Replaceable panels?

[Jarhead79]

My 79 has had rockers redone and cab corners and some grafting of gas tank doors, one on each side, my question here is, I see that some of the metal underneath the cab between the rocker panel and the cab has been cut away and you can see the backside of the rocker panel, wondering if this can be replaced or if there are panels I can weld back in or rebuild what's missing from rust etc. will try and get pics tomorrow!

 

[donmateo]

LMC and a few other places have replacement panels, but I've heard they aren't that good of sheetmetal.

 

[Don5]

I had a body guy tell me that he always cut the inner rocker off after the outer panel was installed. He said that it always rusts there because water and dirt would lay there. He said that way you could hose any mud off and not worry about rust forming there.

BTW- Don't kill the messenger I am just repeating what I was told. Just sayin...

 

[Georgeb]

I had a body guy tell me that he always cut the inner rocker off after the outer panel was installed. He said that it always rusts there because water and dirt would lay there. He said that way you could hose any mud off and not worry about rust forming there.

BTW- Don't kill the messenger I am just repeating what I was told. Just sayin...

I have done that too. but not on anything of great value. you loose some of the rigidity of the rocker tho. I believe if you take the time to hose them out once and a while they stay rust free for a long time.

 

[Don5]

I have done that too. but not on anything of great value. you loose some of the rigidity of the rocker tho. I believe if you take the time to hose them out once and a while they stay rust free for a long time.

I agree with you. I was thinking that it was no big deal to hose that section out. But I could see it being a pain if you were out in the mud for awhile and the mud was packed in there.

 

[Georgeb]

I agree with you. I was thinking that it was no big deal to hose that section out. But I could see it being a pain if you were out in the mud for awhile and the mud was packed in there.

Depends how long it's left in there.

 

[Old77]

I had a body guy tell me that he always cut the inner rocker off after the outer panel was installed. He said that it always rusts there because water and dirt would lay there. He said that way you could hose any mud off and not worry about rust forming there.

BTW- Don't kill the messenger I am just repeating what I was told. Just sayin...

This is why I coated the inner part of my rockers with POR15 except where the inner rockers were to weld to the outer rocker along the bottom.

 

[Jarhead79]

I had a feeling it might be ok as is, it's never gonna be a show vehicle but around here rust is inevitable and wins more often than not. If I was going to do a frame off resto, then I might fix it but wasn't sure if there were parts actually made for this or if you just had to cut and paste metal in. Lol

 

[kleedus]

Michael I grew up in your area mostly willow hill and newton

this is a picture of my crew but the front rockers would be the same

 

[Jarhead79]

I'll try and get pics, been taking as much overtime at work I can get to pay for this truck, lol.

 

[Georgeb]

For what it's worth I had some of those inner rockers I ordered from LMC. the thickness was ok compared to the rest of the patch panels I ordered. They were at least 50% thicker than the outer rockers anyway. You couldn't install them properly without removing the outers first though. I agree and would leave them open too unless I was replacing the outer rockers. Up here about the only way to beat the rust worm is to flush all the salt and sand out of all those nooks and crannys several times a year and to add rust inhibitor every fall.