3M Panel Bond to Fix Van Body?

[ian89]

Hi Everybody,

After years of consideration I finally bought a cheaper van last weekend. It is a 94 Ford E250 with the Intervec Falcon 190 conversion. Long story short there are several large cutouts/access panels cut into the body of the van that I want to infill permanently with a clean appearance.

Originally I figured I'd buy a welder, practice until I got decent, and but-weld some new sheet metal to cover up the openings. I was speaking to a friend about my idea and he said I would probably just end up warping the body panels from the heat and it would look like crap (it would be a shame the body is very clean). They suggested I use panel bond instead - I never heard of the stuff before but I did a few google searches on it these past couple days.

Has anybody done a similar van repair like this? Panel Bond a good option? Different type of adhesive? Any suggestions?

I know there are a lot of threads regarding sealants and adhesives on here... just haven't found anything specific to this type of application (i.e. large opening in the middle of a van body).

Thanks,

Ian

 

[ian89]

The attached photo shows one of the openings I want to infill.

 

[B85]

Never worked with the 3M stuff. But if your talking about the tear in the fender flair then just glass it up from the back side and then cut out the old broken glass an fill it.
Also looks like other problems where the 6 bolt repair is?

Most fender flairs are cheep glass build's. If they had used just a little more glass this would not happen.

 

[ian89]

Never worked with the 3M stuff. But if your talking about the tear in the fender flair then just glass it up from the back side and then cut out the old broken glass an fill it.
Also looks like other problems where the 6 bolt repair is?

Most fender flairs are cheep glass build's. If they had used just a little more glass this would not happen.

Actually I want to infill the larger access door / diffuser looking thing, which is approximately 12" x 20" in size. The one pictured above was for access to the back side of the old refrigerator. I want to completely remove the access door and frame, and patch the van body back so it looks like the opening was never there. I am doing a full demo and remodel of the van interior which is why I want to get rid of all the extra openings that aren't needed. There are currently 3 similar sized openings around the van.

I already removed the fiberglass fender flare and running board where the 6 bolt patch is for extra ground clearance. I will need to do some fiberglass patches/infills on the roof though. Luckily there is enough info on these forms and google that I think I can figure the fiberglass out.

Thanks,

 

[B85]

Ok, I have it now.

IMHO I would go to a junk yard and cut a panel (bigger than the hole ) from a van then tack it into place in the hold. Maybe the 3M stuff could work for that ? The cut panel would have all the right curves to cut down on the time to build one.

 

[Jeffer949]

I have never used it. I have witnessed a friend use it for fixing rust on his Datsun 240Z. It worked very well. Just understand that cleanliness is most important thing when applying.

Are you planning on trying to make it look like it was never there or just to patch it? If your just patching it I like the above recommendation. I like the idea of using rivets also. Not pop rivets but real ones with a nice round head.

 

[motoboss]

I used 3M panel epoxy to repair many parts on my Jeep Cherokee. It works great, very easy to work with and has a stronger sheer strenght than a weld. I used 3M 08115 2 part for bonding fender skins and floor panels along with various metal to metal support peices. I used 3M 07333 Structural Impact 2 part epoxy for rocker panels with self tapping screws for a mechanical bond. Both have worked exceptionally well and very, very strong, weather and vibration resistant.
Don't hesitate to use the epoxies. Google structural and panel epoxy and you'll find a lot of good information and how to video's.

Most all OEM manufactures use both proxies in structural and body production so they must work.

Now the only downfall is you'll never get a patch piece to look as good as a butt welded panel but with some creative bonbo work you can come close.

 

[ian89]

Thank you for the replies and suggestions.
B85 - after closer examination I think you're right on finding some scrap panels from the junk yard. There are a few contours that would be a pain to match. Hopefully the yard is OK with me cutting sections out of a van body...
Jeffer - Looking to to make it look (almost) like it was never there. Not going for show quality, but I would like it to mostly disappear. Since there are 3 areas that need to be filled on either side of the van, I feel it would look a little chopped up if I use mechanical fasteners.
Moto - I will look into the products you suggested. I'm still thinking of going the weld route, but after doing some more internet searches it looks like a lot of people need to bang the panels with a hammer and block during/after the weld process to get the panels straight. Given the location of the patches this would be a huge pain (I'd never be able to hold the block while reaching around and hammering). I was mostly concerned with cracks occurring at the joint - a lot of people comment cracks are common with body fillers (when joining panels like this) over time, but I haven't found much regarding epoxies and the potential for cracks. As mentioned above it doesn't need to look perfect, I just don't want it to stick out like a sore thumb. As long as cracks don't occur I think the Bondo after the epoxy will work well enough for me. I was hoping that using scab/backing pieces at the joint, in addition to the epoxy will make it rigid enough to prevent cracking.

The engine tune up process has taken a little longer then expected; exhaust manifold leak lead to the discovery of a steering pump leak, which lead to changing the water pump gaskets because I was that far in, which lead to buying a new steering pump because rebuilding one is frustrating, new radiator hoses, waiting on manifold bolts, etc... not to mention I've never gone into an engine this much. The van has low miles but it sat a lot so a lot of the rubber and seals needed attention. Once I get the engine back together I will be turning my focus to the body panels and fiberglass roof. I'll post progress here just in case someone in the future finds the info useful.

Thanks again,

Ian

 

[cgn9905]

One of my friends is a professional body man who helped me with the "swiss cheese" underhood and firewall of my '87 mustang sold me on it. He has about 30 years in the industry and a high-end shop and he has more certifications and training that would have ever believed would be necessary. His favorite repair was to a Dodge Viper that "The owner backed into a wall, at a 130". I don't know what it was he used, but it mixed easily in special mixing nozzles and he swore by it. I just trusted him and I have not had any issues with the panels since.

 

[mezmochill]

3m VHB tape works great too.

 

[JJS2]

When the lower rear 1/4 panels of my XJ (Cherokee) rotted away, I bought reproduction panels from a place in PA - sorry, I forget the name. With that order, I also bought a couple tubes of "1001 Automotive Body Sealer" made by Au-ve-co Products [Auto Vehicle Parts Co., Cold Springs, KY]. I cut the new panels to the size I needed, and used this adhesive. I did temporarily use some sheet metal screws until the "liquid welds" cured. The stuff was economical to use - I still have one unopened tube - and held perfectly.

 

[RangeDrive]

Just a thought, I have a falcon conversion too, and I’m planning on sealing the same panel, although I don’t mind how it looks on the exterior, so I’m just going to cut some sheet metal and secure it on the backside of the panel, seal and call it a day. But keep in mind I’m not interested in roving the whole compartment as a whole so my idea might not apply to you.