Priming the body

Finished the welding on the passenger side.  Had a couple small pin holes at the bottom of the B pillar and C pillar.  Cleaned them up nice and then sandblasted to get rid of any and all residue or welding slag.

Started taping things up and got to thinking about the rearmost side windows.  In truth, I have been battling in my head on the proper way to deal with them (which is to remove them) versus wanting to keep as much crap out of the van as possible.  I solved this dilemma today.

What I decided to do is to carefully carve off the outer edge of the rubber moulding.  I left just enough to secure the window in place but allow for access deep into the window orifice.

The picture on the right shows the difference in access between where I had sandblasted yesterday right up to the edge of the rubber moulding, and the additional access provided by carving up the moulding.

As you can see, the window still stays in place just fine.  I sandblasted the window frame when I did the lower welded spots.

Looks good, and I am sure (and pleased) of the condition under the moulding.  Now the epoxy primer has been laid, across the whole passenger side up through the raingutter.

Does not look like much without all the add on parts and the doors, and it has taken me too long to get to this point, but we are progressing.

Finished the nose

Today I was able to spend some time and finish the nose panels.

The asphalt shingles inserted in the front end are to protect the radiator from sandblasting media.

Finished up the welding.  ground it smooth as possible and sandblasted it clean.  Also cleaned up the new bumper panel, the air intake and prepped the bumper support itself for priming.

Now the nose is complete, with all its metal work.  It will require the high build primer next, and then any bodywork.

Quite a difference?

Also started on the slider door.  Got it removed, gutted and ready to put on a stand to strip it.  I was having such a difficult time with it hung.  Too many coats of paint, just easier off the van.

Will be better this way anyhow.  I will be painting all the doors off the van, so I can also paint the door jambs.  With the square off edges of the front door's design it will be easy to tape them cleanly, and the rear hatch and slider are easy as well, so why not paint them off the van?

More bodywork

Have some final touch up work to do, but essentially the nose is done.  Today was especially trying.  It was 9 degrees outside when I went to garage to work.  After an hour, the propane burner had gotten the temperature up to a balmy 45, but I was having issues with the propane tank valve freezing up so every few minutes I would need to shake the tank to get some more heat.  Did not assist the chemical stripper process at all.

The picture of the front end shows the bottom piece that meets up with the bumper support that is going to be replaced.  I have the panel already, and you can see from the picture is has rust spots and is still painted (somewhat). 

  

While we are waiting on one panel's chemicals to work, I finish up the nitty gritty of another panel.  The top of the B pillar received some attention today.  I took out the spot blaster only to realize that the space is too small for that particular tool and I will have to wait until I get a pot type blaster to do that crevice.  Otherwise. the panel is done and beautiful. There is some small points of body work that need to be attended to, but rather than going the route of the new age body man and use copious amounts of body filler we will try the old fashioned heat and hammering to get the panels where they should be and minimize the plastic filler.

Finding more oxidation spots under the paint that needs to be spot blasted. 

Today's flavor was a Don Raphael, made by Victor Sinclair.  A medium bodied smoke with less flavor than yesterday's La Gloria Cubana and primary music choice was the Dropkick Murphy's.

I did start on the slider door as well today.  It is a replacement from a prior owner and I found Orly blue paint.  It also had a strange series of holes down the middle of the panel, not for the later model cladding, for something else and I am further confused.

This blue paint was being stubborn in the cold, so I broke out an electric radiant heater to warm the panel up from the sub 50 degree ambient temperature.

Still have 3/4 of the panel to do including the interior of the panel, so I will take it off soon to do that in a horizontal position and probably at my friends body shop where it is warmer.

While I was waiting on multiple coats upon the slider, I took it upon myself to start the passenger rear corner.  First order of business was to remove the bodywork I knew was upon the rear arch to find this (picture on right).  Since I was aware of this panel being worked on, I ordered it from Bus Depot (and the same panel for the other side).  Unfortunately the passenger side has been on back order since November.  May have to source it out elsewhere.  I will need it soon.

Started removal with a hammer and sharp chisel.  My compressor is dying and I will probably have to replace it soon.  It just cannot keep up with an air tool like the cutoff wheel or angle grinder.

To explain the rear corner panel's removal may be a bit confusing, but the rear seam of the panel is attached as the inner most panel and can easily be separated.  The front of the panel is the same way.  The top of the panel is another story.  It is tucked between the floor piece and the tab of the upper panel.  Sort of the middle of a sheet metal sandwich.  Understand?  This is important to know as just tearing out the panel is not so simple.  It is possible to tear up the floor and make alot more work for yourself.

The rear corner panel can easily be removed, which I did.  And have these panels for both sides waiting to be reinstalled.

I am lucky on this side.  The other panels at these joining areas are in great condition.  Cleaning up the areas with grinder and sandblaster for welding / sealing will be much simpler and a better finished end product.  I am pleased with today's efforts.

With cigar smoked, feet cold as hell and my few hour allotment filled productively, its time to go play with my son and thaw out.  Indoors!