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Old 04-17-2023, 12:37 PM   #1
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Starting body work on my 1991 E-350 Sportsmobile

Hello everyone,

I have a 91 that I picked up a couple years ago and I'm finally getting around to doing something with the body. It has some significant rust, mostly the rain gutters (common it seems) but also around the front windshield. Does anyone know if this circled area in this pic is a part that I can buy? A buddy told me he thought it was called an a-pillar, but so far, I haven't been able to find anything that matches. If it's not a part that I can buy, are people just welding in their own metal here? The top and bottom of both sides on my van are pretty much shot - rusted completely through.



Also - I'm note sure I see the point of the gutters / drip rail. I live in Southern California and it's not like the rain here is torrential. Do people really find them useful in other areas? Seems like they are just a rust haven.

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Old 04-17-2023, 12:41 PM   #2
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Of course I can't get the image to work. I've tried google photos and google drive - but nothing is displayed.

Here's a link to the pic
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cqu634gk4Zso1mzR7
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Old 04-17-2023, 02:45 PM   #3
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FYI I have a 1981 Dodge motorhome that in around 1997 I discovered the whole frame around the top of the windshield was rotting out. The MH had fiberglass front and rear caps with aluminum in between.

For expediency I opened up enough of the frame to do some work with a rust convertor/preventative and filled it is Cat hair-reinforced Bond. It probably took 2 gallons but it reinforced the who area without welding and is still solid today.

I used it similarly on the rain gutter of my 1997 E-350 after stripping out all the body seam sealer and rust.

My roof paint was bad despite being already repainted once so I coated it is a white elastomeric roof coating. It is tough stuff but it will bleed white and create a film on the windshield.

Bed liner products are probably better and that is what my next project is using.


https://www.amazon.com/Evercoat-868-...a-572414163977


If you are anal and have to weld, go for it but plan on removing the head liner/windshield to avoid burning that and doing much more repainting where you have to burn through to get to the metal.
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Old 04-17-2023, 08:03 PM   #4
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The gutters are where the roof panel and the wall panel meet and are spot welded together. Cheaper to hide the joint there than to finish it smoothly. These things were built as cargo vans not vanity vans. Load and go make money.
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Old 04-18-2023, 10:04 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by posplayr View Post
FYI I have a 1981 Dodge motorhome that in around 1997 I discovered the whole frame around the top of the windshield was rotting out. The MH had fiberglass front and rear caps with aluminum in between.

For expediency I opened up enough of the frame to do some work with a rust convertor/preventative and filled it is Cat hair-reinforced Bond. It probably took 2 gallons but it reinforced the who area without welding and is still solid today.

I used it similarly on the rain gutter of my 1997 E-350 after stripping out all the body seam sealer and rust.

My roof paint was bad despite being already repainted once so I coated it is a white elastomeric roof coating. It is tough stuff but it will bleed white and create a film on the windshield.

Bed liner products are probably better and that is what my next project is using.


https://www.amazon.com/Evercoat-868-...a-572414163977


If you are anal and have to weld, go for it but plan on removing the head liner/windshield to avoid burning that and doing much more repainting where you have to burn through to get to the metal.
Thanks for the info!
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Old 04-18-2023, 10:05 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pntyrmvr View Post
The gutters are where the roof panel and the wall panel meet and are spot welded together. Cheaper to hide the joint there than to finish it smoothly. These things were built as cargo vans not vanity vans. Load and go make money.
Thanks much. That explains a lot as they don't see very functional / necessary
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Old 04-18-2023, 01:20 PM   #7
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The A-pillar can‘t just be bought, it‘s an integrated structural part of the whole chassis.
I personally would also step back from „filling it up“ with any sorts of adhesive: the epoxy will just not be able to deform, but just crack in case of crash/ impact… I‘d cut out the piece on a junk yard and have it welded in as you‘re painting either way…

Rain gutters: beside rain and general structural joining this is also where you mount a possible roof rack.

I created a thread recently about repainting my whole van. Perhaps you can find some tipps/ tricks there.
But for the gutters: carefully chisel most of it out, wire wheel the rest. Then properly clean, primer, paint.
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Old 04-18-2023, 02:48 PM   #8
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Thanks for the info!
I took a couple of pictures so you get the idea. Again this work on the brow of the cab was done pre-2000 (in So Cal) and it has been sitting in the Az sun for the last 10 years.

The cap was fiberglass and the metal across the top of the windshield was rotted out. I formed the filler all the way across the top to the end of the door frames.

You can see that the main issue is rust that develops so having a proper rust converter is essential. There is no reason to fill in 5" of filler so if you back it with the cardboard and still develop a 1-2" thickness it will be plenty strong. Just get the rust out before putting down the filler.

The other picture is of the rain gutters. Same thing and you can easily fill any holes that rot through the gutters. This does pretty much require repainting the roof but in many cases, this is required. My 1997 E-350 which I bought new started to flake paint off the roof within the first 5 years. Even after having a shop repaint the roof it rusted through before too long because it is just hard to lay down a lot of paint n such a high roof.
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Old 04-18-2023, 03:10 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by E-350 View Post
The A-pillar can‘t just be bought, it‘s an integrated structural part of the whole chassis.
I personally would also step back from „filling it up“ with any sorts of adhesive: the epoxy will just not be able to deform, but just crack in case of crash/ impact… I‘d cut out the piece on a junk yard and have it welded in as you‘re painting either way…

Rain gutters: beside rain and general structural joining this is also where you mount a possible roof rack.
Thanks a lot for your reply, this is kind of what I figured regarding the a-pillars. I'm planning on looking at hood from an 89 at a local junkyard and I was going to check out the a-pillars on it with the intent of figuring out how to cut them out.
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Old 04-18-2023, 03:20 PM   #10
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Thanks a lot for your reply, this is kind of what I figured regarding the a-pillars. I'm planning on looking at hood from an 89 at a local junkyard and I was going to check out the a-pillars on it with the intent of figuring out how to cut them out.
I guess it all depends on how bad they are

If they are that bad then you probably have to pull the windshield and gasket as well. At that point welding some pieces in might be called for.

Maybe get some inspiration from "Bad Chad"




Of HalfAss Kustoms



I enjoy watching these guys although I have no plans to tackle anything like this. My plan is to do a NorCal modification for some bigger tires on the E-350. I fell into a stack of 1/2 used 285/70-17" BFG AT KO2 tires for next to nothin.



https://canadacustomautoworks.com/bl...-modification/
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