Panel Van Window Conversions

[AndrewCrown]

Hello Everyone....

I'm a total newbie, so please be gentle if I don't get the nomenclature correct!

I would be very grateful for some help

Does anyone have any good ideas about what to do with some rather duff window conversions on an Early Bay tin top panel van.

I'm toying with a few options...
1. Returning it to a panel van... does anyone have any experience of the practicalities of doing so.
2. Replace the current windows with something smarter
3. Does a kit or procedure exist to replicate the factory fitted window option?

Here's what I am faced with improving

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Thank you

Andrew

 

[Alex VW Heritage]

You could put it back to a panel van but getting the side straight after the heat from welding on new panels would be a tall ask and you will end up with a good skim of filler.

The rear most window is a proper panel conversion window. I would suppose it is possible to convert it to a proper recessed windows but I would think that would take an awful lot of work.

Either way there is no easy fix that I am aware of.

 

[AndrewCrown]

Thanks Alex... I hadn't though of the heat distortion...


Andrew

 

[Happystamps]

You want to get on the chat with mr. Ozziedog off here- he's replaced the panel van windows with the recessed type I believe.

 

[gvee]

Ozzie put proper windows in.
His mate Nick (not a member on here, sadly) put his back to a panel van and it looks great.
My van has had small windows cut in at some point in its history and panels put back. The distortion is noticeable but my paint job hides that (matt, not shiny) :msn4:
I'm saw I read somewhere on here about someone who bonded panels in place instead of welding because of the distortion issues. I'll see if I can dig out a link.

 

[Trikky2]

Recessed type is a big job. You need the cuts from a donor vehicle and need to be good at welding, have a lot of time and patience or a lot of money to pay somebody else to do it.

It would probably be cheaper to sell it and buy the one you want in the first place.

 

[AndrewCrown]

Tricky.. George...

Thank you for your replies...

 

[six]

I had a t3 panel van with cuts. They were rusty so converted to caravelle recessed ones. That was a lot of work. Had to do in side and out. So imaginge its the same on a bay.

If they are in good nick. Sell it and buy the van you want

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

[67panel]

Changed mine back to a panel with metal welded in filler keeps cracking so have got a nos rh side and top of lh side to fit when I can gather the rest of the bits needed,sills arches ,ect.

 

[ozziedog]

Hi Andrew, I really think it`s only possible if you can weld a bit yourself, as the time factor would be arguably a massive cost to pay someone for their efforts. If you look inside your panel van, you`ll see where the panels are spot welded to the roof and to the pillars and to the air intakes. You have all of those to `unstitch' and repair on your van and the donor van and then the re assembly as well, and that`s just the outer skins, you also have the inner skins to do. I don`t think there is a kit available either. The donor would also have to be the same as in left hand drive or right hand drive, if it`s right hand drive I`m guessing there will be lots of rust repairs to sort as well. You`ll need a nice electric drill, lots of drill bits, lots of patience, and be very very carefull with the roof panel as it`s all spot welded in one, the roof panel the upper cant rail and the lower cant rail and the actual outer window panel, the inner is spotted to the outer around the glazing lip and into the body as well.







That is mostly the three stages of the outer, and the drill on a stick routine is a must to get some kind of control and regulated pressure on to the drill bit or else you`ll do your shoulders in and your back and your neck and your elbows etc etc etc, also you`ll be popping up through the roof panel every other weld / hole.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,, Must be mad :mrgreen:

 

[Trikky2]

Ozziedog, that's one heck of a job, I'm impressed :shock:

I would have lived with it or sold it

 

[ozziedog]

Ozziedog, that's one heck of a job, I'm impressed :shock:

I would have lived with it or sold it

I know what you`re saying, but I didn`t quite like it as it was,,,,,,,,,,, so I changed it And the roof panel because it was foobarred. and rebuilt the cant rails from a mixture of this bus and the donor (Madonna) :lol: Hindsight is a wonderful thing, would I do it again??????????

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,Not bloody likely :mrgreen: