Replacing inner sills

[HarryMann]

Another one here Fidget that's done one, both front & rear, and well into the other side from scratch, all quite bad. Panelwork mostly 9/10, so preserving that takes thinking and planning time. Has worked so far though....

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ar ... ing_points

Utmost synmpathies It can only be your decision, but needs a big commitment as MetalMike says, to fabricate as best as poss anything missing... I replaced most of front & rear & fair bit of inner without buying-in any panels.. but wouldn't necessarily recommend it, just saying, can be done but v.slow to fab everything one-off.

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ar ... oss-member

May the blue arc of perfection be with you !

[Plasticman]

Lego van? cheek, that IS his van
mike

[fidget]

Cheers Harryman thats a good referance pic

Tomorrows weather is looking good so hopefully it will be a productive day. Hoping to get remainder of the crusty sill out and offer up the new one to get some idea of where to start putting back in new metal on the b & c posts.

James

[dugcati]

May the blue arc of perfection be with you !

Thats the welders quote of 2011!

Lego van? cheek, that IS his van

..Plastic doesn't rust and it make the bus better on fuel as it's much lighter


I cant take the credit for making the Lego T25 - only the credit for finding the webpage!...http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=333586.. the guy who built it makes all-sorts of Lego stuff

[fidget]

Well I left the sill alone today and finished off and tidied up a few bits and pieces

Ive finished the rear panel which I was working on before I fractured my arm before christmas. The bad weather and the plaster cast prevented me finishing it then, so got it done today

I started with this



ended up like this



fixed these





stayed like this for a while till me arm got better



Finaly got it finished today albeit till I get round to painting



even got round to cutting down the rear wheel studs so I could get the wheels to fit



then cleared out the back of the van as I havent a garage to store all the interior while the sills are being done.

Ready to attack the sills next weekend, neightbours have been warned

James

[Plasticman]

Good work there, never mind the painting, its whats underneath that matters most,
as for warning the nextdoors, well maybe have they got room for storage as Im sure it would make the job go quicker...
I think its a good idea to finnish a job as in your rear end as thats done and gives you a bit of inspiration to do the sill.
well thats my reasoning anyhow
mike

[fidget]

Hi Mike

Today was a kick up the bum/motivation day. The rear panal was a easy job to finish which once done made it look like a van again with obvious feel good results. Clearing the interior out now gives me the room to get started.

The previous owner had covered the origional door cards with naff blu materiel so I stripped all this out to . On the back of the drivers door card he had written a message 2 years ago about how he'd looked after the van and tried to keep it on the road but knew eventually it would be scrapped. Being able to prove him wrong is also another incentive to get it done as he still lives local .

Another big help is , we had a new neighbour move in before christmas who works nights. I try to show him some consideration with me noise on a saturday. But Had a chat with him today and he hasnt a problem as he pops a sleeping tablet and doesnt hear a thing

James

[Plasticman]

win win all round then, message almost sounds sad? post a picky up for posterity and as you say he will be supprised when he sees it
mike

[fidget]

The message is written in pencil and you can bearly read it , so I dont think it would show in a photo. I added "fortunatly brought by me in april 2010 and saved for enjoyment by myself and my family" signed and dated it and put the door card back on . Bit sad I know but felt like the right thing to do

Im not sure if he uses the forum as Im sure he would have recognised his old van by now. Which is strange as he still has another van as a daily.


James

[dugcati]

That's a nice looking back-end you got there seriously - keep at it, you've already had a taste of "that looks much better now it's fixed" get them sills done and the other bits and you'll be grinning like a Cheshire cat as you drive

Doug

[fidget]

Thanks for the compliment Doug

this is my first attempt at body work, Im pretty handy with the spanners and learnt to weld years ago but never got round to using the skills in anger.

It has taken me 8 months to get this far and its been a steep learning curve nearly chucked the towel in more times than I can remeber , drivers side rear corner was done twice as the first attempt wasnt that great. Now Id like to redo the passenger side having got a bit more confident/bit more hind sight but it does the job. Having learnt from my mistakes Its mainly the internal panels which look rough but im being a bit to picky as it seems to work.

One thing that constantly amazes me is the amount of interest I get from people outside of the vw circle who know what Im doing. People seem to treat what Im doing as some kind of alchemy , most of monday mornings at work are spent updating people on the progress. Guess its down to the its broke / chuck it mentality .

James

[Plasticman]

Part of that is true(last para) but also I find many folk amazed/fascinated by such as they are just not practical, lots of maybe interlectual ability (unlike my spelling) but no good hands on, I think also secretly folk wish it was them doing the stuff instead of paying the garages £40/hr upwards
when you finnish your van it will be yours, you wont be judged on it but congratulatred on acheiving it, if its good enough for you then its good enough, no doubt when youve finnished you will as youve said think that the first stuff is rubbish , its not its just that your better now, so I bet when your done youll have a break, use and enjoy it, you will know it inside out and I also bet you do another one
mike

[fidget]

Your not wrong mike

When i bust me arm I farmed out for quotes to do the sill as I just wanted the van done (been knocked off my bike didnt think I was going to be able to ride again due to damage) , cheapest was £900 based on just external views of the sill . God knows what it would be up to now the true rot has been exposed .

the problem Ive got is the wife wants a beetle

james

[HarryMann]

It has taken me 8 months to get this far and its been a steep learning curve nearly chucked the towel in more times than I can remeber ,

It is steep. I was constantly mourning my lack of oxy/acety outside where I work as that's what I always used to use as a lad. Now, after initially struggling with MIG, getting to know its ways, I reckon it took a couple of years, I'm happy to weld almost anything, anywhere with my Clarke 155 TE

In other words, it has finally 'clicked' and I'm working the torch better (tended to be too far from job) and seem to find the power and feed 'sweet spot' first time now, more often than not. There's just a few situations where I find the MIG nozzle ridiculously bulky and clumsy compared to gas, but the lack of distortion especially when taking a few precautions, the speed (not to forget lower cost than gas) certainly makes up for minor niggles

[fidget]

Mike

What guage steel did you use for the jacking point reinforcing plate?

I was going to be a cheapskate and flatten out the old jacking point off the van and use that as the new sill comes with a jacking point on it, not got a ready source of plate steel .

cheers

James