1972 Commer PB - another Resto thread

As I wasn't sure how to progress with the cylinder head, I distracted myself with bodywork - i need to start somewhere.

My welding and fabricating skills are pretty basic, but having watched many videos on youtube and watched people in real life so picked up my grinder and had a go. I tried the cut and butt method as demonstrated by Fitzee's fabrication

a big hole



big hole cut out and replaced with proper metal



I will get better at this. Owning a Commer, there is enough repair and fabrication work required for me to practice on!
 
Nothing wrong with that repair. Is that just a test panel or are you going to work your way along?
 
i have written a long list of panels to order from Martin, including this one. There is only one more bad area, I will attempt a repair before deciding whether to replace or not
 
Folks

Lots of work going on, and I will write an update shortly.

I have a quick tech question. I am about to refit the oil filter housing. As you can see from the photo below, the gasket is past its first flush of youth. Can i still buy such a gasket (I have checked Martin's website and cannot see one listed). If I need to make one, do I do so from standard gasket paper or do I need to make it from some other material such as silicone? I am guessing that as this sits on the oil system, I should avoid gasket sealant to prevent a blockage in the oil system?

 
LMR said:
As I wasn't sure how to progress with the cylinder head, I distracted myself with bodywork - i need to start somewhere.

My welding and fabricating skills are pretty basic, but having watched many videos on youtube and watched people in real life so picked up my grinder and had a go. I tried the cut and butt method as demonstrated by Fitzee's fabrication

a big hole



big hole cut out and replaced with proper metal



I will get better at this. Owning a Commer, there is enough repair and fabrication work required for me to practice on!
Click to expand...
Tony is a top bloke. I've learned loads from him too. Even managed to get some of the flex cut grinding discs from the states.
 
If you can't find one get some Flexoid gasket paper. 0.8mm should do the trick and you will have plenty left for those other odd gaskets that creep up on you. You shouldn't need any sealant on the gasket just a smear of grease to keep it in place when fitting.
 
Has anyone ever done a write up on how to replace the fluted side sills? I am getting dangerously close to starting work on this. If there are any pointers out there, I would appreciate someone sharing a link
 
I've not replaced them ( well I have many years ago before I knew what I was doing so we'll draw a veil across that sorry episode :rolleyes: ) but what I've seen other do, if not replacing the inner sills as well, is to slice the old fluted panel the full length about a 1/4" down from the join and cut the new panel to suit then tack together and then carefully fully weld (after carrying out any repairs necessary to the inners)
To do it properly there's a lot of spot weld drilling to do as the sill to body join also includes the floor edge in the sandwich, you should be able to drill out the spot welds from the inside if it's a bare shell.

Image.jpg
 
Panky said:
I've not replaced them ( well I have many years ago before I knew what I was doing so we'll draw a veil across that sorry episode :rolleyes: ) but what I've seen other do, if not replacing the inner sills as well, is to slice the old fluted panel the full length about a 1/4" down from the join and cut the new panel to suit then tack together and then carefully fully weld (after carrying out any repairs necessary to the inners)
To do it properly there's a lot of spot weld drilling to do as the sill to body join also includes the floor edge in the sandwich, you should be able to drill out the spot welds from the inside if it's a bare shell.

View attachment 7884
Click to expand...
This drawing is giving me bad flashbacks Panky
 
Well, the above diagram gave me plenty to think about!

To allow myself some more thinking time (some might call it prevarication), I took the opportunity to spray the panels I bought from Martin with two pack primer. I am terrified of two pack paints, but have found a primer at rustbuster which is two pack but does not contain the nasties of usual two pack paint. Unlike most primers, it is resistant to moisture, so panels won't rust before the top coat goes on.

I donned all the recommended safety gear



and put plenty of paint on







The bottom edge of the bodywork above the rear wheel is pretty frilly. also, the return lip has long since departed.





You will see in the pictures that I have drawn a line on the bodywork 150mm above the line of where the bodywork should be. I did consider using this as the reference for replacement metal, but also realised the panel is very stretched in this area, and has a lot of oil canning. So i kept the line as a reference, and clamped a piece of box section in place to replicate the line of the lower sill, and added new metal work to align with that.

First I cleaned the corner up



Fabricated a new panel



Clamped box section in place and welded new piece in place.





And another piece



These sections have straightened up the panel. I have ended up with one high spot, but oil canning has been eradicated, and I think I have far more of a chance of the lower sill fitting.

There will be a pause before my next update. My daily driver BMW alternator failed recently. Mission creep has kicked in, and I am renewing the suspension, wheel bearings and a tonne of other parts. There is logic to it, but I might struggle to explain the logic!!
 
Looking good, I like the use of the box section as a reference line :)
Keep going with the updates it's been ages since we've had a resto thread.
 
LMR said:
Well, the above diagram gave me plenty to think about!

To allow myself some more thinking time (some might call it prevarication), I took the opportunity to spray the panels I bought from Martin with two pack primer. I am terrified of two pack paints, but have found a primer at rustbuster which is two pack but does not contain the nasties of usual two pack paint. Unlike most primers, it is resistant to moisture, so panels won't rust before the top coat goes on.

I donned all the recommended safety gear



and put plenty of paint on







The bottom edge of the bodywork above the rear wheel is pretty frilly. also, the return lip has long since departed.





You will see in the pictures that I have drawn a line on the bodywork 150mm above the line of where the bodywork should be. I did consider using this as the reference for replacement metal, but also realised the panel is very stretched in this area, and has a lot of oil canning. So i kept the line as a reference, and clamped a piece of box section in place to replicate the line of the lower sill, and added new metal work to align with that.

First I cleaned the corner up



Fabricated a new panel



Clamped box section in place and welded new piece in place.





And another piece



These sections have straightened up the panel. I have ended up with one high spot, but oil canning has been eradicated, and I think I have far more of a chance of the lower sill fitting.

There will be a pause before my next update. My daily driver BMW alternator failed recently. Mission creep has kicked in, and I am renewing the suspension, wheel bearings and a tonne of other parts. There is logic to it, but I might struggle to explain the logic!!
Click to expand...
I’m getting deja vu and the jitters watching you tackle the same stuff I did. Nice work
 
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well, it has been a while since I did an update. A small hole in the sill of my Mercedes camper became a mammoth welding task. When I get a moment I will load up the pics in other projects.

The sketch from Panky about gave me plenty to think about. Given the floor next to the sill needs repairing, and after a closer look at the inner sill I decided to replace rather than repair, I have decided to go with a full repair.

The pic below shows the condition of the floor, and showing where I have drill spot welds out.



Inner sill had lots of areas to repair



So, once the spot welds and floor was cut out it was time to separate the sill from the bodywork. It was patient work with the chisel.





which left me with this



You will also see I have put the new inner sill in place. The fit of the panel is amazing, great work from Martin. I haven't welded the inner sill in yet as I will be replacing the front inner sill.

I am a long way from fitting the new outer sill, but I did lift it into position briefly for a bit of a boost. Again, the panel bought from Martin is fantastic

 
I have just been going through my photos of what I achieved over Christmas. The short answer is not a lot!

The flange of the bodywork on the rear corner was pretty much none existent. As the photos show, I marked a reference line, trimmed the rusty metal out, welded in a flat sheet of steel, ground the edge back, and applied a coat of primer. I have not used any filler, and pretty pleased with the result :)





 
That's a great finish, well done:cool:
I like the way you approached that repair, I'll be pinching that idea:)
 
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