Body panel terminololgy...

Is there a correct name for the front lower corner panel that contains the turn signal? Mine have seen better days (one isn't salvageable), but I don't know what to search for... Also, any ideas where to find replacements?

I can't tell you the correct name for them, front driver/passenger quarter maybe?, but I can tell you nobody makes a replacement panel. You will need cut one from a donor van or build your own.

I'm assuming the damage you are talking about is either rust collision damage to the lower corners from previous owner hitting stuff? Both which I too had to deal with. I just cut out rusty areas and patched them in and I also got. Little creative and made a new lower extended section with thick exhaust bends and blended it in.

Sometimes referred to as the Front Valance.

We've been calling them turn signal panels. Don't know if that's the correct name but every body know what you are talking about.

Duane in Tennessee

Valance... thanks, haven't searched that yet. Mainly terms for ebay; I've seen other metal (removed, not new) come up, but unlike standard cars and trucks, common panel names don't apply...

mothradeath wrote:I'm assuming the damage you are talking about is either rust collision damage to the lower corners from previous owner hitting stuff? Both which I too had to deal with. I just cut out rusty areas and patched them in and I also got. Little creative and made a new lower extended section with thick exhaust bends and blended it in.

Collision damage, yes. I could repair the passenger side, but the driver side apparently took a pretty good hit at some point, and a prev owner did their best to bang it out... the result is a mangled mess; beyond my abilities, anyway. I do want to want to widen the opening and add a lip similar to yours, I was originally thinking I'd take it all the way to the curve of the corners... except that I'd have to replace the drivers side curve somehow, and I'd prefer to replace the ribs with flat metal... I just don't know how to replicate the tapered radius. Now I'm thinking I might take it into, or past past the curve, similar to this:

I might just cut them out completely and replace with a flat strip of metal behind the curve (against the door), and wrap a mesh grille around the curve; that would be more visually forgiving if the curve isn't just right. Whatever I do, I just have to be careful not to get in over my head...

I like the pipe 'chin' idea that you did on yours, what did you use to bend all your pipes?

I just went to an exhaust shop and got the size I wanted with a 90 degree bend on both ends and cut it to length with a seam in the metal. Don't forget their are tons of dudes who have parts vans on here that would love to help a fellow vanner out and cut out those sections for you for the right price knowing it will save another van. Post up a thread in the parts wanted section.

Valance panel is that strip below the center grill, the outer parts with the ribs are cheek panels. But as mentioned, it can ALL be considered the front valance and people know what it is.