How to start total makeover?

[caspar]

As you'll have seen from my rcent posts I'm treating my 26 year old Merc 207D motorhome to all new front panels - the rest is solid.

I've got the panels, but I need to know where to start. A few questions + any other advice appreciated:

1. While I've got the panels off and new should I rust treat them with something before anything else (easier to get at fiddly bits when off).

2. Should they be painted before or after fitting?

3. Things like wings and arches that come as two separate bits for the front, do you fit wing first, then weld arch on or weld arch on then fit?

4. Any useful internet links?

5. The only bit I couldn't afford was new doors. I've got bottom door skins (couldn't find anywhere with full skins). What's the best way of getting rid of the rust - traditional sand it down and fill? Acid stuff you can buy? Paint that goes straight on and interacts to make it rock hard?

Any other advice gratefully accepted - don't know if I should have started this, but the panels are all over our lounge floor at the moment - the wife loves it!!!!!! lol

 

[warbreckman]

fitting new panels

hi
have a look on u tube there is quite a lot of good info on it and very helpfull.
with the new sealents you may not even have to weld!.
good luck

 

[Deleted member 207]

Maybe you need to post some photos of the panels that you have - something does not sound right.

The wings on my 309D are just one piece, they bolt on and have some sikaflex /silicon where metal to metal joints occur.

I'd give the "insides" of the wings a few coats of a really good primer/sealer and then a nice thick coat of black bitumen under seal. Then fit to the vehicle. The front panel just needs a good coat of paint.

Painting and matching colours I'd leave to a professional - faded white (or whatever colour it is) is hard to match without the right mixing tools.

 

[caspar]

The 309D went with the 408 and 508. The 207 went with the 208, 210, 307, 308 and 310. The wing is a biarre set up though, it has half the wheel arch then up including the indicator holes (front and side) and the sill by the side of the bonnet. The other piece is basically just the rest of the wheel arch going down to the front end of the front door.

 

[caspar]

Roger,
Just looked at photos of the 309 and they do look the same. Obviously there must be a very small difference somewhere. I know they're right as they match up perfectly and were mostly bought by chasis number from local merc dealer. Can't believe how hard to get these things are in the UK when in rest of Europe there's hundreds of everything around still.

 

[Deleted member 207]

The Germans refer to them as T1s or Bremers (after the Bremerhaven factory). I think the odd numbers refer to LHD and the even numbers RHD until the 310s. Additional confusion as the early Sprinters also used 309 model number.

The 207 through to 310 are all the same body and chassis - the differences are in engine and driveline, with corresponding max weights. I've owned one 207 and two 309s and to the best of my knowledge the front panel and wings are all interchangeable - along with the rest of the body panels, doors. etc. The 309s have plastic in the wheel arches to protect them from stone damage and muck getting into the engine compartment, the metal wheel arches are part of the cab floor and the step into the cab. Often the wings get a dose of filler just along the line of the door pillar - gives the appearance that they are one piece.

Doing the door bottoms - do a Youtube search on door skins and you'll get a lot of info. Usual method is to weld in the new bottoms then use body filler to get a smooth surface. Best way to join them is to spot weld by drilling/punching a smallish hole about 3 to 5 cm apart and then weld through the hole onto the old door behind. You can get air tools that will shape the edges to give them a lip so that they fit smoothly - weblookup punch and flange tools - worth the cost for a professional job. http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/plug-weld.htm