Removing body panel that covers the sliding door track?

[Captain Tuba]

Hi folks - de-rusting the bus is going well but I've come up with a snag.

How do I remove the little body panel that covers the sliding door track?

I've managed to get the two retaining screws out.
I can see with a mirror that the upper edge is retained somehow.

What do I do next - tap it upward with a mallet?

Is it fixed from the inside?

Cheers
C.T.

[Nicola&Tony]

Spray lots of Plusgas or WD40 along the top edge of the panel, wiggle the bottom edge in and out a bit to try and get some movement around the top, then hold a piece of wood along the bottom edge of the panel and tap it with a hammer, working your way back and forth along the length of the panel. It worked for me on both sides of our van.

Tony

[Nicola&Tony]

Is it fixed from the inside?

No it isn't, the top of the panel has a lip on it which slots into a channnel, or some clips iirc.

Tony

[Captain Tuba]

Thanks folks - let's see how some penetrating spray works on it.

Tea break over

C.T.

[kit]

When it is off be carefull how you store it as they bend very easy I left mine on the bed and a mate's (ex mate) kids decided to use it as a bouncy castle. All he could say was how good they were taking thier shoes off without being told

[Captain Tuba]

Well the panel is off.

I used a mallet - and I still managed to crack the paint a little at the back corner.

As you tap the panel up, gently, you need to pull the bottom of the panel out so that the panel brackets clear the brackets on the van.

Starting at the front and working backwards seemed to get things moving.

Unfortunately the paint on the channel chipped as I removed the panel.
A bit of rust treatment & zinc primer should sort it out.

Cheers
C.T.