Club 80-90 Forums

Hi guys and girls.I have only posted a few times a relative newbie here,mainly asking questions etc.I bought Geno from wales just before new year and picked it up new years day,great start to new year but broke down on the way home.Any how i wanted to use him for the summer and then start on a rollin restoration type thing in autum,but the sight of rust and bent seems brings out the welder in me.I have restored a few things in the past first a bay window van,a beetle and lastly a Opel Manta that took me over 2 years.I can post some photos if any one interested.Not been sure how things go together on later buses i trawled through many a thread to get an idea, Metal Mickeys to name one for instance to give me some ideas.And after sorting panels from schofields got out the grinder.The thing i find with doing welding is you always go way past what you was expecting when you start to cut away at the rotting steel.Any way heres some picks.








The first panel i replaced was the fridge vent






And now started at the side and rear corner,up to now made a new panel for next to the battery behind the wheel arch,replaced part of the rear flange to wheel arch and made part of the lower swage line pressing.Everthing with these things is like a large jigsaw,you cant weld anything in until you are doubley sure everything lines up.








as you can see a lot of body filler went in to the old panel.









Thats all up to now will post more as soon as i can.hope your interested.Cheers Al.
Sorry to mention but as anyone used rivit nuts on rear corners before? as with them been the most open to the elements and rust it would be easier to unbolt to clear rust out of the seams.

Hi Geno De Campo. Good to see you're cracking on. First MOT on Wednesday I know I will need to weld a new panel in passenger footwell where water had collected for many years and now has a three inch hole, there's another under the post on the drivers side also the step is virtually all rust and lastly under the sliding window which has a two inch hole. I was wondering if you already knew how to weld or if you taught yourself - can anyone do it?

Cheers for the comments Flomard.I taught myself to weld after watching a good friend of mine,he is a old school trained panel beater/restorer.He as just about finished a 56 minor after 2 years work.The guy is that clever he has not bought a panel just repaired the old panels or made new.The best tip i can offer is buy at least a 150 amp welder and a good mask then cut back to good clean steel.Another tip is if your not going to replace a full panel keep as much original metal as you can.There is plenty of tips on the net including videos on youtube.After a while you will easly get the hang and start to get daring with your work, gettin more confident.If not see if you can borrow a mig and give it a go it's not that hard,honest.

Well it's been a few weeks now since i started the weldathon but things are coming on now.UP to now i have replaced the rear arch,rear lower corner,various fiddley bits,inner sill repair,jacking point repairs,made up a b post bottom,and lots of flanges.All to do now is the front arch then its paint time i hope.My plan is to finnish the off side this year and do the near side next year.Its getting to near to summer to start the other side me thinks.Hope the photos show what i have done up to now.Lucky i enjoy welding and making panels.

















Thats all for now cheers Al.