Rocker Panel Repair

7173Mustangs.com

Help Support 7173Mustangs.com:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Nov 5, 2010
Messages
226
Reaction score
1
Location
Flint - Michigan
My Car
1973 Mustang Mach 1 - Q-code auto - Medium Bright Yellow
While waiting for my new floor pans to arrive, I've been derusting the rest of the car. Made it to the left rear rocker panel and about 3 inches of it disintegrated. The passenger's side is the same.

Here's the question. I'm getting to be a pretty good novice in sheet metal bending, but to make a piece that makes this is like a right angle bend on a curve. How do I do it? I know a few of our advertisers might have a klunker in the yard, but does this part really survive to be cut off and reused?

Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions are welcomed.

DSC06818sc.jpg

 
That's a tough one! My 71 had the same problem area and for the life of me, I just could not get it right. I had to have a friend come over and do the patch. He made a cut at about your pointer and had a 1/2" inside top lip that matted up with the 1/2" inside bottom lip on the top body panel. Makes sense? If not, then put your finger in the hole and feel where the top of the bottom panel meets the bottom of the top body panel. :) Good luck and if anything ask Mr. Sheetmetal man for help on the bottom post :)

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi there!! well... it´s not that bad!! I´m not expert in making shapes like that either but there is a bunch of guys here that are artists in that matter so you are gonna get your answer from them in hours tops...

Did you take the fenders off?? you´ll probably gonna have to do it to make all the repairs in that area... the fender has some holes too... If i were you i´ll try to dissamble everything arround cause probably there´s more rust where you are not getting right now with all the parts together...

Ohh... my english is complicated today... i got up wrong!! i cant get to the point!!!...

CONCLUSION! je!! Dissamble everything arround.. clean everything and then do the cutting and welding... that´s how you are gonna be able to plan the work propperly...

Hope it helps!!

 
While waiting for my new floor pans to arrive, I've been derusting the rest of the car. Made it to the left rear rocker panel and about 3 inches of it disintegrated. The passenger's side is the same.

Here's the question. I'm getting to be a pretty good novice in sheet metal bending, but to make a piece that makes this is like a right angle bend on a curve. How do I do it? I know a few of our advertisers might have a klunker in the yard, but does this part really survive to be cut off and reused?

Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions are welcomed.
Md..You have 2 issues in the pic...You need a patch for the rocker & you need a patch for the quarter...I will take some pics today at the shop & post later on how to make that patch..There's 2 ways to do it..The easy way is the way I will show you..since unless you have a "shrinker"http://www.eastwood.com/shrinker-stretcher-set-one-body-two-jaws.html it will be hard..I can't tell from the pic but is the outer wheelhouse rusted too? or did you bend it out of the way ? If it's gone you need to make that patch first since the rocker edge (wheel lip) attaches to it. The other thing you should do before you patch that up is rust bullet the INSIDE of the rocker using my string & sponge technique I showed in the cowl repair vids I have in the vid gallery. It's gonna be your only chance to do it before it's closed up..You can drill a small hole at the front of the rocker (the flat plate part that caps it in the front wheel house area) to get the string thru..then just weld shut or you can rubber plug it. Also Take a shop vac & get some 3/4" hose (garden hose) tape it to the shop vac hose & vacuum out the inside of the rocker.

Scott

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Wow, I'm amazed. You guys are great.

Okay, so the idea with the hose is going to have to wait. I think I left most of my garden hose under this black bag in the back yard. This is as close as I'm going to get to it.

DSC06822s.jpg

On the other hand, I did use my smaller shop vac and sucked out the stuff that was in the rocker panel. Great idea with the garden hose though.

Second, I followed one of the previous suggestions and purchased a can of Rust Bullet. Great web site for it. Real easy to order. I will warm up the garage and use that before I close up the rocker panel.

DSC06823sc.jpg

I'm not ready for another purchase of that metal stretcher just yet. But great reference and idea. On a cheaper note, I used some construction paper and cut/taped a piece that seems to fit. I think I'll use this for shaping the sheet metal. However, I could really use a reference picture to see what the original shape is supposed to look like. If anyone has the area in front of their rear tire photographed, I could use it. In all my photos of 'stangs, I just never shot a pic in this area.

DSC06826sc.jpg

DSC06827sc.jpg

Hopefully, with pictures of survivors, it'll show any other curves or bends.

Thanks again folks for all of the support and advice. It's really working.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Wow, I'm amazed. You guys are great.

Okay, so the idea with the hose is going to have to wait. I think I left most of my garden hose under this black bag in the back yard. This is as close as I'm going to get to it.

On the other hand, I did use my smaller shop vac and sucked out the stuff that was in the rocker panel. Great idea with the garden hose though.

Second, I followed one of the previous suggestions and purchased a can of Rust Bullet. Great web site for it. Real easy to order. I will warm up the garage and use that before I close up the rocker panel.

I'm not ready for another purchase of that metal stretcher just yet. But great reference and idea. On a cheaper note, I used some construction paper and cut/taped a piece that seems to fit. I think I'll use this for shaping the sheet metal. However, I could really use a reference picture to see what the original shape is supposed to look like. If anyone has the area in front of their rear tire photographed, I could use it. In all my photos of 'stangs, I just never shot a pic in this area.

Hopefully, with pictures of survivors, it'll show any other curves or bends.

Thanks again folks for all of the support and advice. It's really working.
MD..Good move on the rust bullet !!! I just used the garden hose as an example of size can be rubber or what ever is laying around...Forget the template you made...Heres how to do it follow the pics it will explain itself..I do use a countour gauge (great tool at lowes about $10.00) The only other thing you may want is an air powered hacksaw you can't make the cuts with a snip you could do it by hand with a hack saw blade...OK compound curve patch making 101:D I'm gonna have to stop giving away all my tricks & tips..Maybe I should do a DIY video for sale of the floor pan replacement...I have tons of tricks & tips for that ;)100_1865.JPG100_1866.JPG100_1867.JPG100_1868.JPG100_1869.JPG100_1871.JPG100_1872.JPG100_1873.JPG100_1874.JPG100_1875.JPG100_1876.JPG100_1877.JPG100_1878.JPG100_1879.JPG

 
Okay, off to the hardware store. So instead of bending the angle, you weld it. Okay, but I'm still short on welding skills. Can you get me a shot of the inside where the rocker panel bends down?[/align]
You only weld it where it's required Look at the pic where the template is laid out on the sheet metal...It's not 2 pieces your just gonna cut this out of one piece Where the green tape is it's part of the main patch .Just pretend that the pics show a piece of sheet metal I'm working with instead of card board ..You better get busy on your welding practice !!!:p you can get the shape of where it bends down from a good section of the rocker it's pretty much the same front to back

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Reproduction works for me. I had no idea. I was almost looking forward to the metal bending thing....

Thanks again.
Your Welcome Md...My pleasure...Well go for it & make the patch It can't hurt..It's only a piece of metal & at the same time you could practice your welds;) Belive me ,theres been plenty of times I have had to remake stuff..I should post up a pic of a patch I made when I first started over 20 years ago..Boy was it hack ! As they say "practice makes perfect" well most of the time !

Scott

 
Man that Rust Bullet is powerful. Talk about taking a trip and never leaving the garage. This stuff really does the trick. Just need to remember to...ah oh whatever.. LOL.

Thanks for the tip on the patch. NPD was actually a few bucks cheaper.

 
Man that Rust Bullet is powerful. Talk about taking a trip and never leaving the garage. This stuff really does the trick. Just need to remember to...ah oh whatever.. LOL.

Thanks for the tip on the patch. NPD was actually a few bucks cheaper.
LMAO...Ummm Forgot to mention ALWAYS WEAR A RESPIRATOR When applying rust bullet ...sanding rust & WELDING !!! http://www.amazon.com/3M-R6211-Low-Maintenance-Half-Mask-Respirator/dp/B00004Z4EB We always try to do the the rust bullet as the last thing before we leave for the night..It is very strong! You should also dispose of any brushes etc OUTSIDE your shop..this way the smell won't linger.



WOW

Great pictures Scott!! I always wondered how they made contoured patches....lol...don't think I'm ready for it but sure explains a lot.

Ken
Thanks Ken ! It's the DIY way..as I explained prior, without a metal shrinker you would have a hard time making these types of patches. & Most Diyers don't have the tools required...so it's the next best thing & will give you the same & sometimes better results !

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ya' know, sometimes hitting the easy button doesn't always work. The reproduction rocker panel arrived yesterday. Somehow, then end isn't what I seem to remember what mine looked like before they rusted out and turned into bondo art. The bondo is long since removed, but now it looks like I'm back to metal forming....

DSC06856.JPG

 
Ya' know, sometimes hitting the easy button doesn't always work. The reproduction rocker panel arrived yesterday. Somehow, then end isn't what I seem to remember what mine looked like before they rusted out and turned into bondo art. The bondo is long since removed, but now it looks like I'm back to metal forming....
Bummer MD...Looking at that piece I'm saying "what the heck is that to?" Looks nothing like a 71-73 rocker section..Are they serious? I Tell you what...I made the template already you need...Pm me with your mailing address & I will mail it to you...This way you have the right section & curve etc. It's gonna be a much better place to start than what they sent you.

Scott

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for the feedback. NPD has never failed me yet, but eventually when you do enought business with one place they're bound to mess up. In the mean time, I must say I do have a nice piece of prebent sheet metal for some of the other areas that are missing it.

 
Back
Top