the results were as expected.
Over the past years most panels
being supplied needed to be
modified and adjusted during
fitting, so panels need to be fitted
and removed a few times during the
repair before welding them in place.
We use self-tapping screws as these
hold the panels firmly in place and
allow easy removal with the holes
being simply welded up when the
final fitment is being done.
Doors are notoriously difficult to
align even when simply replacing
- Trial fit of
front panel and
windscreen surround - First weld to
front panel - Front panel lip
is also bonded - First alignment
of door, dog-legs
and front panel
one for another but when all the
adjoining panels are being changed
it complicates things further. When
fitting doors it is imperative that you
fit the window frame at the same
time to make sure that they have a
good gap along the frame returns.
It is much simpler to move metal
about before it has been painted and
the better you get the metal aligned
the less filler or high build primer
is needed in the finishing stages.
Door gaps should be between 3 and
4 mm all round but a bus leaving thefactory was very rarely delivered
like this as it was a utility vehicle
being mass produced for a relatively
low price. With the evolvement
from utility panel van or truck to
Deluxe bus the trim option changed
but the panel build quality was still
very hit and miss. The standard of
restoration now is far above the
standard of the busses leaving the
factory 50 years ago and a lot of the
materials being used now are also of
a better quality.
We had in stock some dog leg
front wheel arch panels made buy
a company in the USA and have
been using these for a long time, but
comparing them to the new ones
that have just arrived from Taiwan
there is a clear difference in weight23
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