hahahaha thanks dwaf

If you know an old school body guy you could get them to do some shrinking to tighten it up so it doesn't flex so much. Either with heat or with the proper hammers and dollies. I learned how to do it from an retired body guy, so I can do it a bit. But it is tricky so I wouldn't attempt to do it yourself on the van for the first time. I'm still practicing, but I think it will be handy when I master it.

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email - [email protected]
http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/TurboOrangie/

67 Traveller - Needs restoration
www.victoria-chiropractors.ca

i have never heard of this method can u please explane in som detail on what gos on and whats it inteded to do

Yeah the guy that is doin the body work has to do some shrinking of the panel just infront of the driver rear wheel, where the van had an prang before i got it, and they tried to repair it very dodgy....

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If you want more inches, stroke it
Life's a garden.... Dig It!
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20746

DO NOT ATTEMP THIS AT HOME.
You can use a wood mallet and dolly and work from outside to inside around an elevated portion of metal and it will slowly shrink the metal. I have only worked out slight warps myself using this method but it was very time consuming.
The other way is to heat up a small area until it is nearly white hot in the centre of the part you want to shrink (about 1.5cm, or the smallest you can) quickly with an oxy/acetylene torch and try not to get much heat anywhere else. Then quickly with a hammer and dolly each with a small waffle pattern, you hammer the area flat. Then immediately press a folded up damp rag directly on to the spot and the metal will shrink. It is important to go through all these steps very quickly. You don't want to get too much heat into the surrounding areas when you are heating with the torch. Then you want to cool it down as quick as possible so it shrinks. As you get practice you get a feel for how much the metal shrinks so you can pull the cloth off before it shrinks too much. And do it a little at a time. If it's a big area you want to shrink it may take quite a few times repeating these steps. This also makes the metal a little more brittle. So if you do it a whole lot in one area over and over it may crack with stress.
Warning to all who attempt this (Because I know some of you will no matter what I say) you can screw things up pretty fast, shrinking metal can really pull and distort surrounding areas. Do not get too agressive. I know from experience. The process was described to me and I'm pretty good with my hands so I figured I'd give 'er a shot on my project. It just caused me a lot more work. Then I had the pro show it to me and that made all the difference.
For all of you that already have their striker in their hand, please do not attemp this for the first time on anything you don't want screwed up. You've been warned!
I will laugh and offer no advice or accept any blame if (WHEN) somebody does screw something up after I warned them. (But I would like to see pictures of things that do get screwed up) But I will take credit for sharing this information if this does help somebody out and I hope it does. Have fun!

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67 Traveller - Needs restoration
www.victoria-chiropractors.ca

yer i dont think i will try that one i might have to come up with some other way to make it stronger but yer i dont know if i need to make it stronger like it night be ok just having a peice welded in thats what i really need to know??? HELP

do u think hes trying to tell us something?

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ook!
69 mini k
'Kids don't recognise a Saab from a Volvo but they always recognise a Mini,'

um i think the only complication would be that if you didnt preper the surface well then a faint dimple (if thats what you call it ) could be seen where the window is/was
good luck though

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00' Forester GT

ok thanks i know what u mean by a dimmple lol

just put some graphics on the side im tellin ya

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ook!
69 mini k
'Kids don't recognise a Saab from a Volvo but they always recognise a Mini,'

Does the panel inside of the window bit (assuming solid sides) come back out to be level with where the sides would have been if it was smooth ?

If so then why not leave the window parts in and make a double panel or similar over the top that way you would retain the strength you need.

If it doesn't come out level then maybe it would be possible to make up some spacer plates(bent pieces of sheet to space the outer sheet out) spot weld these to the existing windows put your flat panel over the top and spot weld to the spacer plates.

I hope that made sense.... this way you should be gaining strength and not loosing it and it shouldn't drum. The weight will be heavier though

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

yer i understand but yer its not solid sides it has been cut out for windows to go in.
so thats where i am at i have large holes and i want to cover them

Maybe if the spacer ribs or whatever went in vertically between the top and bottom of the window frame and were welded in then you could use these to weld the flat to

It wouldn't look too tidy inside however but maybe you could workout to cover it when you do the interior or something

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

yer i was thinking of doing something along those lines ay