Club 80-90 Forums

Ok heres one to ponder.

If you're not familiar with the structural front end of a t25, one of the most inaccessible places is below the windscreen (certainly from behind even with the dash removed). My bus has had this dent since I got it. Presumably they hit a post or something but its pushed back in the centre by a good inch.

I accept some filler work but an inch is a bit much. Any ideas how I should deal with this?

OUch ouch, can you get under there when the grill is off?

Nope Tis almost like a double skin.

Darn, i pushed out a front corner on my doka but it wasn't that successful really, still a bit wavy. I don't know what the access is like with the dash out, but thats a pooh job I've heard.

Theres not enough room to even squeeze a cold chisel in from behind even with the dash out. Someone suggested welding a few tack points in the dent and using that to pull on. Another said drill holes and hook it out. I just have no idea but Iv'e reached the point where I have to deal with it.

Drilling holes and pulling out would be the best idea i think...then u only have to fill a couple holes...and maybe u cud fill the smaller dents that are left...think thts the best option..Try type in google 'Dent removal' there are different methods on there how to remove dents.Hope this helps.

cant really see the length of the dent, but if you can get the lip at the bottom "nearly" straight using drill holes or weld etc you could use cheap filler in there, remove all the paint where the filler will be(and an extra inch around the filler) when the filling is nearly ready, go over it with good "stopper" and carry on sculpting. nothing is impossible!! it will not be simple. just look at it, imagine how you think it could be done and just do it. my mate has worked in a body shop for 20 years and his wife had a small bang in her mx5 which revealed that the car was made of filler, so he filled it some more, painted it, took the money from the insurance and sold the filler, err car.

You could take it to a body shop and aske them to help. They tack these copper rods to it and then use a slide hammer to pull them out, offer em cash££££££££££££££££££££££.....
you never know......
lhd......................

straightened out my beetle wing by tackwelding to dent and pulling. Looks ugly but don't panic, keep going until you have pulled out as much as you can. Then remove any blobs of weld left and fill.

Before you get the MIG on the job tho just check how strong the panel is or you could be tacking to v thin metal.

Good luck

only way your going to get that anything like is with a new upper front panel the metal is to stretched and you cant get behind it to shrink it, by the time you have pulled it out to anything near to the correct shape and then filled it end to end it would have been quicker and easyier to put in a new panel. A good second hand panel could be used to cut costs

Considered that but that'll mean windscreen and dash out plus welding and time to do it. You could well be right but it'd cost a fair bit to do replacing the panel. That said, rot along the bottom edge of the windscreen is synonymous with these (same as Type 2's). I may do that in longer term but for now I think pulling it out is my opnly route - that or live with the dent.

I'd have a panel fitted.

But have also been amazed at a good filler job

Anyone in the Midlands fancy a weekend welding job then?

C&D refinishers, watery lane, Wednesfield. Wolves

these guys are good, cheap and take cash.

they did my van, richnewtons, and others

call them..have a chat, at least you'll know how much one option is

(the filler option)

you could put in a part panel section to avoid messing with factory seams just fit the affected area. remove the screen drill out spot weld's on flange remove grill drill out spot welds on flange cut from screen flange down to grill flange on both sides of the dent, remove the centre piece of metal cut out matching piece from good second hand panel joggle side edges fit in and line up. spot weld 1/2" at a time keep moving on 2" every time to keep distortion to a minimum grind back welds flat and thin small skim of filler job done