Wiper Repair on the 65 SuperVan

So I took a look at this situation here. I have to repair the outer sheetmetal, as it got chewed up and a couple tears / cracks. Also figured out that there is a bracket that the wiper motor bolts to also extends along the skin of the van to support the wiper arm mounts too... I thought they just secured against the outer skin. Anyway, the passenger-side of this bracket is broken off at the hole where the wiper linkage secures to. So I have to get one out of my donor as well as a small section of the sheet metal.

So Demondog, I have to try to get out there and wrench and cut! I guess I might need to get a cordless drill with a cutting disc to get a body section out, huh? Do you have one? I don't. I do have some tin snips...

Thanks,

I know we talked on the phone today. If you were out while I was gone. I thought afterwards should cut the mteal you need from the white 67 truck. The one you were going to get the heater core from. The white ones front skin is damaged so cutting it would not be a problem

Okay... we can leave the skin on the black and silver one!

Yeah, I was out, got the heater box, and it got too dark too fast! Never even got started on the wipers. Going to come back today to grab wiper bracket and outer skin around wiper hole around 5pm. Thanks!

Here's the old and "new" wiper motor/linkage bracket. See how the keyed passenger side hole is broken off on mine.




With that broken bracket, the wipers chewed up the body skin pretty bad. I suspect the body line is a little distorted too. But with a little daylight, a cordless drill and large cutting disc, I was able to get a piece from a donor in the middle of no-man's land (DemonDog's)!


I'm ready to start doing sheet metal repairs on the green van! Just the essentials... wiper area and four small rustouts!

All of a sudden, the "to-do" list feels pretty short to get this van on the road!

That is going to be tough welding with the windsheild rubber right there. You were not kidding the wiper did a job to the panel. I agree the patch would be the way to go at that repair.
To weld around the rubber. You may need to put a peice of sheetmetal under the rubber and lift the lip of the rubber upwards. You may need a 2nd set of hands to hold the lip up while you get the patch welded in. That maybe the best way to do that without removing the windsheild.

I have a couple welding masks, so I'll have to recruit that extra set of hands! I think I'll try to get the seam right under the bodyline so i don't struggle to rebuild the bodyline, plus give myself a little space from the window rubber. Should be an interesting repair, but I think I can keep it cool! Thanks for the tip!

Here in the great white north on the prairies this week, we are expecting and experiencing temperatures above the freezing mark! So I spent a little time in the garage working on this patch. I cleaned up my initial tack welds (inside and out) with the grinder, and attacked them with the welder again! Found out that my gas cylinder is now empty, so the last of my repair was a little spattery and porous. Oh well. I'm happy that the patch is in place.

The metal below the patch caved in a bit from the heat, so I'll have to tap it out before skinning it with bondo. Then I should be ready for quick paint and reassembly of the wipers! I'll post some pics soon.

If that is the oriiginal gasket, it would be wise to replace it right now in my thinking. The original gaskets always break from age, seemingly at a factory seam area. Problem is, water getting entry for yrs and no one paying attention, so its REAL COMMON to find a cancer spot under the gasket somewhere??????? another tell tale sign of trouble is to always inspect the lower jamb are on the front posts, as the water goes down into there and causes cancer there also. Point is, good luck on doing the repair with the gasket in there,, I wouldnt try it ??
vic

It's very clean, from what I could see when I pried the lip up, and from the inside too... I haven't continued to work on it this weekend though. I will get my trouble light in there though to see just how good the seam is before I apply the filler. Thanks Vic!

if you need some help,, no prob,,,, just repaired my 64 under the windshield gasket, couldnt see it unless the windshield was out. No bondo, replaced the inner strength pc, and the ouside patch pc, no bondo... I was just thinking if an old gasket then no loss cutting it, inspecting the whole thing and replaceing the gasket at the same time??????? IMO
vic

Well, that California storm made it's way up to Canada, and our snowfall should end tonight. Yesterday, I hibernated in the garage and finished dealing with any pinholes in my welds. Had to hammer the surface out a little, as my welds aren't perfect and will require some bondo... sprayed it with a little etching primer, but didn't do the bondo layer. Next time. However, I'm feeling good to be on to the next phase of the repair!

I had put some bondo on the repair, and proceeded to start sanding a few days later. I'm really not happy with it... too many high spots showing around the patch as I blocksand. Starting over, cleaning the bondo out and spending more time panel beating, try to get it closer, and then I'll bondo again.

Bondo does not work well at curing in these tempts. You need to be around + 15 degrees. The bondo will later crack open because the curing process cures unevenly in cooler temps. So be sure you have a heater blowing on the area to have it warm both the metal and the bondo.

True. I realize there isn't much point to doing this right now. At least, I did figure out that I woulda needed a hellalotta bondo in the state I had left the repair.

Can't find my camera... wanted to show y'all what I was meaning. However, except for finishing the sheet metal repair, I'm ready to reassemble the wipers and reinstall the restored heater! Maybe I'll be sitting out there with the heat gun warming up my bondo repair, but my hope is that it will be thin enough to cure evenly anyway. Man, I wish I was closer to driving this thing!

I got some pics out of my camera. From before I covered it with bondo (and then removed all the bondo for more panel beating and welding)... I just have to keep at it until get the patch as close as possible to the original contour... because once I fasten the wiper to it, there can't be bondo near there to get crunched underneath it. Yeah, I did mess up the window rubber a little. I did clean up and paint the wiper motor / linkage bracket... it's ready to go in if I can just finish the body repair!

In our region of the great white north, we enjoyed double-digit highs (say the high 50s ?). I don't have recent pics, but a little story.

I have fought with this patch, and it is not level with the original body contour... it will take a fair amount of bondo to match up the body lines. I treated myself to a 17" straight-line air sander and some coarse-grit sanding strips to knock down that bondo... man, what a sweet tool! I can really imagine nice smooth bodywork especially on the panel van where smooth and flat is going to be critical!

While I was at it, I also replaced a door bottom on the passenger side barn door. This way, I don't have any welding on the van until I continue with non-essential repairs (the wiper and door were issues that my van could be removed from the road). Just have to:
1) apply more bondo on wiper area and door skin and sand tonight
2) paint tomorrow night
3) reinstall wipers and heater Wednesday evening
4) register Thursday
5) go to Draggins Rod and Custom show on Easter Weekend IN MY ECONOLINE!

Hey demondog... up for going to Draggins?

Yep on Friday. You can park your van outside in the vintage vehicle corral. It would qualify.
Been busy here getting ready for another season of work on the acreage.
Sold the 66 Merc. 1ton, left yesterday and Wed. have to remove a cab and box off another trucks frame and it goes to BC, the cab is going to a local person and also remove the 66 Ford truck cab for BC also. this week.
That means more stuff out of my way and a bit closer to working on my Econolines. It still does not look like this year.

I hope the wiper motor patch goes fine for you.

Friday sounds good then!

I don't remember seeing 60s F trucks out there, just E's...

I probably should have cut out the wiper patch and rewelded it... but for now, I just want to get that van on the road. My door bottom repair went much better, straighter!

We'll talk Thursday!

latest progress pics:

first the repair for the wiper




Next, the door bottom: before, welding, bondo







then, my new toy! This will help with the shaping and sanding of the vans!



I'm done for tonight. Hopefully, tomorrow will only require shaping and sanding rather than another application of bondo. It feels like it's finally coming together, almost driveable!!!

With all the flat panels and lines on these old girls, those air files ar the "cats butt" as someone put it already. Lookin' good Sask.

I already knocked down the bondo pictured this morning, and applied another coat to the low spots... it's smoothing out nice, and I should have all the shaping done this evening!

AND I registered it at the DMV about an hour ago!!!

Thanks for the feedback Digz!!! I've been watching your project, so getting a compliment from you is awesome!

DemonDog, we'll have to chat soon... now I'm not 100% certain about Friday, as I have a buddy from MN up in Edmonton until Friday. I guess if I was smart, I would drive the van around town for a while before taking it on the highway... I know when common sense gets the better of me, I'll be ready to go to Draggins!

Update:

Staying in town, haven't gone for a test drive yet. Buddy's coming to Toon Town for a quick visit. Draggins is still a GO!

Brake lights work now... must have had some air near the switch when I swapped it from my other MC.

Body repairs... done sanding and shaping the front, finishing the door, going to get some green spray bombs to blend the repairs in, reassemble the wipers and heater, go drive (car wash?)!!!

C'mon, 5 o clock!

Didn't take any finished pics yet, as I am trying to take it to a wand wash first. Got everything looking okay, electrical working... but oil light comes on when up to temp. I suspect fuel and temp gauges reading low too. I am hoping I can drive it reliably soon, but... So unfortunatly, this will not be the thread that says "the van's perfect"... but it's closer. After pics to come soon (hopefully tomorrow).

After pics... you can see some of the leftover snow too! Not perfect, but not bad. I would concentrate on a better finish when I plan a complete repaint. I wish I could find a green that works... apparently a Sikkens color... Dupli-color seemingly has nothing close!

Got some color-matched spray bombs today! So here's the result (I still plan to do complete color change, but I don't want the van to look too "repaired" or "in progress"). Me Likey!