Replacement Panel Advice

[fodtommo]

I am about to replace the rear wheel arch, and lower side/sill on the offside of my van.

I have a full height wheel arch panel and a sill/side panel repair section.

My question is this:

the side panel repair piece does not have a return lip at each end as I thought it would have, whats the best way to weld it in?

I could butt weld but id lose the seam. I thought I could tack a return lip onto it?, or weld from the inside?

how have other people done this one?

Any thoughts gratefully recieved

[jimpainter]

Personally I make up a return on both edges and spot weld it in. They are sometimes longer than needed so will require some cutting down.

[fodtommo]

Thanks this what I had decided to do, and yes is longer - appreciate a pros input though. I spent most of my youth welding cars, but thisll be the first time in 10 yrs!! so gotta get my eye in first!! any other tips for tall back arch, sill panel ad rear corner!?

[jimpainter]

The rear tall arches again are normally slightly too long. The last one I did I had to shrink it by 5mm to get the flange to sit flat on the c post and look right. Height wise they arn't too bad, its just getting the swages to line up thats the trick.

[Plasticman]

yep , the pattern panals 'seem' to be struck for the non slider side so are a touch too long to fit snug to the c post as has been pointed out,and often work reasonably well on the non slide side
with regards to the sill panal , my thoughs on those are known but thats a personal thing and not really pertinant but do you need to remove the entire sill up to the vertical seam, In ask cos often the rot isnt this far and so a join prior to the seam would save disturbing it, and make life a touch easier
mm

[fodtommo]

yep , the pattern panals 'seem' to be struck for the non slider side so are a touch too long to fit snug to the c post as has been pointed out,and often work reasonably well on the non slide side
with regards to the sill panal , my thoughs on those are known but thats a personal thing and not really pertinant but do you need to remove the entire sill up to the vertical seam, In ask cos often the rot isnt this far and so a join prior to the seam would save disturbing it, and make life a touch easier
mm

well on both panels I only plan to use what I need, arch was just a bit too far gone for the mid arch panel, so I have a ful one with the intention of chopping it down.

Sill is a funny one really, a previous owner had the rotten sill replaced by a 'garage' (I have the receipt - it says bodywork specialists ) who chopped out the lower sill, and kind of welded a piece of steel from the bottom lip straight up to about 25mm above the old sill line. it works but is crude (although they went to trouble to butt weld it???!. Where they joined it to the side panel the must have just run a long weld non stop as the localised distortion is awful on the bottom edge of the side panel. so I will be going nowhere near as high as the lower swage. im not entirely sure whats going on as it was covered by said garage in some very thick black stone chip paint which I ve never had the guts to remove before!! ..... it kept passing the MOT and I wanted to go camping...

Really hope this panel could be welded as you suggest, especially @ the front edge, the backs not an issue as it will be meeting the new panel.

Really appreciate your thoughts guys, when youve not done it for a while you kinda forget how to approach these things!

[Plasticman]

why dont you take a few picks tommorow and post up , be able to give a better idea of why they did it (maybe) and maybe a suggestion for your repairs, get the black shyte off, its hiding stuff that may not be so bad..
mm

[fodtommo]

get the black shyte off, its hiding stuff that may not be so bad..

If thats true itll be the first sill ever covered in thick black stone chip for cosmetic reasons!!

[fodtommo]

Will try and get some picks up tomorrow

[Plasticman]

well I like a very thin coat of panal guard over mint painted and prepped metal prior to topcoating , its not to hide but protect,and stones and stuff do bounce off without revealing bare metal. that said i would be fearfull if I found it and didnt have proof of whats unnder it.
mm