DJ194950 Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 door to rocker gap looks good. Lower part of door lip appears to bent outward maybe from dragging the front fender. Yes the front lower edge of fender is slightly adjustable . Rocker panel also appear to be bent in at the front edge from the hole forward. Put it all together = 1/4" gap. 49 Ply. bus. cpes. did not come with the lower rocker mouldings stock. They had 3-4 - 3/4" to 1" slots for the rocker mouldings to mount. They used an unusual clip to mount them to those slots.. Dodges they same??? Hope that's some help. Love the Bus. Cpes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted March 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Great thanks DJ. Looking more closely it looks like the rocker has been replaced at some stage so it may not be original. The mounting points have all been pushed in and filled with bondo and your right it does look bent in a couple of places. Plan is to get the slide hammer on it and try to get it flatter so I can cut right down on the bondo needed. Looking at the fender it is a bit behind the door lip halfway up so I am hoping by pushing it up a bit it will adjust the gap to the rocker and also make the trailing edge bow out a bit more in the middle. For shut lines I guess I will start at the roof and work down as I am not too sure what is orginal and what is replacement! Cheers, Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyHarold Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 There are fender mounting studs accessible when the interior kick panel is removed. If the nuts on them are too tight or too loose the bowing of the trailing edge of the fender can be affected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Cool, thanks for the info Harold. How difficult is it to remove the fender completely? I am thinking about doing that to make the footwell repair easier. Cut back some more of the floor at the weekend to expose the body mount under the middle of the door. Need to fab up a new section of mount and weld it in, will post up some picks when I am on a better network connection. Cheers, Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted April 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 Why is it when you start repair work the holes you cut out only ever get bigger! Stripped back the rocker and floor, but as I exposed it the mid body mount condition looked worse and worse. So am going to need to fabricate a replacement for the end of the outrigger/body mount. For the benefit of anyone following this process/looking to do it themselves, there are 3 layers to unpick to get at the body mount. 1.The floor comes off first 2. Then there is a strengthening rib that runs front to back and holds the captive nuts for the seat 3. Then there is the body mount that runs laterally across the shell These are all sandwiched together with 8 spots welds which I have marked up in the pic below for reference With the spots welds removed I then cut back the body mount to good metal just outside of the main chassis rail. I will now fabricate a new mount and drop it in. Worth noting the original mount is made from pretty heavy steel, probably 10 or 11 gauge (2.25mm-2.5mm) so making up a replacement from flat sheet isn't easy, I have some cut off's of 12 gauge so we will see how it goes! Cleaned a load of the underseal off the chassis and looks like it has been restored/painted at some point which is good Cheers, Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper50 Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 Paul I'm just about ready to tackle the same areas. I have pieces from another 47 coupe that are suppose to be here on the 18th. Of course they were also suppose to be here last week. So we'll see. I'm following very close as this will be the first time I've attempted something of this magnitude. My coupe is worse than yours, that's why I decided to have the sections that I need torched off of another coupe that was stripped to the bare bones already. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted April 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 Good luck with yours Casper - being the wrong side of the pond parts cars are non existent over here so I have to go the long route and fabricate most of the parts myself, thats why it was important to get as solid a base as possible to start with. Having said which, I am coming Stateside to Chicago at the beginning of May so am hoping to fill my suitcase with some of the lightweight parts I need like window seals, body mounts and an ash tray! Cheers, Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted April 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 OK, got a chance to work on the Dodge today, it’s a holiday weekend over here so spent Friday and Saturday overhauling and installing a shaper I bought about a year ago. Got onto the Dodge at lunchtime and main job was to fabricate the replacement middle body mount on the passenger side. It's quite a complex shape and too difficult to make in one part (especially when you are hammering out 12 gauge tin, so made it up in 3 sections. First up roughed out the shape and cut where I knew I wanted to fold to make the flanges. Folded over the edges and used a flexi disc to get the rough shape (comparison to original) Repeated the process for the other side, Then clamped together and ground both sides so they were near enough identical. Then cut another strip of 12 gauge and shaped it to fit the profile of the sides, here it is clamped together ready for spot welds. Seam welded the whole unit for strength, filled the gaps, ground down and it looks like this. Here it is mocked up in situ. It is deliberately a bit long at the moment as I will trim it to length when I have made up the new inner rocker that it fixes too. Couple of questions for you experts : 1.I assume it just spot welds on to the inner, on the other side it looks like there is an additional strengthening plate sandwiched between the cross member and the rocker, but the other side is non original so I don't know if this is correct. 2.And maybe a bit of a dumb one , but what does the body mount bolt fix too? On this side it was thin air! As the outrigger/body mount is spot welded to the longitudinal brace that the seat mounts too I can't see how the bolt would attach? Cheers, Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fstfish66 Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 nice work 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted April 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Thanks fstfish gonna make up the inner rocker panel this weekend hopefully so need to figure out how that body mount bolts up, think I will post a seperate question so it doesn't get lost in here Cheers, Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Thanks fstfish gonna make up the inner rocker panel this weekend hopefully so need to figure out how that body mount bolts up, think I will post a seperate question so it doesn't get lost in here Cheers, Paul. Post it here. Better to keep everything in one location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted April 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Questions as above Don, looking for a bit of help with the fixing of the new middle body mount I have made up, 1. How does the mount fix to the inner rocker? I assume it just spot welds on to the inner, but on the other opposite side of the car side it looks like there is an additional strengthening plate sandwiched between the cross member and the rocker, but the other side is non original so I don't know if this is correct. 2.And maybe a bit of a dumb one , but what does the body mount bolt fix too? On this side it was thin air! As the outrigger/body mount is spot welded to the longitudinal brace that the seat mounts too I can't see how the bolt would attach to anything that would allow the body to seperate from the mount. Thanks, Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted April 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 Unpicked all the rest of the rotten areas to get back to as near clean metal as I can. Included cutting out the front of the panel that supports the floor and the section that goes forward from the rocker to support the fender. Made up replacement panels and trial fitted. Treated the inside of all the sections with rust inhibitor then welded the repair panels in place and cleaned up. Now I have these reference points in place I can now start making up the rocker repair panels. If anyone has any thoughts on my questions above or pictures of how the middle body mount bolts up to the floor that would be great. Thanks, Paul, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted April 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2015 Didn't get much time to play on the Dodge this weekend, but managed to knock up the 1st of the 3 pieces I am going to need to repair the rocker. This is what would have been the lower return of the outer rocker. Made up in 16g to match the rocker. It’s a real pain trying to create the flange to slip this up onto the original panel, been looking for a bead roller for ages but they just fetch too much money. So I made a tool that I can use with my hydraulic press to press the flange nice and neat. Then fitted this up to the rocker and welded through from on top so it is nice and clean on the visible side. A old trick I use especially if welding thin steel is to clampo a strip of copper to the back, helps spread the heat and the weld won't take to the copper. Also really useful if you have to fill small holes in panels without making patches. And all welded up, just needs trimming and if I'm really fussy I might lay a bit of lead in the join to seal it. 3 panels done, 2 to go then I can weld in the outriggers I have made Cheers, MM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodFru2u Posted April 19, 2015 Report Share Posted April 19, 2015 Real nice work, Your skills with metal work are FIRST RATE. Great Job, Rod 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted April 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2015 Thanks Rod, its not quick but they should last longer than me, so someone else will be able to enjoy it as well - maybe my son if he ever gets the bug Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted April 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 Had a couple of hours spare this evening so managed to get out into the shop. Knocked up the inner rocker repair panel and then was able to mock up the fitment together with the new body mount. Old front body mount is in place but need to make a new one of these up as well. All beginning to take shape nicely, will need to jack the rocker up before I spot weld the new inner in place as it is sagging a little. Just need to make the top of the rocker to complete the box, but will probably fab up the new floor sections before I seal it up. Cheers, Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave72dt Posted April 21, 2015 Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 Keep checking your door fit as you progress, especially if you start jacking panels around. No need to weld a panel in and find the jambs have moved and the doors longer fit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted April 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 Keep checking your door fit as you progress, especially if you start jacking panels around. No need to weld a panel in and find the jambs have moved and the doors longer fit. I hear you Dave I am working from the panel gap between roof and door as that is the bit I know hasn't been played with and then working my way down. Door is slightly wavy but rocker droops by 1 or 2 mm so correcting that by jacking it Cheers, Paul. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted April 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 Next bit of progress, starting to close up the front part of the rocker now. First of spot welded the new piece of inner rocker into place Then started fabricating the new piece of outer rocker - gonna flange it and slip under the existing outer rocker. Mocked up in situ, won't fix it in till I have the floor fabbed up as well. Cheers Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
49DODGEBOY Posted May 27, 2015 Report Share Posted May 27, 2015 everything looks great. Unless your doing a concourse resto, just make it work, and be safe of course. I called my floors the Flintstone floor for a reason. more holes than steel. Your doing fine. Took me a year but the finished product was well worth it. I am lucky though, I have a 50' x 40' shop on my property (thx wifey) .Keep it fun! I used to have one of those too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted May 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 It always takes much longer than you think eh? I have been distracted the last few weeks with a trip to the States and then lots of spring time stuff on the house to do , hope to get back on this in the next week and get the passenger floor closed up then can attack the drivers side. Cheers, Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted December 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 I'm back, did you miss me? Took a bit longer than a few weeks but to be fair I did say I would be doing this resto sloowwwllyy Lots of stuff on over the summer so haven't had a chance to get back on the Dodge. Done a couple of small bits but nothing that would count as progress until this weekend really. Finally got round to fitting the middle outrigger I fabricated in the spring. All welded in apart from onto the sill, which I will do one the floor is in (thats the next big bit to fab) As a reminder this is what it looked like originally...... And now........ Next job to shape a replacement floor panel........ Cheers, MM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper50 Posted December 20, 2015 Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 One step at a time gets you there. Looking good., Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm289 Posted December 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 Had Christmas Eve off so a good chance to get on with the Dodge First off stripped back the rest of the rocker behind the bit I am repairing at the moment. It is reasonably solid but after getting rid of 1/4" of filler I found the panel had just been tacked onto the original, what a mess! It will all have to come off and I will make up a new lower qtr/rocker repair panel. So started on the floor panel next. Roughed out a cardboard template...... Then transferred it to steel and started putting some of the shape in..... ..... and then it was nearly Christmas, time to go prep the joints and bake some bread ready for tomorrow Have a great Christmas everbody Cheers, Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.