Tall 3/4 wheel arch panel where to cut?

Thin bits of metal and bright blue light. Including glass & trim.

Moderators: User administrators, Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
sweetaswesty
Registered user
Posts: 150
Joined: 24 Jun 2013, 12:47
80-90 Mem No: 12543
Location: Herts

Tall 3/4 wheel arch panel where to cut?

Post by sweetaswesty »

I can't decide where to cut the tall 3/4 wheel arch panel before I fit it? I've got an expensive VW panel that includes the full wheel arch and the window frame and goes right up to the roof.
The VW bodywork manual says cut it on the red line A I've marked - about two inches above the window opening. That means stitch welding across the short sections at the top, tack welding down the sides from the outside until the point marked by the blue line where you can then plug weld from the inside. The window frame part is plug welded into place.
The advantage of doing it this way maybe is that the chance of serious distortion to the panel is minimised?
The alternative seems to me to be to cut on the blue line B which looks much simpler and quicker? Less cutting, fewer spot welds to drill out. And maybe with careful stitch welding across this pressed section the chances of distortion wouldn't be too high?
Any thoughts?
Also the VW bodywork manual says cut the inner arch along the yellow line C I've marked right up against the inner frame. Which means overhead plug welding from below.
Whereas if I kept as much of the original wheel arch as possible I could plug weld from the top from inside the van? But that would mean cutting most of the beautiful new inner arch out of my new panel.
Decisions... any advice would be gratefully received.
wheel arch panel cut.jpg
wheel arch panel cut.jpg (130.55 KiB) Viewed 3506 times
1991 Westfalia California Hightop1.9tdi

User avatar
Ant-t
Registered user
Posts: 1954
Joined: 05 Jan 2015, 14:17
80-90 Mem No: 14390
Location: West Sussex

Re: Tall 3/4 wheel arch panel where to cut?

Post by Ant-t »

I cut along B when I did mine, the seam at C had rusted out with the edge of the wheel arch which I replaced with new metal. The repair panel I used has a fake seam at C where the wheel arch is, I won't need to think about it rusting out again :rollin
1983 DG Kamper 2

davidoft1
Trader
Posts: 2579
Joined: 27 May 2009, 18:56
80-90 Mem No: 16628
Location: hayling island

Re: Tall 3/4 wheel arch panel where to cut?

Post by davidoft1 »

If you have the genuine panel cut at A , it will be a much better and easier job, minimal filler and distortion

User avatar
sweetaswesty
Registered user
Posts: 150
Joined: 24 Jun 2013, 12:47
80-90 Mem No: 12543
Location: Herts

Re: Tall 3/4 wheel arch panel where to cut?

Post by sweetaswesty »

Thanks for the helpful replies.
As I have the full VW panel I'll cut at A.
Any thoughts about cutting the inner wheel arch at C? And plug welding up from underneath the arch?
1991 Westfalia California Hightop1.9tdi

User avatar
Ant-t
Registered user
Posts: 1954
Joined: 05 Jan 2015, 14:17
80-90 Mem No: 14390
Location: West Sussex

Re: Tall 3/4 wheel arch panel where to cut?

Post by Ant-t »

Welding from underneath is challenging but doable, mainly because it's awkward. I was able to complete most of my panel replacement and wheel arch reconstruction from the inside though with the interior removed.
1983 DG Kamper 2

randolph57
Registered user
Posts: 94
Joined: 15 Aug 2008, 13:40
80-90 Mem No: 5801
Location: Plymouth

Re: Tall 3/4 wheel arch panel where to cut?

Post by randolph57 »

No contest- cut at A or alternatively sell your expensive panel to me and use the aftermarket fake seam panel. :D

davidoft1
Trader
Posts: 2579
Joined: 27 May 2009, 18:56
80-90 Mem No: 16628
Location: hayling island

Re: Tall 3/4 wheel arch panel where to cut?

Post by davidoft1 »

if you have a genuine panel it will come with the genuine arch attached, that welds inside the van, in the area above the engine bay, if you look you should see the panel, that's the best and easiest place to weld it, the new inner arch welds to the bottom of the inner too, theres a 20 mm lip

User avatar
sweetaswesty
Registered user
Posts: 150
Joined: 24 Jun 2013, 12:47
80-90 Mem No: 12543
Location: Herts

Re: Tall 3/4 wheel arch panel where to cut?

Post by sweetaswesty »

davidoft1 wrote:if you have a genuine panel it will come with the genuine arch attached, that welds inside the van, in the area above the engine bay, if you look you should see the panel, that's the best and easiest place to weld it, the new inner arch welds to the bottom of the inner too, theres a 20 mm lip
Thanks - that's really helpful. The area above the engine bay was covered with some thick factory installed butyl/bitumen insulation so i couldn't see how the panels were attached there.
So on the first pic below the yellow dotted line is where I need to drill out the spot welds that connect the inner arch to the inner panel frame? And is it also spot welded to the panel above the engine bay along the red dotted line?
And then on the second pic is the inner arch spot welded to this inside panel along the red dotted line?
If that's how it is I can see how I can do all the plug welding from above which would be good.
3-4 panel inside.jpg
3-4 panel inside.jpg (114.55 KiB) Viewed 3411 times
3-4 panel inside_2.jpg
3-4 panel inside_2.jpg (110.73 KiB) Viewed 3411 times
1991 Westfalia California Hightop1.9tdi

User avatar
937carrera
Registered user
Posts: 3599
Joined: 05 Apr 2015, 19:29
80-90 Mem No: 16333
Location: N Yorks.

Re: Tall 3/4 wheel arch panel where to cut?

Post by 937carrera »

I've got to remove one of my rear wings and replace part of the engine floor. I'm interested in knowing how to remove the whole panel, as shown in the first picture, but rather than hijack the thread at this point I'll wait till later :oops:

Great pictures and questions by the way :ok
1981 RHD 2.0 Aircooled Leisuredrive project, CU engine
1990 RHD 1.9 Auto Sleeper with DF/DG engine

davidoft1
Trader
Posts: 2579
Joined: 27 May 2009, 18:56
80-90 Mem No: 16628
Location: hayling island

Re: Tall 3/4 wheel arch panel where to cut?

Post by davidoft1 »

as you say the side is welded on the yellow line and the arch is welded to the engine bay panel on the red line, get a wire wheel on a grinder and clean the paint and sealer away it will be much more obvious where to chop

User avatar
sweetaswesty
Registered user
Posts: 150
Joined: 24 Jun 2013, 12:47
80-90 Mem No: 12543
Location: Herts

Re: Tall 3/4 wheel arch panel where to cut?

Post by sweetaswesty »

davidoft1 wrote:as you say the side is welded on the yellow line and the arch is welded to the engine bay panel on the red line, get a wire wheel on a grinder and clean the paint and sealer away it will be much more obvious where to chop
Thanks again - this has been really helpful. Hopefully to 937carrera too and thanks for the thumbs up also btw. :D
I removed some of the butyl/bitumen type insulation from the engine bay panel with a heatgun to soften it up a little bit and a thin bladed decorators knife which just left a sticky brown residue which wiped away with a rag and thinners leaving a clean primered surface. Then it was really easy to see the spot welds and where I need to drill them out.
I feel more confident about doing this job well now and I'm pretty happy to avoid a lot of overhead welding.
The panel was expensive but I think it was definitely worthwhile to replace such a big piece of the van with clean new metal.
1991 Westfalia California Hightop1.9tdi

RogerT
Registered user
Posts: 1798
Joined: 10 May 2013, 11:59
80-90 Mem No: 13706
Location: Central Scotland

Tall 3/4 wheel arch panel where to cut?

Post by RogerT »

Would you be able to update this thread as you go? 937carrera isn’t going to be the only beneficiary of your experience...
Here’s my arch...
Image
Have you ever seen an unhappy fool?

88 Transporter with hitop camper conversion, 1.6td.

Post Reply