Panel Van turret swap

**asdf88** · 22-09-2014, 07:46 PM

I have a HX panel van with side windows and a rusty roof and a WB windowless panel van with severe body damage down low but it has a good roof. I want to repair the HX as a windowless van and use the WB for parts only.

I was wondering if the experts here would have any tips on swapping the full turrets (roof and sides)? I can find the spot welds inside the back area and these could be cut out quite easily but what I cant determine is if there is a join is in the roof over the top of the cabin. Does anyone know if the roof is a full one piece all the way from the windscreen to the back or is the a join or seam somewhere? How does the roof join to the door frame (maybe in the gutter area)?

If anyone has a diagram of where the seams are I would really appreciate it. There was a picture in another thread but it is an old thread and the picture has disappeared.

Thanks.

**HK1837** · 23-09-2014, 08:04 AM

It is a lot of work. There are seams at the gutter and a vertical one in the middle of the door vertically to the gutter. The best bet is to do a stagger joint across the windscreen pillars and change the whole turret. See attached, it is obvious in these pictures.

img-140923074513.pdf

**mook** · 23-09-2014, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by HK1837

It is a lot of work. There are seams at the gutter and a vertical one in the middle of the door vertically to the gutter. The best bet is to do a stagger joint across the windscreen pillars and change the whole turret. See attached, it is obvious in these pictures.

img-140923074513.pdf

I have heard that there are also differences between the wb and other bodies. For instance I can't fit hq pillar covers to my wb..

**HK1837** · 23-09-2014, 09:23 AM

I think the best way to attack it is on your HX, cut the turret off 10mm or so above the quarter line from doors to tailgate. This will allow you to dress the join with a grinder and flapdisks so you are left with a clean quarter top with no holes.

Then do the opposite on the WB, ie cut under the quarter join. Then you can drill the spot welds out from below and remove the remainder of the quarters. This will leave you with a neat turret with spot weld holes.

Once you've sorted how you are going to do the windscreen pillar joint, you can then sit the turret on and weld it down with a mig using the spotweld holes as points to weld. I'd be using a non-porous weld through primer on both surfaces though before bringing them together. Not sure what sealant was used on the joint but talk to a few beaters about what is around today, some of the sikaflex stuff used for panel fixing might be a good idea.

I've seen windscreen pillar joints done a few times where people have welded a Statesman firewall and floor into a tonnner cab (to fix rust). You will need the advice of a beater first, but I have seen them done where the pillars were separated in between the holes that hold the stainless trims on (for exact measurement purposes). What they did was unpick all the spotwelds in between these holes (there are heaps of them and it looks like swiss cheese once done!), and cutting the lower and upper a distance apart so that they join up staggered with at least 6" of overlap. Then you have 2 x butt joints plus the length of the overlap to weld. At some point in these pillars there is also in inner SHS like tube. Maybe find a rusty HQ-WB somewhere and cut a pillar out so you can investigate where the best place to join is?

- - - Updated - - -

As Mook says I do remember a difference there, maybe look at them both close first and see where they differ.

**mook** · 23-09-2014, 09:52 AM

It's an epic amount of work. I would only attempt this if I were a very good metal doctor. I personally would try to fix the rust free wb.

Are you able to post up pics of the vans?

Have you done a resto before? Not having a go but I would hate to see you get stuck. I have been there...
http://www.mysandman.com.au/forums/a...&d=1281796466\
}I ended up crushing both

**HK1837** · 23-09-2014, 10:08 AM

It is a lot of work, BUT there is no painted panel joins being done. If it was me i'd actually give it a go, and get it all dressed and put together maybe with a few screws, and get a beater to do the welds for me. By doing all but the actual welds you'd be doing 97% of the labour.

**Innuendo** · 23-09-2014, 12:35 PM

Every single panel beater "should" be competent of doing this job. But the reality is almost none would take on the job.
There are some decent beaters around. But you will need to shop around and always seek recommendations from happy and satisfied customers.

**HZSanFan** · 23-09-2014, 04:03 PM

BIG job..good luck with it.

**asdf88** · 23-09-2014, 07:52 PM

Thanks all for your constructive comments. Yes it is a big job and I wanted to work out what is the best way to go about it. The diagram from HK1837 is particularly useful and gives a great insight to how Holden put these together. Maybe it is better to try to fix the WB but I had my heart set on the HX.
Here is a couple of pictures of the HX. It is a factory 308 4 speed car with integrated air. It would have been fantastic when brand new (I hope the pictures work):
DSC_0446a.jpg
DSC_0535a.jpg

The WB has been bent on the rear LH quarter panel and I think I'm more afraid of fixing this than swapping the roof sections. As you can see the quarter has squashed in the panel so it is not square with the tailgate:
DSC_0735a.jpg
DSC_0737a.jpg

I would appreciate your comments. Thanks.

**HK1837** · 23-09-2014, 07:55 PM

I'd do it. I reckon it is no harder, in fact easier than doing a ute turret onto a van body and tons of these were done. All joins are original bar the windscreen pillars. I agree with you that on paper it appears easier than trying to repair rust or get panels straight. Just a very big time commitment on your behalf to get it done. It won't happen in a weekend, not properly anyway.