Looking for body panels

[MarkA108]

Hi everyone , I’m mark , new to the forum ! I had found a company years ago that sold all the panels the whole way around the bottom for these vans, but now that I’ve finally started to work on it I can’t find anything ! I already have one section for around the drivers side wheel, and one back corner. But I pretty much need all the others.

Back story on my van if you have a minute to read:

My dad bought a 1969 a108 in the mid 90’s. I drove it to high school and me and my friends would just use it as a hang out on the side of the garage to hide and drink beer in. I had a little dog that would sit on the engine box and we’d pour beer in the tray on it for her. One summer the van sprung a leak in the rad, I just carried a jug of water with me and I’d top it up every now and then. Well.. Fast forward to that winter, the block cracked. Duh. So, in 1997, walking to my house from where the school bus dropped me off, I stopped in the driveway.. the van was gone! My dad had sold it.

Through my 20’s and 30’s I had a few old cars, but always remembered that van, and once in a while I’d put an ad up trying to find it. Last year, 2018, exactly 20 years later someone called me. He had bought a van with a cracked 318 in 97. Had to be mine! Only problem was he didn’t want to sell it. I convinced him to just let me come and see it. So I get to this place, and in the middle of his yard along with 8 or 10 other old gems rotting away was my van, looking a little worst for wear. I was a bit confused actually, because all this time I assumed it had been rebuilt, not sitting rotting. As we get talking the guy says “you know .. I don’t think I’ve ever really been in the van. I think some of your stuff is still in there.” I immediately walked over to the van and opened the door. It was like a time warp. Sitting on the dash was a rubber hand puppet we’d yell out the window at people with, and in the tray of the engine box was the faint line where beer was once poured.

I turned to the old fella, and I said “Seriously??? You don’t want to sell the van??! You’ve never even opened the door!” After a bit of a ‘chat’ he told me he gave my dad 700 dollars for it. I went to my truck and brought back 700 dollars and said here’s you money back. He accepted. When he gave me the registration,. Well, it was still in my fathers name!

So I have the van, but it needs a bit of work !

[Jims68]

Great story!! Now... to tell the truth, I don't know where to get parts for your A108, but I wish you the best of luck!! I am really glad you got your Van back too. Also, you can pretend your dad just gave it to you when you title it in your name which makes it easy.

[Jim100]

That is classic. Hide and drink beer in. Funny stuff. I have no clues for sheet metal other than find another van to cut apart.
Again thanks for the story.
jim

[Thomasg]

Have you looked for panels at Mills Supply inc?

[Thomasg]

have you looked for panels at Mills Supply

[sh0rtlife]

last i check wildcat auto wrecking still had a huge surplus of these vans , dont bother with email, call them direct, they ship cars and parts world wide