Club 80-90 Forums

In the spirit of old-school serious custom work...

Has anybody seen or attempted shaving the gutters? Know what's involved? Is it possible? Any pictures?

Michael

Shouldn't think that that's a good idea.

The gutters are structurally imortant ...take a look inside (from above) and you will see the spotwelds where the roof and side panels where welded together.

(That's why rusty gutters are such a nightmare)

peasant wrote:Shouldn't think that that's a good idea.

The gutters are structurally imortant ...take a look inside (from above) and you will see the spotwelds where the roof and side panels where welded together.

Oh, I know that, Gutters often structural on older vehicles, hasn't stopped folks taking them off and welding up the seam afterwards...

Just wondering if people had gone the custom route with our beloved big tin boxes. The aerodynamic improvement could be worrth a good couple MPG

My first experience of de-seamed gutters was on this bay, my first car, so-to-speak, which I bought in 1990 when she was 18 years old and very rusty. I angle ground above and below the gutter, removed gutter, placed some box section steel inside between the pillars, and tied the wall to the roof with seam welds. A good deal of filler later and she was as round as a loaf.


Le Puy en Vallay in 1993


The VW door seals are not upto keeping the water out without the rain gutter, but you can buy stick on gutter drips from Fiamma.

I de-seamed as the rain gutter was fooked. Not very difficult, and on a Bay looks good.

Not mine, but nicely done.


Never seen it on a T3, the shape doesnt lend its self quite so well.

Be the first.

Simon.

syncrosimon wrote:Never seen it on a T3, the shape doesnt lend its self quite so well.

Be the first.

Simon.

Oh, I dunno, nice clean boxy corners...

I'd love to, it's way down the list of priorities at the moment. Yep, it would definitely need rain channels adding to the doors and rubber in new interesting places. I've a feeling the front doors would look wrong if the whole front gutter was taken off though... I'll re-visit the idea sometime. Just wondered if anybody had pics.

Hi guys you would have to reweld inside van such as angle /box section as when you cut gutters out chances are the two may part (body and roof ) also you are going to get bloody wet when you open drivers door in rain !! lol but eh differnt any one want to lend me their bus to try it ! done quite a few mods in my time deseamed few buses / shaved the front on bays etc

Not about to mess with the welding at the moment but I might roll the gutters just a little...

Looks like the front top edge of the doors would be proud of the body if you take the front gutter off, so won't be doing that in a hurry...

mmm that does look nice on that bay

not so good.if you have a drive away awning..

ah - good point there Rob - bit of a pain in the bum but I suppose you could go down the bungee/suckers route though