Bongo Fury

Thought I'd post a couple of pics showing how I tackled rust erosion on my offside Bongo wheel arch last week. I'm very happy with the job. Its an experiment and only time will tell how ell its worked, but the result is very acceptable. For now I've not gone for a perfect finish but have made a feature out of it by using nearly matching green hammerite (achieved by mixing green and black smooth finish hammerite) to give a wheel arch trim effect. Big advantages of fibreglass DIY job over welding are:

* Costs much less
* Can be done in a spare day of dry weather
* No loss of car use while its in having major welding work done
* No heat issues (wiring, fire risk, loss of internal waxoyl protection)
* Can be refreshed as and when rust recurs
* Even new welded arches are said to start rusting again over time

You need:

* PVC masking tape
* Toffee wheel for grinding off paint and rust but not good metal
* Kurust or similar for painting on residual rust
* Woven fibreglass tape
* Fibreglass resin
* Fibreglass filler (P38)
* Superglue (and Zap Kicker to set it off it its being a bit slow)
* Sprung steel rule or similar (to hold new fibreglass edging in place whilst tacking it with superglue)
* Wet and dry paper and sanding block
* Dinitrol for finishing off protection of inner arch
* Flat plank for waxing and using to cast some stock fibreglass strip
* Cellulose thinner for cleaning off resin
* Disposable brushes for applying resin
* Dust mask and safety goggles for protection when toffee wheel grinding
* suitable disposable(foil) trays for mixed resin

Points to note:

* Make up a suitable length of fibreglass strip by casting it against a waxed flat surface
* Cut a suitable width from that to make a new edging piece for the arch lip. This will be used to make a good clean curve built over
the inevitably buckled edge of the rust affected lip/seam
* Gently hammer proud areas of the arch lip to countersink them
* Mask off limit of work area with PVC masking tape
* Toffee wheel off all paint and rust as close as possible to masked edge
* Treat any remaining rust with Kurust (though I omitted this due to lack of time)
* Use sprung steel rule to hold new fibreglass edge in place in a clean curve whilst tack gluing it in place with superglue
* Mix resin and wick it into the gap between fibreglass edge
* Fill out remaining gap and any substantial holes with P38
* Toffee wheel then wet and dry to take off surplus and create the edge of the arch.
* Build a fillet of P38 (a disposable gloved finger is the best moulding tool) behind the new fibreglass edge to give it strength
through depth
* Once happy with the profile, mix and brush resin over the masked area and apply fibreglass bandage (in about 5 sections with
short overlap as it won't follow the curve of the arch if in one long piece) and work it around to cover the edge/seam also.
* Fillet in P38 between edge of fibreglass tape and masking tape and to cover any remaining weave
* Remask a few mm back from original work line.
* Wet and dry using a sanding block and plenty of water with detergent for best effect
* When happy with surface, apply hammerite using a piece of foam rubber and using a stipple action to give an even effect.
* Protect inside of arch by applying Dinitrol

Note that resin is impervious to moisture whilst P38 is not. Also, if/when this technique looks likely to last (and I'm very hopeful it will) I can always wet and dry to remove the hammerite, do a bit more work on finishing with fine wet and dry and P38, and then spray to blend with existing paintwork. But I think making a feature of the work is a quicker and better option really.

Here's a few pics, though I haven't taken one of the painted job - sorry! (click pic to enlarge)















I also did a similar repair on the bottom of my tailgate. Took about 2hrs to overlay fibreglass on the outside invisibly, open up seams, remove rust, apply kurust then resin then seam sealer then hammerite it all. V pleased with result

Saw the results at Stourport, really good.

Thanks, Mike, for giving us the detail.

Nice alternative Mike...... you also say that replacement arches can also corrode in time.... I think it depends on how good the job is on those.... mine have been on almost 3 years and as good as the day they were replaced, it wasn't at the cheaper end of the scale but I can add that a Bongo that visits me for some fettling has "younger" arches, not Sprinter ones, "hand made" which are shot... now these were half the price of my arches work but then were done by a known midlands based Bongo specialist unlike mine which were done by a bodyshop who also resprayed the sides of my van in both colours and replaced the decals....so on top of the some re arched bongo's corrode again..... it's the old Yer Pays Yer Money that comes to mind again

mikexgough wrote:Nice alternative Mike...... you also say that replacement arches can also corrode in time.... I think it depends on how good the job is on those.... mine have been on almost 3 years and as good as the day they were replaced, it wasn't at the cheaper end of the scale but I can add that a Bongo that visits me for some fettling has "younger" arches, not Sprinter ones, "hand made" which are shot... now these were half the price of my arches work but then were done by a known midlands based Bongo specialist unlike mine which were done by a bodyshop who also resprayed the sides of my van in both colours and replaced the decals....so on top of the some re arched bongo's corrode again..... it's the old Yer Pays Yer Money that comes to mind again

Spot on Mike. I think the issue is not so much that replacement arches can't last but that there are stories of them not lasting. In particular, I think it is most important that resin is used before filler is applied to fair in old and new metal, as the former will provide a moisture barrier and the latter will not. My technique is not practical where corrosion has become too extensive. And it remains to be seen how well it will last. But it cost little in time and money to try it, and I'm all for experimentation. The main driver for me was not money but needing the car as my daily drive. The saving can happily be spent elsewhere though, on an ageing Bongo

That doesnt look too bad a job Mike,Ill have a better look in the flesh at Allithwaite

Brian

Just a thought - once the initial glassing on the arches is done you could simply bond on a pair of black glassfibre wheelarch trims to finish it off neatly without repainting . I bought a pair (moulded from original Bongo ones) for, I think, £40 incl post - cant remember who supplied them but he had loads .They look really good
I will need to have the job done properly with completely new arches at some stage but they have been fine for a couple of years ( inner bonded to outer with silkaflex then waxoyled)

vanvliet wrote:Just a thought - once the initial glassing on the arches is done you could simply bond on a pair of black glassfibre wheelarch trims to finish it off neatly without repainting . I bought a pair (moulded from original Bongo ones) for, I think, £40 incl post - cant remember who supplied them but he had loads .They look really good
I will need to have the job done properly with completely new arches at some stage but they have been fine for a couple of years ( inner bonded to outer with silkaflex then waxoyled)

That's really useful to know and very timely as I'm just doing the n/s arch as I type this (waiting for some P38 to harden). I think the technique I'm using should give a very solid and durable repair, but a 2nd visit woud be needed if I want to get them cosmetically perfect, and that is time consuming. Wheel arch trims might be much better solution. If you happen to find the name of the supplier I'd really appreciate it. I'll have a search on ebay anyway. Can't stretch to the cost of the Mazda ones

Update for this thread.I incorrectly described as a toffee wheel the tool which i used, which is actually one of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202033515016

mike
having resurected this thread can you repost the photos with a new host.

Bl××dy photobucket- i can see them fine. Will try and do that when i can find some spare time.

mikeonb4c wrote: ↑Tue Aug 04, 2015 12:18 pm

vanvliet wrote:Just a thought - once the initial glassing on the arches is done you could simply bond on a pair of black glassfibre wheelarch trims to finish it off neatly without repainting . I bought a pair (moulded from original Bongo ones) for, I think, £40 incl post - cant remember who supplied them but he had loads .They look really good
I will need to have the job done properly with completely new arches at some stage but they have been fine for a couple of years ( inner bonded to outer with silkaflex then waxoyled)

That's really useful to know and very timely as I'm just doing the n/s arch as I type this (waiting for some P38 to harden). I think the technique I'm using should give a very solid and durable repair, but a 2nd visit woud be needed if I want to get them cosmetically perfect, and that is time consuming. Wheel arch trims might be much better solution. If you happen to find the name of the supplier I'd really appreciate it. I'll have a search on ebay anyway. Can't stretch to the cost of the Mazda ones

A bit of a tread resurrection I know but did we ever find out where those arch trims come from ?
Thanks
Brian

Merlot man wrote: ↑Wed Apr 08, 2020 4:53 pm

mikeonb4c wrote: ↑Tue Aug 04, 2015 12:18 pm

vanvliet wrote:Just a thought - once the initial glassing on the arches is done you could simply bond on a pair of black glassfibre wheelarch trims to finish it off neatly without repainting . I bought a pair (moulded from original Bongo ones) for, I think, £40 incl post - cant remember who supplied them but he had loads .They look really good
I will need to have the job done properly with completely new arches at some stage but they have been fine for a couple of years ( inner bonded to outer with silkaflex then waxoyled)

That's really useful to know and very timely as I'm just doing the n/s arch as I type this (waiting for some P38 to harden). I think the technique I'm using should give a very solid and durable repair, but a 2nd visit woud be needed if I want to get them cosmetically perfect, and that is time consuming. Wheel arch trims might be much better solution. If you happen to find the name of the supplier I'd really appreciate it. I'll have a search on ebay anyway. Can't stretch to the cost of the Mazda ones

A bit of a tread resurrection I know but did we ever find out where those arch trims come from ?
Thanks
Brian

Never did Brian but i did get lucky and buy some original Mazda ones at a good price. I've yet to fit them though! Must get a round tuit

Good morning Mike and thanks for getting back to me .
That's fine , I thought as much .
I might try the van-x ones at some stage to see what they are like as one of the arches is bubbling a bit
Thanks again
Brian