Wade,
I read your posting.
There was no way I was attempting to implicate the re-engineering of the
automobile.
What I was simply stating, was, there is new technology that CAN replace
the old, phreistoric techniques, and these proceedures could be
implimented here in Vanagonland, wih no consequence.
They idea you were coveying was you welded all your repairs, in leu of
using the panel adhesive, thats what I got out of it anyway.
And I chuckled, because there is no way
this could ever happen in this new world of automobile technology of
paper thin sheet metal.
Yor not dealing with  49 Ford's any longer.
You would be straightening more twisted new metal, than the original
repair.
And you did state in your posting you welded All your repairs.
You just didn't say how much you welded.

No, I do condone the junk-yard, cave and pave, patch panel techniques
that some body shops use, and I never have or will use them.

I am in a different ball game than you are.
My shop is in the class 8 truck repair buisness, and I specialize in the
repair of Mack Trucks.
And I have found several applications, where the 3-m body panel
adhesives, are a better solution to the ultimate repair.

I don't have the problems that you guy's in the automotive, end of it
have.
No air bags, no convoluting panels,--but, everthing is built heavy, and
experiances one hell of beating in its lifetime, much more than a Geo
Prism, or a Keo.

I have never had one failure attributed to the use of 3-M's
product--period.

And I believe that this new technology can be applied to a Vanagon with
no ill effects.

This is in my professional honest opinion.

Later,

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Terry 85 GL