Bongo Fury

stuc wrote:That's a picture of mine , first done using sprinter arches I believe. You do have to weld that extra piece in or either the bumper won't meet or the sill will be slightly too long, major problem when you have sill skirts fitted. I have seen this first hand on a friends bongo. The bodyshop had to cut and extend the sill cover.

Absolutly spot on Stuc, wish I'd shown your pictures to my welder before the work started because he welded the arches without fitting the bumper for reference first.

Sorted out in the end but I had to cut and weld them because he was away on holiday and the bongo was booked in to the body shop the next week. Worked out OK in the end though

I've seen loads of pics of people doing them without putting the piece in but in the pics the profile looks all wrong to me.
I'm starting another one soon I'll try and get pics of repairs in stages.

We didn't have the extra short section welded in, but instead, I 3d scanned the area where the bumper overlaps the body and the bumper and custom designed some small pieces to re-contour the missing section. I 3d printed these at work, painted to match and stuck them on. My Bongo has mudflaps, so they're only short sections. I've got the files if others need them.

These are some images that Paul Horsfall has provided, click the image for the full set;


No sign of any added sections in his work ...

Interesting pics from Paul. Maybe he should be asked about why he didn't need to insert a 2" section? Nice looking job though interestingly, he doesn't mention using resin before using P38 to fair in old and new metalwork. I suspect its not common practice, but I think it is probably best practice if recurrence of rust is to be minimised.

here.s another way of tackling it.

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =0#p655512

mikeonb4c wrote:Interesting pics from Paul. Maybe he should be asked about why he didn't need to insert a 2" section? Nice looking job though interestingly, he doesn't mention using resin before using P38 to fair in old and new metalwork. I suspect its not common practice, but I think it is probably best practice if recurrence of rust is to be minimised.

Mike, I would not use resin neither, modern fillers are very good although still porous, as are primers. Once painted it would be sealed in anyway. More likely the rot would come from the inside again anyway as the paint would protect it from the atmosphere. when the rot does start coming back it would lift the resin as it would with filler or paint. You would then see it bubbling as usual. Obviously you would waxoyl/corrosion protect all interior surfaces as best as you could.
I must add I am not knocking any individuals work I am just speaking from experience of some of the jobs I have seen, many first hand.
My mates that was done, where the aero sill cover ended up too short for the sill, was a shocking error as the bodyshop obviously never offered up the sill cover to check fit during repairs. They had to cut the sill and extend it to fit. you can see this by the gap between the tyre and nsr arch where it meets the sill. Some of the gaps look very close to me.

stuc wrote:

mikeonb4c wrote:Interesting pics from Paul. Maybe he should be asked about why he didn't need to insert a 2" section? Nice looking job though interestingly, he doesn't mention using resin before using P38 to fair in old and new metalwork. I suspect its not common practice, but I think it is probably best practice if recurrence of rust is to be minimised.

Mike, I would not use resin neither, modern fillers are very good although still porous, as are primers. Once painted it would be sealed in anyway. More likely the rot would come from the inside again anyway as the paint would protect it from the atmosphere. when the rot does start coming back it would lift the resin as it would with filler or paint. You would then see it bubbling as usual. Obviously you would waxoyl/corrosion protect all interior surfaces as best as you could.
I must add I am not knocking any individuals work I am just speaking from experience of some of the jobs I have seen, many first hand.
My mates that was done, where the aero sill cover ended up too short for the sill, was a shocking error as the bodyshop obviously never offered up the sill cover to check fit during repairs. They had to cut the sill and extend it to fit. you can see this by the gap between the tyre and nsr arch where it meets the sill. Some of the gaps look very close to me.

I think I'd take the line that it's easy to do, can do no harm and should do good. I think it's the runnyness and binding properties of resin that contribute: it will coat where filler won't and you can stipple it in with a brush. But you're right about rust coming back from inside if you don't treat/waxoyl.

So leaving aside the final look, which is easiest to fit - Sprinter or Transit?

BTW, just been quoted £800 for both arches and a bottom half respray. And I live in the South East!

TerryG wrote:
BTW, just been quoted £800 for both arches and a bottom half respray. And I live in the South East!

Details, perleease!! Pm if you wish.

Derek

Matfield Body & Paint, near Paddock Wood in Kent. 07748477661. Haven't had mine done yet but he comes recommended. He's very into VW campervans but I think mine will be his first Bongo. I'll make a point of showing him some of the pics from this forum! Mine will be done in January so I'll post afterwards.

Paul Horsfall on FB allowed me to put his pictures together;

Are those Sprinter arches?

Ah click the image and then step thru the pictures! That is just a thumbnail above, but yes Sprinter arches according to Paul.

I had actually clicked through - really interesting set of pics.
There seem to be two versions of the Sprinter arches available - 'shallower' ones like Paul has used, and then the more commonly advertised ones which are more extensive (and expensive!). I was wondering if, with the bigger ones, most of the metal is cut away anyhow to reduce them more to the size of the ones Paul used, which would make buying the smaller and cheaper ones more sense.