Rocker Repair

[Jeff.P_46]

Rockers are done, floor is in and welded, now I am moving on to fill the holes in the firewall and replace the rear quarters I cut out to do the rocker repair. I also have a couple rusted out places in the rear fender wells that need to be fixed as well as the front windshield frame that has quite a few holes thru the outer skin. My car had the windshield chrome reveal that held the water in next to the frame and slowly rusted thru in number of spots.

Jeff

[greg g]

To bad yer in Oregon, I got a Studebaker truck that could use your stitch welding prowess. Plane tix, a private room, and lots of cold

[vitamindart]

man i need to get back on my 47 ,to bad i'm fixing the dart again DOH

[kdog1157]

thanks for the help everyone. i am going to need it. so darn hot here in nc might have to wait a while.

[knuckleharley]

YIKES! You are using 1/4 inch boxing? Well,no doubt about it being strong enough,is there?

[knuckleharley]

The fun of owning our "old" cars is the ability to actual work on them.....and of course there is always the tool thing.

Jeff

Shhhh! You are giving away our secrets!

BTW,I just bought the Harbor Freight English Wheel,and a week or so ago bought a brake rivet tool. Next is line looks to be the Eastwood benders because I have to make new rain channels/weatherstripping channels for my 33 Plymouth coupe. The originals are totally rusted away,and I have to be able to bend box tubing to follow the outline of the rumble lid.

[Norm's Coupe]

Shhhh! You are giving away our secrets!

BTW,I just bought the Harbor Freight English Wheel,and a week or so ago bought a brake rivet tool. Next is line looks to be the Eastwood benders because I have to make new rain channels/weatherstripping channels for my 33 Plymouth coupe. The originals are totally rusted away,and I have to be able to bend box tubing to follow the outline of the rumble lid.

Those metal fabricators from Harbor Freight may be cheap, but they work good. I bought the Metal Fabricator tool with the rollers for flanging and bead rolling a few years ago. Couldn't find a good bracket at a decent price to hold the headliner over the drivers door. So........rolled my own on the Harbor Freight fabricator. Looked and worked like an original part on my first try.

[Frank M.]

Great job Jeff!!!!! Makes me feel good to know there are guys like you out there.

Thats all these cars need---someone to roll up their sleeves--pitch in and not

bitch. Frank M.

[knuckleharley]

Jeff that car is going to be solid as a rock! I envy you guys that weld. Never learned that one.

Norm,the secret is to buy a good wire feed welder. You could teach a monkey how to weld in 30 days with one of those things. I bought a HTP 110V so I could plug it in anywhere. It will weld up to 1/4 inch steel with one pass,and that's heavier than anything a hobbiest will need to be welding. You can call them toll-free at 1-800-USA-WELD and order a video that shows wire feed welding and explains their welders,and the money is refunded when you buy one. They honor their warranty,and there is not a better company in the country to deal with,period. They do what they say when they say they will do it.

IMHO,the only two brands worth considering are the HTP and the Miller. Don't make the mistake of buying one of those cheap ones with aluminum wiring that is built in some third world country because you think you are saving a few bucks.

[Jeff.P_46]

I have the Harbor Freight cheap bead roller which works fine for the things I do. I also bought the Beverly imitation shear which also works well for as much as I use it. I have the Eastwood shrinker and streatcher which I have used alot and would recommend getting them.

I'm in the process of putting an epoxy primer on my car (bought a Finex 300 HVLP gun which is amazing how much less overspray there is) and have had the frame powder coated (I'll post some pictures)

Jeff

[Plymouthy Adams]

I have a couple of the Finex HVLP 300 guns (gravity feed)...am very pleased with their performance..and even better is the fact they clean up so fast easy compared to a conventional siphon gun..

[Joel Torres]

Hi Joel,

I have the 1/2"x1" tube laying up on the 2"x3" tube to give me a straight edge. I plan on bending up a piece of sheetmetal that will take it's place but you could leave it if you want.

Jeff

well good news and bad news

the black plymouth i have been trimming and fitting onto my new chassis is not going to be used to finishmy project

good news is im going to do the rocker repair on my orig green plymouth as it is not as bad as i thought i am using the black plymouth to measure and make pieces from and will transplant the green body onto the new chassis

the reason for doing this is my green plymouth has never been removed so she is sitting right where i want it nice and straight the other one has been lifted more times then i can remember but im glad cause i can install rockers and do the neccesary cutting and supports in the trunk and not have to worry about twisting the body once im done i should be able to put her on a rotissory i dont know what i will do with the black car and orig chassis once im done

ok i ordered the metal you used and but i am first going to take my 1"x1" squrae tube to get the shape of the rocker becuase my car has a curve your car looks straight 2 dr/4dr differance i guess once i get it perfect with a couple of slices and bending i will do the same to the 2x3 and 1/2 flat stock il weld those two together i also want to slide some sort of square tube into the pillares and kinda weld them inplace to stick down and touch the rocker beam and attahc the rocker to the floor supports like you did to bad its starting to get cold

[knuckleharley]

..I have the Eastwood shrinker and streatcher which I have used alot and would recommend getting them.....

Jeff

I just bought the Eastwood shrinker and stretcher (both tools,not the combo tool) about a month ago. Got them on special for 80 bucks off,so I went for it.

Bought a industrial quality 2 foot slip roller at a estate sale last summer for $25,and a industrial quality 4 foot sheet metal brake that must weigh 300 lbs at a local garage sale for 100 bucks a couple of months ago. All I need now is to learn how to use it all.

Bought a torpedo heater for my workshop so I can work in there this winter. Not what I wanted,but what I could afford. Not sure I made the right move,though. It makes so much noise I can't even hear myself think,and doesn't seem to do much good unless I am standing right in front of it. I'm hoping I can at least use it to heat sheet metal warm enough to be able to do a little body work and paint.

[greg g]

Was in tractor supply company the other day and noticed something that might be useable to repair rockers. It was the channel track for sliding barn doors. they had it in several shapes and several different shapes. Also some interesting shapes and sizes for bottom tracks.

I was looking at their trailer fenders. I am going to use a cut up fender for the cab corners on my Studebaker truck, One fender 19 bucks, vs. 2 repoped cab corners at 90 bucks each.