Are these super-cheap rocker panels junk?

[Guest 50Plymouth]

Hello,

My p-20 '50 Plymouth (w/ a '51 cranbrook body) has bad rockers and I couldn't believe the price of these rocker panels only $40 !?! .... I wandered over to this forum from the Plymouth bulletin forum. I think I'll hang around a while

http://www.rustrepair.com/app2/onlinecat.htm?r=ms&p=sm-plymouth

umm, how is that possible? plymouthdoctor.com is just a weeeee bit more, for inner and outer Are these made of paper or something? Would it be just inner or outer? Is this one of those stay-away items?

Ryan

[Norm's Coupe]

I don't know anything about Mill Supply's rockers. However, that price seems in line. I bought a 49 two door rocker panel from JC Whitney back about 95 or 96. At that time the rocker only cost about $30 including shipping. The quality was good on that one and was nice heavy steel like originals. Of course that same rocker price would be higher today but I believe you can still buy them from JC Whitney. So, the price for Mill Supply's would be in line with JC Whitney's price. Remember prices from a lot of old car vendors for old NOS stuff is always high because they think it's made out of gold. So, you can't go by those prices.

[Guest 50Plymouth]

Wow. That is encouraging news at least. How come sometimes rockers are sold as inner and outer separate panel$, and other times as just one piece such as this Mills supply?

I only bought a rocker panel once, and as I recall it was just an outer piece. Wouldn't a guy need inner and outer panels if the rust is bad on stuff like like the 49-52 plymouths?

[Plymouthy Adams]

For what it is worth..I met a vendor at a auto swap meet..he was selling the exact same units as JC Whitney..maybe that was where he got them...I clicked on your web link..did not see a picture of the rocker in question..rest assured however that all the ones I have seen for the 49-52's did not have the correct J-curve at the threshold..this is an item that can be duped only by stamping..a break will not recreate this curve..they are still workable mind you..average Joe won't notice...

[JerseyHarold]

I bought a set of 4-door rockers from Mill Supply years ago for one of my '52s. They were heavy-guage steel and made well. They did not have the contersunk holes for the rubber sill plates, as some repros do. This may have changed by now.

[Guest 50Plymouth]

I was originally thinking of ordering one side first to check it out, but hearing testimony of satisfaction is enough too. Their online catalog doesn't show any pictures. My real concern is this: Is there a difference between panels made to merely 'cover' and panels made to actually replace and weld in? I'm not looking for a rivet-type solution here.. I want it done right. With this panel could I remove the offending area out and have this part welded in?

JC Whitney has custom fit rocker for $35 says they have 2dr and 4dr. but doesn't give separate parts #.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/VehicleBrowse/tf-VehicleBrowse/s-10101/N-111+1951+200729064+600015398/c-10101

So you guys think the Mills and JC Whitney might be the same repro. part?

One last question for the Plymouth guru's, does anyone make cheaper cost floor panel sections like this? Plymouthdoctor is in a dramatically different price range.

Ryan

[Norm's Coupe]

As with any sheet metal part, the one from JC Whitney could be welded or riveted. That part is up to the person using it. Welding is better. To use the one from JC Whitney correctly, you would need to cut out the old rocker. It was not just a cover up for the old one.

As for inner rocker panels, those are usually just a box shape and can be made at home. Or, do like I did. Measure, make a drawing and have a small metal fabricating shop bend them to the right shape and size for you. The small shop I went to used it as a side job. As such they used new left over steel from a large industrial job. Total cost for two inner rockers about 60 inches long came to $15 for their labor. He didn't charge me for the steel. And no, I didn't know the owner or anyone else at the shop and he wasn't another car guy. Was the first time I had ever contacted him or met him, other than a phone call first to see if he could do it.

Floor pans are fairly simple to make, so I made my own for my 48. Go to the link next to my signature to see the floor work.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I have welded a set in as supplied by JC Whitney...for a 2 door..they went in without any real problem..better than the high dollar ones I bought and had to return to a major supplier..those were pure T garbage...of the two..and for the money..JC gets my vote.

[Woody Branham]

I shot myself in the foot. I mailed a check today fot $39.38 for ONE outer rocker for my 1950 DeSoto. Paid $20 for the part the rest in shipping. Thought I was getting a bargin. I went to Whitneys web and the DeSoto was not listed as an option. Were thy all the same these year Mopars? Thanks, Woody

[Plymouthy Adams]

I am not sure..at that time I think the DeSoto and Chrysler may have shared the same body...I think the Dodge may have been a mid line whereas the Plymouth was the smaller body..but again I am not 100 percent on this..just basing this on the last 49 Chrysler I saw...

[Allan Faust]

For what it is worth..rest assured however that all the ones I have seen for the 49-52's did not have the correct J-curve at the threshold..this is an item that can be duped only by stamping..a break will not recreate this curve..they are still workable mind you..average Joe won't notice...

Just to correct you Tim... you have seen one set with the correct J-Curve!!!

Allan

[Allan Faust]

Ryan,

I got my outer rockers from a guy on the bay for my 50 4 door (and as Tim forgot... they have the proper J-curve... he mentioned it himself).... he may have others, and I paid $50 each for him. If you contact him, he may have others... and as far as I know they are NOS... ie stamped replacements. on ebay his id is jwatt42 and his email is jwatt42@peoplepc.com . I'm definitely happy with mine.... surface rust on em, but otherwise completely correct.... and as for interior rockers, I purchased mine from another vendor (only for one side, because I had doubts) and after having seen them, I'll be making my own for the other side since they are only bent with a flange on one end.

Allan

[Plymouthy Adams]

I think Allan found a set of the factory replacement panel and yes they are correct curved..I also found a set of them for my Club coupe years ago..correct curve, indents/holes and rocker trim square holes...rest assured that these are very hard to obtain today.

[JerseyHarold]

Another item that used to be reproduced in the fifties was a rear 'dog leg' panel for four door cars that swept up from the rear end of the rocker panel and extended into the curved part of the rear door opening and behind the fender welt into the fender bolt flange on the body. It was die stamped and an excellent fit...I used one on one of my '52 Cranbrooks. Come to think about it, they also made lower trunk corner panels (went from the trunk sides to the fender welt area and about 8 inches high) and even the rust-prone lip that runs between the trunk lid and the rear gravel pan.

[Guest 50Plymouth]

Thanks for the info! Allan, especially for the shots of the inner rocker, its all new to me. I'll probably contact that guy as well just to check. Its nice to know JC has them there for that price. You think the Mills supply and JC.W rockers are identical?

May I ask what vendor(s) sell inner rockers? I am totally unskilled with metal, I'll beg\hire a friend to do all welding I'm not sure how much work it would require to ask about fabricating an inner rocker.

Does anybody know what other replacement panels are out there and available today? Favorite panel vendors? I'm not fanatical about using only NOS.

I'm looking forward to learning from all this. Unfortunately theres rust around the trunk floor latch area but I assume that requires a custom solution.

Ryan

[Allan Faust]

May I ask what vendor(s) sell inner rockers? I am totally unskilled with metal, I'll beg\hire a friend to do all welding I'm not sure how much work it would require to ask about fabricating an inner rocker.

Does anybody know what other replacement panels are out there and available today? Favorite panel vendors? I'm not fanatical about using only NOS.

I'm looking forward to learning from all this. Unfortunately theres rust around the trunk floor latch area but I assume that requires a custom solution.

Ryan

Ryan,

My inners I got from http://www.autobodyspecialt.com/ and as you can see, they've got other pans also. Pans, rockers and such can also be purchased from my55rock@aol.com however, although I've heard good things about them, I've never dealt with them... you can get pans, rockers, floor braces etc from them as well.... as for rust areas, cut out and replace.....

Allan

[junkyardjeff]

I have some older repro rocker panels for a 49 to 54 chrysler or desoto if they will work,the last time I looked at them they looked to have been made from thick metal but that hs been many years ago but I wont be using them as I have nothing to put them on. Jeff

[Guest 50Plymouth]

I have some older repro rocker panels for a 49 to 54 chrysler or desoto if they will work,the last time I looked at them they looked to have been made from thick metal but that hs been many years ago but I wont be using them as I have nothing to put them on. Jeff

Jeff: message sent to 'ya.

[Ed Griffin]

Are all of the inner and outter rocker panels that have been mentioned so far on post first series 49 vehicles? I purchased a set of what I beleave are inner rockers abt 3 yrs back and have always wondered if they were correct for my first series 49 and 48 dodge sedan. When purchased I thought they were the outter rocker panels, as advertised, but first glance I knew they had to be inner rockers as they had no "curve" in them yet just metal with 45 degree angle breaks.

If thats what the discussion has been on, then is there anyone who makes the outter rockers for the first post war cars? JC doesnt carry them, only the later models and it would be nice to have a set for when the time comes to use them.

It seems that many models have the same problem with the rust out along the bottom edge of the trunks of our cars and luckily it doesnt look to be as major a project as the rockers.