are fairly straightforward in that the panel needs no modification (unlike pre '68 bays that have to have a modified top half mates to and early bottom half - this will be covered at a later date). The IGP ones available from German & Swedish & the other usual suspects are ok & a pretty good fit.
Do I need a front panel?
A lot of people fit just the windscreen surround part of this panel. It all
depends on what the seams are like on the sides and the bottom. If these have
gone you are much better replacing the whole panel in one go. The pics below
show the tell-tale signs of a knackered front panel. Hhaving the spare wheel on
the front also kills off a number of front panels - like the last pic
|
|
|
|
|
Step 1: Stripping down
Here's a list of what needs to come off:
Headlights (3 screws)
Indicators (drill out 2 rivets per indicator & unplug connectors)
Front grill (6 - 8 screws)
Wiper motor
Front windscreen
Front Bumper (4 bolts)
Both Cab Doors (4 bolts and the check strap pin)
There are various methods of getting the windscreen out. If you are replacing
the rubber simply cut the old rubber where the glass goes into it. If you are
keeping it, start by levering the rubber from around one of the top corners with
the trim tool / screwdriver so that it clears the lip and then push the panel
with your feet (yep, feet - it shouldn't break). This will start the screen
pushing out continue this across the top of the screen, levering the rubber as
you go.
Have your helper on the outside holding onto it so it doesn't drop out & hit
the floor. Once the windscreen's out you can start assessing the damage in the
windscreen corners - a common rot spot.
The Scary Bit !
Now the front's stripped down the fun starts!
I usually grind off the old panel at the seams.
First, clean up the area around the air intake grill. you will see some spotwelds going round the outside of the air box in the U shaped channel.
Either cut these out using a spotweld cutter on a drill or carefully cut through them with the grinder (making sure not to go through the 2nd layer of metal.
Again, you can use a hammer and chisel if you prefer.
Next, make a cut vertically at the windscreen base just in front of the panel join as shown above (in the case of this van it was join the holes!). Make sure you're cutting through the old front panel only.
Next grind carefully down the edge of the panel where it wraps around the A
post. You should be able to grind through the outer panel and see the inner one
underneath. Take your time and don't go through them both.
Alternatively, grind a section at the top so you can see the 2 panels separate,
then use a hammer and chisel to separate the rest.
Repeat this on the bottom seam just above the bumper deformation panel (see pic
2 below).
That should be it & you can now remove the front panel. Take off any panel edge on the seams with the grinder or twist them off with
mole grips.
Assessing the Damage
What you will see now is similar to that in the photo's below (although hopefully a bit more solid).
The cross-member panel supports the dash and the front panel. This has nearly always gone in the corners. In the case of this van it was as solid as a teabag and crumbled to the touch.
The panel is available from Schofields for about £150 last time I asked, and
was made to order, but I
made my own out of sheet. If you do any repairs to this area or replace the panel offer up the windscreen and check the size of the gaps all round
before welding repair sections in -
you don't want to have it all welded in only to find it doesn't fit!
|
|
 |
|
 |
Also check the condition of the A posts. As can be seen in the 2nd pic above, these sometimes rot.
The best way to repair these is to cut out the rot and make up a card template (cereal box etc). Once this template fits the hole nicely, put it on some sheet metal and cut around it.
The rest of the cross member panel can be repaired in the same way. Grind down your welds so that they are nice & smooth.
Paint it with etch prime and topcoat and for the bits that will be welded to, a
layer of weld-through primer will do.
You may also need to repair some of the A post where the front panel wraps around using the same method.
Refitting
Before you refit the panel you need to drill holes for the spotwelds. Holes should be drilled on the vertical part of the panel across the
top where it meets the top of the front windscreen cross-member panel. Clean up the back of these so there are no burrs.
Do the same around the air intake to attach the panel to the airbox (these can be seen in pic
4 above).
The A post edges of the panel - originally, these were spotwelded to the A posts, so for a neat finish you can drill holes in these to spotweld them on.
However DON'T drill these yet. You may have to modify that area to fit.
Also, look at the back of the headlight bowls on the new panel. There is often a
hole where it joins the front on one side. weld this up now or you'll be forever
cursing the draughts.
Bend the A post & bottom edges of the new panel a bit straighter so that you can offer up the new panel to the van front.
Make sure this follows the shape of the windscreen panel. It's often easiest to match it up to the airbox vent first
Once you are happy that it all ligns up - remember measure thrice, cut once - and you have clamped it in place
top & bottom, you need to cut the windscreen pillars. Bend the windscreen pillar seam on the new panel out so that the windscreen pillars old & new are
touching
each other. Now clamp this in place. Using the hacksaw, cut through both pillar at once.
If at all possible try and avoid cutting through the pillar seam as this will
make finishing easier.
This method ensures a perfect fit and also gives the optimum gap for welding (the
thickness of the hacksaw blade). Repeat this for the other side.
Now unclamp the windscreen pillars, remove the excess you've just cut off and clean up the edges and areas that you are going to weld to.
Lign up the panel again & once again clamp it in place top and bottom. It should now be a perfect fit across the bottom of the windscreen and at the windscreen pillars.
At this point check the edges of the panel and make sure you can wrap the edges around the A posts.
What is important at this point is that the bend in the front panel meets the
edge of the A post that it wraps around. Repro panels sometimes need some work
in this area so if they wont reach keep fiddling with the clamps etc 'till they
do - they will stretch a bit but make sure they still fit over the deformation
panel ridge below.
Once you're happy, they will fold round ok, drill the spot welds down the sides
that will be wrapped over and across the top of the bit that will wrap around
the deformation panel at the bottom.
Weld in the spots around the airbox and the centre third of the windscreen area and the bottom panel.
also put a couple on each windscreen pillar to hold in in place.
Now you can start wrapping the edges of the panel. I usually clamp the panel in place top,
middle and bottom so that it is touching the A post.
Then, using the hammer and dolly start to wrap the panel around the A post edge. Work your way up and down the panel so that it all bends over at the same time (i.e. so one part isn't fully wrapped whilst another hasn't been
started).
Wrapping it progressively as one will prevent stretching of the panel where you don't want it. Repeat this process on the other side but DON'T WELD IT YET.
Now put refit the cab doors and check the alignment of the front of the door and the A post edge you've just wrapped. This should be nice and even all the way
down - see pic 5 below. Don't be tempted to leave it uneven as it will really stand out when the van has been
painted..
It's most likely the edges will need adjusting, so do this carefully using the hammer and dolly. Once you are happy with the gaps you can spotweld the panel / a post edges on.
Next finish the windscreen pillars together and wrap the seams if necessary.
Wrapping the bottom of the panel round the deformation panel lip can be a bit
awkward - I found a door skinning tool or modified molegrips* were the best for doing
this. Now finish off the spotwelding across the windscreen area and the bottom of the panel.
As shown in pic 5 below, this is wrapped around the top of the deformation panel
in the same way as the A posts were.
Finishing touches
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You will need a very thin skim of filler on the windscreen
pillars and down the edges, just in front of the doors to cover damage from getting the gaps
right and possibly a bit across the top of the bottom of the panel where it joins the deformation panel
when refitting the indicators you will probably have to drill the holes slightly bigger to rivet them in.
Waxoyl the box sections and the windscreen pillars and fit some sound deadening to the back of the panel.
Refitting the indicators
You'll probably find you need to enlarge the holes for mounting the indicators.
As well as the seal, it's also best to put some sealant behind each indicator.
These are the pop riveted in place. The pics below are for reference only -
drill all your holes before the new panel is painted.
|
|
|
|
Once you have painted the area you can now refit the front screen. To make fitting the screen easier and to stop that area rusting in the future fill the channel at the top of the panel with waxoyl.
*Modified molegrips - normal large long nose (straight) pair with tow squares of thick metal welded one onto each jaw to give a larger and smooth pressing tool. normal molegrips will do but they'll leave teeth marks in the metal.
