Step one. Bought the van.
Hello Everybody, First post. I camp a lot in tents but after spending three days straight in a tent in the rain at Dolly Sods I swore I'd make a change. Here it is. Bought it Wednesday. Dro...
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Advanced up the van to the door and the "B" pillar.
This photo is looking up into the rocker panel and B pillar from underneath. In the lower right corner is a metal plate that spans the bottom two parts of the B pillar. This plate is totally rusted out and was removed. In the lower center is black foam. That was all removed. In the upper middle is a flap of rusted metal. That was also removed.
This photo is look forward into the rocker panel. Finally reached a point where there is some solid unrusted metal.
Start cutting away the rust and wire wheeling the rest.
Looking into the rocker panel towards the front you can see that there was a second metal layer inside. I'm not going to try and recreate this.
Weld the back plate on first.
Here's an aid to help me shape the metal. Draw parallel lines down the metal sheet and number them. This allows me to keep the sheet centered on the angle iron as I hammer down the line.
Weld on the front rocker panel.
Since the metal is in better shape here I don't cut away as much.
Can use a smaller replacement panel.
Last replacement rocker panel.
continued
Advanced up the van to the door and the "B" pillar.
This photo is looking up into the rocker panel and B pillar from underneath. In the lower right corner is a metal plate that spans the bottom two parts of the B pillar. This plate is totally rusted out and was removed. In the lower center is black foam. That was all removed. In the upper middle is a flap of rusted metal. That was also removed.
This photo is look forward into the rocker panel. Finally reached a point where there is some solid unrusted metal.
Start cutting away the rust and wire wheeling the rest.
Looking into the rocker panel towards the front you can see that there was a second metal layer inside. I'm not going to try and recreate this.
Weld the back plate on first.
Here's an aid to help me shape the metal. Draw parallel lines down the metal sheet and number them. This allows me to keep the sheet centered on the angle iron as I hammer down the line.
Weld on the front rocker panel.
Since the metal is in better shape here I don't cut away as much.
Can use a smaller replacement panel.
Last replacement rocker panel.
continued
