L300 Delica - Roof Repairs

[mouseflakes]

I'm going to tack it on first then see how it goes. If I can get it to sit nicely with a few runs of weld then I might just seal the rest.

 

Stupidly (and despite promising myself I'd not do it) I managed to get grinder dust etched onto the passenger side window, plus a bit on the windscreen.

 

After a short panic, searching for spare glass on-line and what have you, I found a forum where someone said they'd been able to clean up similarly stuffed glass using a razor blade.

 

Well, I popped a Stanley blade out a knife and tried it like a paint scrapper.

 

It only flippin' worked!

 

Well, it takes the roughness off. There's still a slight speckled discolouration, but I think there are glass polishes that might take that out. Good tip all the same - main panic over. Next time I'll do a better job of covering all the glass!

[cort16]

My SD1's glass was like sonic the hedgehogs arse after a year of grinder sparks until I did that stanley blade trick. It worked a treat.

[DeeJay]

 

Just a thought.

[mouseflakes]

^ But I'm trying to eliminate the leaks

 

Having said that - is that a Webasto sunroof? I had one of those on a very rotten R17. The roof was the only thing that didn't leak! It seemed very well made.

[mouseflakes]

The nice weather we've been having did nothing to help progress on the roof.

 

This weekend it wasn't so pleasant - so I did more stuff...

 

I think I might have gone over the top with the welding - just put it down to years of conditioning to get rusty undersides through MOTs...

 

 

Here it is from the inside...

 

Now, I just need to repeat the same as I work my way back down the middle of the van...

 

...all the way to the back...

 

 

It's not all bad news though. At least I won't need to scramble around under the van - all good under here...

[vulgalour]

You've made a tidy job of what looked like a horrible challenge.  Top stuff!

[mouseflakes]

Thanks Vulg.

 

I got a bit more organised today and hung this ridiculous looking box from the underside of the roof panel to try to minimise damage to the inside of the Deli once I started cutting.


To cut a long story short, once the cutting was done it felt like opening a vampires coffin to see the horrors that lurked beneath the lid...


Here's the resulting hole in the roof, viewed from the front of the van...


...and a couple of smaller holes above the rear door hinges...


...and here's the sheet that was removed...


You can see where the roof cross members seem to have prevented the paint spray from reaching the underside of the panel when the van was built. Condensation has then been held between the cross members and the underside of the panel, with horrible results. I suspect using the van as over-night camper would make this worse (moisture from breathing plus a cold steel roof).

Here you can see the rot concentrated round these rubber pads which appear to be held between the cross members and the roof skin...


I left a small flat section to the side of this strengthening rib to act as a nice shoulder to sit the new roof panel on and weld to.

[mouseflakes]

Mr Flakes..............I have a brand new radiator, and timing belt kit for one of these.................yours for £25 plus postage for both..............

 

I should add - big thanks to Colc for this - A+++++GRATE EBAYER WULD USE AGANE

[Anglevan]

That's some serious graft. Shows what a big difference in the roofs of the L300. My L300 van doesn't have any of those reinforces, just a single skin and 4 bolt on support brackets. Looks a prime candidate for a vinyl roof !

[mouseflakes]

Yep - I think I'll need to put some sort of bracing on the cab roof, where the sunroof used to be.

 

I imagine it'll be flopping about like Rolf's wobble board if I don't.

 

Sorry - that's not the jolly image it used to be.

[Rocket88]

I should add - big thanks to Colc for this - A+++++GRATE EBAYER WULD USE AGANE

 

A pleasure, Mr Flakes..............

[mouseflakes]

The weather's been so good the last few weeks that I let this slip a bit. It rained this weekend so I was back indoors.

 

Oh what a feeling, when you're welding on the ceiling...

 

 

I'm repairing all the edges of the steel frame that sits beneath the roof skin. It's a right pain and pretty fiddly when done from a ladder, so I'm blatting through it as quickly as I can. This rear bit's done now. Still not quick enough - looking forward to getting the roof skin back on.

 

[Rocket88]

I would just use the cardboard and duct tape solution..............

[mouseflakes]

Long time no update.

 

First off - once again, big thanks to Colc for the timing belt kit. Grate ebayer etc.

 

Second off, and about time too...

 

 

 

[mouseflakes]

I forgot to add an update - repair panels are still a bit wavy, but now covered in green.

 

[Barry Cade]

Nice work, but I reckon I'd have just done this.