I've Made a Mistake

Robert, check out the prices for aluminum sheet. With the right thickness and alloy it sometimes comes out to be a bit cheaper than steel. You can't just mig weld to it, but it can be cut on a table saw. It's easier to drill and it's lighter. You might just gain an extra 0.001Mpg out of the bus when you're done.

At the very least, redo the passenger side first, THEN order for the other side if you really really really want to redo your quality work. I suspect you'll realize that the differences don't actually matter and a functional bus and time is better. You've already learned the lessons and redoing the good side will only suck up your time and money. Also, as others suggested, keep the ribbing to break up the space. Paint can either mask the differences or lean into it. Or paint something that is more interesting than a bus, perhaps a Trabant in a hamster wheel as if it's powering the bus.

bummer

Bendik Vestrheim

They all have massive cut outs in the wrong spots, so I unfortunately can't use them

Aging Wheels

What about the old panels from the rear? Can’t you use them, if you didn’t throw them out

Bendik Vestrheim

February? You realize that's like, the day after tomorrow? (in procrastinators time)

Bruce the Moose

Just wanted you to know you're not the only one that's doing two steps forward, and six steps back. I'm about to tear apart the top of our shed/small cottage for a THIRD time, because I need to roof it before the snow hits here in Michigan. So, I feel your pain. :(

George Passantino

You should absolutely release the video you're discussing here on Feb. 3rd exactly cause it's mah birfday! 😁

Kathryn Fortunato

I would definitely suggest keeping the ribbed sections -- even if how you keep them is cutting them out and riveting them on top of flat metal (or fiberglass or whatever). They break up that large expanse of flatness, which is going to do quite a lot in distracting the eye from whatever minor waviness is inevitably going to be there.

Brooks Moses

I can only remove patches from those panels as they all have massive cutouts in the wrong places. I have all three rear panels from both sides. On both sides two panels have a wheel arch cut out and the rearmost panel is a different shape

Aging Wheels

What happened to the sheet metal from the back half of the bus? You could remove the wavy front part, lay it over the flat back part and transfer all the details over (wheel arch, battery door etc.). You could then retain the symmetry because the back half would already have the integrated bump strips

Nick Hough

EDITED BECAUSE I CAN'T DO RIGHT FROM LEFT Unsolicited opinion: Just keep the p̶a̶s̶s̶e̶n̶g̶e̶r̶ DRIVER side. For the d̶r̶i̶v̶e̶r̶PASSENGER's side, cut all the wavey parts out in big squares, and with the new metal just lap and rivet it on - don't try to weld/grind/bondo it smooth, even if you end up cutting off everything but the ribs (definitely keep the ribbed stripe down the middle - it can't have warped that much). Salvage whatever is flat and in place, lap patches on it, and rivet through the laps. It'll look cool. Like, repaired-for-another-mission-WW2 bomber cool. If anybody asks, tell them you "aren't going to take any flak."

Isaac Roll

Only if you look at one side, remember it, and then walk around the bus

Aging Wheels

will it really be that unsymmetrical, if you change out the warped side with new sheet metal and leave the good one in place?

Emil Wang

Is that a mustache? :o

Timothy Kepple

If you decide to keep the current sheet metal I wonder if you could hide some of the wavy-ness with some dazzle camouflage or hire a graffiti artist to give it their interpretation of the Aging Wheels logo. I have worse ideas in my head so gonna stop there.

Nick Elrod