Big bumpers and side planks removal

[Sleedale]

Our van came with the big front and rear bumpers with the side planks/pods. While some folks love them, personally I don't. They collect mud and other random muck, and make it very, very difficult to shuffle underneath the van when it's parked on the drive. Having looked at them, it appears that the front and back ones are bolted on to the original bumpers? Is this likely to be the case? I do know that the side plank on the sliding door, has for some weird reason, been screwed through the door with bits of wood, found that when I removed the door card, but I'm hoping the rest of them are simply stuck in place?
I've bought a new sliding door card and clips as the old one has again been screwed on, so aim to remove it and then remove the planks from the outside. My garage have offered to remove them but I'd quite like to do what I can myself.
I know it will leave the van tatty, I'm hoping, against hope, there isn't any major rust, but I'd rather know now than continue to leave it and hope for the best.
Any advice for this little project would be gratefully received

Thank you

[multisi]

Sounds like right hand drive reproductions , vw only made them for left hand drive models. how yours are fixed on is anyones guess. If you dont like them get em off and patch it up. dont damage them though , could be worth putting them up for sale.

[Sleedale]

So far I have managed to remove the sliding door plank, the small pods either side of the sliding door.
All of them have been fixed to the van in the same way - a couple of pieces of wood have been gunged and screwed to the body, and the fibreglass planks then glued/gunged to the wood and the body.
Getting the planks off isn't too hard.......removing the remaining gunge is proving impossible and very demoralising. I'll try to take some photos of the rest of it all today.
Might well turn into one of those things I wish I'd never started

[Sleedale]

this is offside, after I removed the plank and is by far the worst I found. Bad enough, but I have managed to remove the gunge, using a scalpel carefully for folks who need to know.
All the planks were fitted the same way, pieces of wood were stuck and screwed to the body, leaving nice rusty holes behind, and then the fibreglass planks were stuck to the wood and sealed round the tops and sides with yet more gunge.
Anyhow, the poor van looks a sight but at least I can see what is happening at last.
And all the panels came off intact, so assuming the bumpers come off ok as well, I will be offering them for sale on here and on FB in the near future

[multisi]

Looks like the jacking point/suspension mount area is on its last legs, that needs a proper professional look at, its not just cosmetic !

[silverbullet]

They sound a bit like the old Volksmagic plank kits. Mine has got grp brackets in place of the molded nylon VW ones and there were a couple of bits of wood encapsulated into the ends of the 1-piece rear bumper.

Sent from my Gizmondo

[Sleedale]

Looks like the jacking point/suspension mount area is on its last legs, that needs a proper professional look at, its not just cosmetic !

It's going to the garage on Tuesday for some hoses and pipes replacing and these areas looking at.
I've dug sound the jacking point and surprisingly underneath, once you get past the crumbly stuff, it feels quite solid. The panels above are shot, but the stuff along the bottom isn't too bad.....anyhow, what needs doing for safety will be done, hopefully some new metal can replace the really bad stuff, but I'm afraid the rest, if it's not going to drop off, will have to wait. We can treat (and fill......shhhhhh) some of the stuff and get it good enough to paint for this year, maybe, perhaps, hopefully. Have yet to see what happens when the bumpers come off.
Whoever did this, did it as well as could be....well apart from screwing through every panel and sticking lumps of rough wood in there
If my garage can replace metal and put a coat of rust proffer on it, we can bodge the rest for now. We even own a small sander now.....

[restoman]

I did a Komet a while ago with the same bodykit on it
That left a real mess when removed, it was hiding all sorts of horrors
You'll be wasting your time patching & filling tbh, it will fester away underneath
Don't want to sound negative, just offering an opinion that hopefully helps!
The trailing arm mount definitely needs investigating
Gave the bodykit away to a guy who plans on making them ( without wooden mounts I hope)
Best of luck

[Sleedale]

I did a Komet a while ago with the same bodykit on it
That left a real mess when removed, it was hiding all sorts of horrors
You'll be wasting your time patching & filling tbh, it will fester away underneath
Don't want to sound negative, just offering an opinion that hopefully helps!
The trailing arm mount definitely needs investigating
Gave the bodykit away to a guy who plans on making them ( without wooden mounts I hope)
Best of luck

You mean to say the wooden mounts were meant to be there?
I do understand what you are saying about patching, but unless it's vital, like the trailing arm mount....if that's the same as the jacking point, which will be sorted, it'll have to wait, funds won't allow any other and I can't weld, neither can OH. Just need it to drag on for a while longer, but I'm still pleased I took the planks off, even if it's shown up rubbish. At least I can see what's going on, even if it's depressing.
Sad thing is two days ago it didn't look too bad

[Plasticman]

bit sad that, well you know what they should be like behind there, yes leave the skanky stuff in the seams etc but make good the steel in there no patching up as your arm really does need it,good luck
mm

[Sleedale]

bit sad that, well you know what they should be like behind there, yes leave the skanky stuff in the seams etc but make good the steel in there no patching up as your arm really does need it,good luck
mm

Thank you mm, I'm hoping the garage can do the arm and the really bad panel on the offside for not a huge bill. If I only had that to do it wouldn't be too bad, but there are several water/coolant hoss and pipes need replacing. Huge thanks to Brickwerks for their patience and skill in working out which bits I need, should arrive tomorrow and hopefully not too difficult to fit, then front brakes will need doing soonish. But I really did want the body kit off, hate stuff hiding and anyhow couldn't shuffle underneath (I'm no Twiggy ) and somehow it didn't look right. Just want a straight van to go camping in

The big laugh is......it passed the MoT a few weeks ago so perhaps nothing is about to fall apart, and although the arm is crunchy and rotting the jacking point underneath still feels like solid metal the rest of the seams, rusty holes etc will have to wait and the van can be patchwork as long as it's not rusting more. Don't need shiny just now, just reliable, running well and not dropping apart.

One day, I will have the whole van restored, properly. Cos I'd love to keep it going.

[Sleedale]

So, now I have holes to fill, rust to treat, apart from the welding that the garage will have to do. Will filler be the right thing for the holes? Or should I use small bits of fibreglass and cover it or treat it or whatever one does with fibreglass? And where is the best place to buy vactan? Going to start sanding the rusty bits today, hopefully. And if I just do a bit at a time, maybe I can end up with a van that I can paint?

[Sleedale]

Well, van came home today, minus the big bumpers however, the original front bumper is ok, needs end caps, but the rear bumper is no use so will have to be replaced, still maybe one out of two ain't bad. There's a lot to do now, can't have all the panels replaced so will have to make do and mend and the trailing arm will be welded properly quite soon. Paint, rollers even a sander bought, so much sanding and prepping due and then maybe, perhaps, with some good luck, might be able to at least make it look presentable.

Wish me luck.....