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Patch panel repairs with glue on panels.

  • 15-07-2024 07:00PM
    #1
    Posts: 0


    Hi all,

    I recently acquired a Mk1 Mercedes Sprinter and as is inevitable with this age and this model the bottoms of the front and back doors are fairly rotted out. There has been a bad patch repair done on them all with fibreglass but its not great.

    I was looking around for replacement doors but cost is around €350 each for replacements with little guarantee they are in much better shape. Sending them out for repair is likely to be prohibitively expensive and I do not have the equipment to MIG repair them myself.

    I have located replacement panels with both inner and outer leafs for all four door for a very reasonable €300.00 from Poland, these are Galvo so I would have reasonable confidence in their durability.I have seen this type of repair done on YTube using 3M epoxy panel glue. This is auto industry grade glue and its what a lot of American auto-repair shops are now using. It has a few advantages in that you don't disturb the galvo coating and there is little change of weld induced panel rust. you get to dress the inside of the door with rust inhibitor and waterproofing without any fear of it catching light in the weld. It seems relatively straightforward if done with care and the job should be as durable as the weld equivalent.

    I would cut the panels at one of the decorative creases and then glue on trim to cover the join, something like Sikaflex for sealing. I would then paint on one of the rubberized textured paints to the patched panel and lower panels of the rest of the body.

    My question is - has anyone ever tried something similar or do you think this is a sensible approach.

    Cheers



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