P15 Australia rocker panels wanted

[47_Plymouth_SD_Aus]

Looking for replacement rocker panels for my 48 Plymouth P15 special deluxe, I'm located in NSW Australia. Thanks.

[Andydodge]

Welcome aboard, these guys know their stuff..........is your car an Oz build or fully imported?................easy way to tell is does it have a TJ Richards ID plate on the firewall?...if so its an Oz build car as TJ's were the body builders/assemblers in Adelaide.......also does it have external front door hinges?.....this is an easily identifiable Richards body ID......the Oz body shells were essentially the same from 1939 through to 1948.........I have an Oz 1940 D15 Dodge...........anyway, where are you in Oz?..............I am in sunny South Grafton NSW nth coast........got any pics of your car?..........and finally the chance that there are any rocker panels or indeed ANY NOS replacement body parts for an Oz build car is extremely remote tho' some US sourced parts "may" fit with some work.............regards, Andy Douglas   

[47_Plymouth_SD_Aus]

8 hours ago, Andydodge said:

Welcome aboard, these guys know their stuff..........is your car an Oz build or fully imported?................easy way to tell is does it have a TJ Richards ID plate on the firewall?...if so its an Oz build car as TJ's were the body builders/assemblers in Adelaide.......also does it have external front door hinges?.....this is an easily identifiable Richards body ID......the Oz body shells were essentially the same from 1939 through to 1948.........I have an Oz 1940 D15 Dodge...........anyway, where are you in Oz?..............I am in sunny South Grafton NSW nth coast........got any pics of your car?..........and finally the chance that there are any rocker panels or indeed ANY NOS replacement body parts for an Oz build car is extremely remote tho' some US sourced parts "may" fit with some work.............regards, Andy Douglas   

Hey Andy, yeh this post was my last hope there might be some parts in Aus. Anyway, I'm in NSW near Canberra. Mines an Aus build, external hinges, TJR but yet to find the badge, serial plate is a give away though. My 39 Desoto was also TJR. My car's ressonable condition, good runner, body/floor needs a little work, rockers mostly, looking for someone to fabricate and weld them in. Has a 68 Falcon I6 220ci, 3 speed auto, Falcon diff, disc front, 12v, all by prev owner, had been parked up 10+years and unfinished when I bought it last year, fixing things every day, running well, lights now working, needs body work and paint but i'll do that whilst driving it.

[47_Plymouth_SD_Aus]

Body on yours almost the same as mine, yours has split rear screen like my 39 Desoto, mine has the later integral running boards, apart from that same same. Having difficulty posting more than one photo, something about 3mb limit, will keep trying. Sure is good to speak with another owner in Aus. Cheers. Nic.0490 288 081.

Edited May 24, 2020 by 47_Plymouth_SD_Aus
Spelling mistake

[westaus29]

For the rocker panels you could maybe try your local small trailer fabrication business to fabricate the parts. I have a Detroit bodied 55 Plymouth and while parts are available from US by the time you factor in exchange rate and transport they would cost a mint. I worked out what parts to replace, made careful measurements as they taper a bit, sketched it up and took them to the local trailer place. They made them from 1.2mm sheet which is thicker than normal, and worked out very quick, excellent and very cheap at $22 each.. I didnt try and replace the whole assembly, just the lower rusted part, and used joggled lap joints with spot welds. That way it wasnt off road too long.

[47_Plymouth_SD_Aus]

[47_Plymouth_SD_Aus]

Yeh I like the thinking, my sills and rockers are like new, its only the underneath thats shot

[47_Plymouth_SD_Aus]

Someone sent me this with measurements and profile. Does this look like the outer rocker under the car?

[Andydodge]

I've had my car since 1971, I originally was going to use it for parts for the 1940 Oz Dodge Coupe I had but as it was too good and complete I decided to restore the sedan first.........had the engine rebuilt, gearbox, diff & brakes, taught myself to oxy weld and replaced the front & rear of both rockers and the middle, parts of the rear doglegs, bottom of both cowls and the rear beaver panel..........when I replaced the bottom of the rockers I welded bolts in so I could easily attach the running boards...also left 1" diameter holes about 12" front either end of the top of the rocker so I could pour/spray fishoil in to each rocker and used a rubber plug to seal it.........the "rebuilt" engine **** itself after the 1973 ASRF Nats so I decided to hot rod it and I installed a 313 Poly/Torqueflite from a 1962 AP3 Royal, P76 discs, 1800 rack & pinion, EA Falcon wagon rear axle, etc, etc.......have attached a couple of pics..........your car looks like a good car, curious about the Falcon 6 install.........got any pics?........call me any time on 02 6642 5963.....Andyd   

[westaus29]

My 55 rockers are similar but taper slightly towards rear. I cut the outer skin about 5mm inside the sill step, and fabricated a replacement for the bottom 2/3, 4 sections and 3 bends, plug welded with mig on the horizontal face of the sill, minimal grinding and a touch of body filler on inner sill step. Also had to cut out 50mm of rusty inner sill plate and plug welded the replacement, again with joggled joint. Left the centre pillar base alone as it was good, cut rocker face about 25mm below pillar base. Have pics but of 55 so probably not suited to this forum? I could post them on the forwardlook forum if you want, as was planning to add them. The hard part is reproducing the rocker ends.

Edited May 24, 2020 by westaus29

[47_Plymouth_SD_Aus]

22 hours ago, westaus29 said:

My 55 rockers are similar but taper slightly towards rear. I cut the outer skin about 5mm inside the sill step, and fabricated a replacement for the bottom 2/3, 4 sections and 3 bends, plug welded with mig on the horizontal face of the sill, minimal grinding and a touch of body filler on inner sill step. Also had to cut out 50mm of rusty inner sill plate and plug welded the replacement, again with joggled joint. Left the centre pillar base alone as it was good, cut rocker face about 25mm below pillar base. Have pics but of 55 so probably not suited to this forum? I could post them on the forwardlook forum if you want, as was planning to add them. The hard part is reproducing the rocker ends.

Interested to see the photos.

[Plymouthy Adams]

This little article may be of interest....good reading if nothing else.....

 

https://www.aircraftsystemstech.com/2017/06/hand-forming.html

[Plymouthy Adams]

that is a very distinctly different trunk lid and lower finishing panel...and the beltline is upside down from US model...is this an Aussie thing?

Edited May 25, 2020 by Plymouthy Adams

[Andydodge]

Plymouthy........that trunk lid is like the body,  the same used 1939 to 1948 on the Oz built bodies, also notice the external door hinges both distinctive features of the Oz body shell......andyd  

[westaus29]

Have posted rocker pics on forwardlook forum

 

http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=54746&posts=15#M598799