WB Panel Van

Out of curiosity it seems there were about 60,000 WB's produced. Are there any numbers on the break-up of this ie: utility, Kingswood utility and panelvan in particular? Cheers Ron

WB are closer together. The outside nuts welded into the floor (closest to the sills) are in the same place hence why the bench seats are fine. However the ones near the tunnel are further from the tunnel on WB. Thus the seats aren’t interchangeable. When you put WB buckets in a HQ-HZ only the two bolts on the sill side fit, the other side are out by about roughly 15mm or thereabouts. The few I’ve done I have ripped 4 of the square nuts out of a donor floor, drilled the tunnel side holes in the right place (go through the floor and the members underneath) and tacked the nuts in place underneath. As the nuts are square, the extra ones actually go hard up against the existing nuts so in theory you don’t even have to tack them as they are prevented from spinning by the existing nuts.

WB are full of such surprises if you are used to HQ to HZ. But it is not surprising when you consider the series ran for all but 5 years. HQ went for less than 3.5 years and WB ran for more than half of the whole HQ-HZ run. Plus WB Holden and Statesman evolved and changed along with the 3 parallel Commodore and Calais series VC-VK.

Thanks for that. You learn something new every day.

This just popped up this morning Brett. (and Gene)

If you want any pics of parts let me know and I will go and have a look.

 van.PNG   698.14K   4 downloads

Edited by Shiney005, 20 August 2020 - 10:19 AM.

This just popped up this morning Brett. (and Gene)

If you want any pics of parts let me know and I will go and have a look.

Thanks Laurie, at this stage I am ok and running out of storage space while we build our new home. I was going to keep a lookout for the rear panel support braces but I think I will wait for the replica ones to be made as they look spot on.

I will just keep doing little bits and pieces to it while it in my sons garage. I started removing the front off it yesterday. His neighbours are wondering what the hell is going on I think.

Cheers.

I have some support braces still attached to windowless sides, Pm me if interested.

Cheers Dave

PM sent, thanks Dave.

Edited by CI 0308, 20 August 2020 - 05:16 PM.

Made a start on the side window panels last couple of days. Cut out the shape + 20mm on the zincaneal sheet and rolled a step bead in the panel. then made up some internal braces out of 1.5mm Rondo top hat section. Still a bit more shaping to do to get the curve correct but I am reasonably pleased so far.

That looks pretty good.

Are you welding those in with a mig? I can just see those big long flat sides turning all wavey when they get some heat into them.

Are you welding those in with a mig? I can just see those big long flat sides turning all wavey when they get some heat into them.

The process will be to bond in the panels using 3m Panel bond adhesive 08115 then use a fibre reinforced filler then finish with normal filler. plus the normal paint prep steps.

If you start using the roller in earnest you will find it has a bad feature.

It starts to move around at the roller end from the arms bending.

I fixed mine up by welding braces top and bottom.

Makes it a lot more rigid and more accurate, or easier to keep your lines neat.

Ive added an electric drive to mine, but havent finished that bit off as yet.

Good little machine as is though if you take your time.

Cheers

Rob

If you start using the roller in earnest you will find it has a bad feature.

It starts to move around at the roller end from the arms bending.

I fixed mine up by welding braces top and bottom.

Makes it a lot more rigid and more accurate, or easier to keep your lines neat.

Rob

Yes Rob I took it very slow and did a couple of test pieces as well. Would have been a bit easier if my arms were a foot longer as well

with a motor and foot control would make it a lot easier to use. 

Hopefully I can use it for other jobs as I purchased it just to do these panels. 

Cheers Brett

Edited by CI 0308, 12 September 2020 - 04:33 PM.

Grouse stuff. Nice work with the side windows.

Pannos are so good. Don't really need more cars but bloody hell I'm tempted to buy one.

Grouse stuff. Nice work with the side windows.

Pannos are so good. Don't really need more cars but bloody hell I'm tempted to buy one.

That was my reason to get it as well Heath as I had been looking for a while and they were creeping up in price. 

Edited by yel327, 14 September 2020 - 10:14 PM.

Cut out some of the rusty floor sections today. Amazing how much damage a small hole at the bottom of the windscreen can cause when not repaired. I will start to butt weld in the new sections when I can get the van out of my sons garage and into my new workshop when its built.

Not much to report on lately but took the front panels out of the storage locker and loosly fitted to get a look.

I also have found the wheels I want to fit so took off the rims to get some measurements and sizes etc. They are now making a copy of the old Indy's

U.S. Indy 15 x 9 rears and 15 x 8 fronts

Shame you are so far away, could have loaned you 15x10, 15x8.5, 14x8, 14x7 and 14x6 to try for clearance.

Shame you are so far away, could have loaned you 15x10, 15x8.5, 14x8, 14x7 and 14x6 to try for clearance.

Cheers Byron. Using the old 7 inch hotwire, a big set square and a steel rule I think I pretty well worked it out.

The rears will be ok with the 15 x 9 and 0 offset as there is 6.5 inches of clearance, the fronts you are pushing it at 4 inch back space with a 14" rim before you hit the tie rod end, so I will go the 15 x 8 with the -12 offset, that will give me just under the 4 inches.

Cut out some of the rusty floor sections today. Amazing how much damage a small hole at the bottom of the windscreen can cause when not repaired.

Who is making the rims Brett? And dare I ask how exxy? I would like to get a set copied from my CAC rims, but I am unsure about sending them out of WA.

Who is making the rims Brett? And dare I ask how exxy? I would like to get a set copied from my CAC rims, but I am unsure about sending them out of WA.

You can order them through Bob Jane's Laurie. Reasonably cheap at $266 a rim but take 12 weeks delivery.

Hre is the U.S. site for all the sizes

http://us-mags.com/indy-u101-w-142.htm

Bob Jane link

https://www.bobjane....ariant_id=18592