MY HJ Panel Van with GTS Bits!

**JackHopkins** · 02-09-2011, 08:11 PM

yeah i did dropped in. im just overloaded with ideas lol and need to decide exactly what i wanna do with it. thanks everyone again for the ideas and thoughts

**ozbox** · 02-09-2011, 08:16 PM

advice is free but the cost is when you dont listen to it...

**playwme** · 02-09-2011, 10:30 PM

I'd be tempted to keep the one you have. It looks incredibly clean around the seams and stuff. Because it's not a Sandy you could always cheat on the side panel repairs and glue in a filler panel. It's a lot easier and cheaper than welding one in and will last just fine.

How much are you looking at getting for the parts van?

**JackHopkins** · 03-09-2011, 09:20 AM

as im still learning. what exactly is a filler panel? and what sort of price difference is it? i will just talk to my dad today and get back to you on the other van later tonight if thats all right thanks

**Rico** · 03-09-2011, 09:29 AM

good to see Jack! Id also be tempted to do up that van, the filler panel is the piece of steel that you "fill in" where the winodw once was.

**JackHopkins** · 03-09-2011, 10:21 AM

lol. so just glued in? but i still need the inner ribs? most panel beaters would deff do this? sorry for the stupid questions.

**playwme** · 03-09-2011, 10:39 AM

The piece you need to fill should be pretty close to flat so you simply get a piece made up the same size and shape as the window which has a step the whole way around the outside. Filler piece is inserted from inside the hole and the step is glued to the van using a special panelbeaters glue. It's little less risky than welding a piece in (can warp the metal on a piece that size) and unless you have a panelbeater mate it can get very expensive.

The ribs could be made up as well if you can't find any. You're best to line the interior to hide the join of the repair panel anyway so the ribs could be hidden as well.

**Rico** · 03-09-2011, 10:51 AM

+1 on that advice there Play. Also Jake, there is no stupid question, the stupid question is the one you dont ask ol mate!

**playwme** · 03-09-2011, 10:55 AM

Finding a panel beater to do it may be difficult depending on your location. There's better money in insurance work and a really good tradesperson can pretty much pick and choose the jobs he wan'ts to do. There are a lot of dodgy tradies out there too who'll just slap it together to get it out the door and take your cash.

The best part of the glue method is that it doesn't really require any special expensive tools and if you don't have a hand full of thumbs then it's not that hard to do at home. Get another piece of metal and do a few practice runs to figure out your technique and then go for it. A few mates, a bbq and beers (for AFTER the job is done) is a more fun way of doing it than paying some guy a large wad of cash and having to wonder if he did a decent job.