Re: Rat repair.
 

After doing two of these old haulers, my observation is that not all replacement panels are created equal. Tabco seems to make pretty good stuff, but selection is smaller. It seems a lot of "foreign sourced" panels are meant to lay over the existing rotted areas. They don't actually "replace" the panel unless you spend hours re-contouring them with sheetmetal tools. Hopefully you'll get some vendor suggestions from other forum members that have found good sources. No matter what you get, you'll probably have to make some "adjustments". But from what I've seen, you're up to the task.

Re: Rat repair.
 

The panels I used were tri-plus.... Fit awesome. Outer rockers fit like factory.

Re: Rat repair.
 

Well Classic industries had a 20% off sale so i jumped on it, but i have no idea if the panels are Tabco, Tri-PLus or just plane ole junk as they don't list who makes the parts..

Molberg and Vic i would like to know what venders you use for the body parts.

Re: Rat repair.
 

Can you find me a part number or link for this piece from a vender so i can know which part it is? Thanks.

I ordered these.

http://www.classicindustries.com/tru...ts/t71015.html

The 20% off go's till tomorrow. If you guys have any suggestions for what i may need list them so i can go look at the truck a little closer.

My order:
T70137 67-72 FRNT DR LWR PATCH PNL-RH Oversize 1 $19.99 $19.99
T70138 67-72 FRNT DR LWR PATCH PNL-LH Oversize 1 $19.99 $19.99
T70149 67-72 PU FRNT DR HINGE PLLR-LH UPS 1 $14.99 $14.99
T70150 67-72 PU FRNT DR HINGE PLLR-RH UPS 1 $14.99 $14.99
T70162 67-72 PU FT DR RCKR PNL-OEM-RH Oversize 1 $14.99 $14.99
T70984 67-72 CHEVY P/U FOOT WELL-LH UPS 1 $14.99 $14.99
T70985 67-72 CHEVY P/U FOOT WELL-RH UPS 1 $14.99 $14.99
T71014 67-72 P/U OUTR FLR/INR RCKR LH UPS 1 $51.99 $51.99
T71015 67-72 P/U OUTR FLR/INR RCKR RH UPS 1 $51.99 $51.99

Re: Rat repair.
 

I've used several and would agree the Tri-Plus are usually good quality. Tabco can be found online here ...not that I'm shilling for them. :) I've had less luck with CounterParts, but the thing is, on any given day operator error or a die malfunction can cause even a normally good part to turn out crappy. In many cases, the tooling is long past its useful life. Not much you can do about that ...garbage in garbage out.

Re: Rat repair.
 

The main part of my floor is a little pitted as mentioned earlier, but it feels solid, hit it with a screwdriver tip and it won't faze it, would you guys replace it anyway? I think its probably still stronger than what a replacement panel would be due to its thickness.

Re: Rat repair.
 

My dealings with these trucks usually means front and rear cab supports, inner and out rockers, cab corners, lower front pillars and outer floor pan area along the inner rocker. I made patches for my floor pan as required. Then the doors. Lol.

Re: Rat repair.
 

All of the panels I used were from LMC. I replaced basically everything, including the entire floor on the bottom 10" or so of the cab. It all required work to fit. Guys with skills like Vic use body tools and can make poorly made parts look real nice. Guys with skills like mine use a ball peen hammer and a block of wood make poorly made body panels look like they were hammered into place. But it's solid again. I think the wide assembly tolerances used back when GM made these trucks can make or break the fit of a patch panel, and probably vice versa. Sometimes folks get lucky and part just line up. If I had to do it again, I'd probably think real hard about using the Tabco stuff. If nothing else, it's made here in the good old USA.

Re: Rat repair.
 

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php?p=6407080
Scroll through this if you can. Helped airbrushguy this past winter through same repair. I've heard top banana supplies tri plus

Re: Rat repair.
 

My experience with the floor - aside from patch panel quality - is that the braces under the floor can be tough to work around. On mine, some were okay, some needed repair and some needed replacement. All are spotwelded in and while you can remove the floor above them by cutting the spots, the new panel will be hard to clamp and weld to the supports. Not impossible but a bit of a test. If the existing factory parts are structurally sound and can be saved with minor repairs, I'd probably keep them.

Re: Rat repair.
 

Ya.... I drill 1/8" holes and use sheet metal screws to fasten everything for trail fit. Weld em up when done spot welding. Can be repositioned if need this way.

Re: Rat repair.
 

that'll be great if the panels end up being tri-plus. i used them. very good quality!

Re: Rat repair.
 

I have heard that Tabco cab corners are the best. I just read that they use the same gauge thickness as factory too so maybe i should have ordered thru them, oh well, if some of the stuff i ordered is poor quality i'll retuen it and try Tabco.

Can you answer this for me? I'm confused about why 3 different outer rockers below, are all 3 needed? or are these just partial trimmed back versions? The pictures are crap.

On the Tabco 67-72 page they list 3 different outer rockers, OE 40X10H, 39X6H and 38X5H.

And on the same page they list 2 different inner rockers, 36LX5H and 40LX6H. same question.

http://www.tabcobodyparts.com/html/t...f_contents.htm

Re: Rat repair.
 

Thats what i was hoping for when i ordered. But if Tabco indeed has outer door skins that are stock gauge i may be ordering from them too.

Re: Rat repair.
 

I had planned on doing some work on the truck today but it never happened, just some garage organizing, still have 2 work benches full of crap that needs cleaning.

Re: Rat repair.
 

You only need one inner and outer per side. The numbers listed are dimensions. The OE rocker is 40" long and 10" high and includes stub front and rear door pillar sections. Order whichever panel makes the best sense based on the condition of your existing rockers. Same goes for the inner panels. I made the mistake of getting the short ones on a previous build and had to scab extra material on. I agree the pics are crap, but if you look closely, you can see the differences.

Re: Rat repair.
 

Ok that what i thought but wanted to be sure, Thanks!

Re: Rat repair.
 

:lol: That is what I worked on also. Too funny.

Re: Rat repair.
 

Well clearing work benches was to be today's plan as of last night... But it didn't happen. :)

Re: Rat repair.
 

Instead being as my truck is going in for a tranny rebuild and have the transfer case gone thru and resealed i got to thinking what will i be doing for the next week?

I decided to spend today stripping that camper cab i picked up for the 67. i got to say it is in worse condition than i originally thought, but its still leaps and bounds better than the one on the 67. I'm thinking this will be a good time to go buy some spot weld drills and see about getting the cowl off the fire wall and hopefully get the rockers and dash off and anything that should be removed before media blasting.

I think this may be a first, both rockers have a hole in the end and had a plastic plug in them, if course both are full of flakes of rust. I'm thinking somebody did the rockers some time back, will be interesting to see what i find.

The heater wall will need a little patch but not too bad.

Re: Rat repair.
 

The window frame and gutter look really good, no signs of a failed gutter but i haven't scrapped it out yet, crossing fingers.

Will want to do a little acid work at the lower windshield seams and any obvious place i can reach before blasting too.

Is that fiberglass on that vent opening?

Suffice it to say if you happen to have a link or two where somebody removed the cowl off the fire wall please post it for me.

Re: Rat repair.
 

No rust where the seams are above the doors, just some surface rust. that's not to say that the old saying won't show its ugly face but i'll remain optimistic..

"The rust always 3 times worse underneath"

Re: Rat repair.
 

will be watching

Re: Rat repair.
 

That is some heavy rust you got their. Its the rot that kill the fun. I used a HF sand blasting pot to get rid of the rust on my truck then cut out the rot and replaced with patch panels. your tuck looks cleaner than mine. At least our work benches look alike.

Re: Rat repair.
 

Drove the rat to the tranny place this morning, couldn't help but notice at when i hit 55 -60 on the freeway it started to make a chirping noise that sounded like it may be coming from the transfer case. Hopefully its nothing more than a bearing and an easy fix.

After i got a ride home i drove to H.F and picked up a couple spot weld drills, then came home. Pretty tired and cant keep my eyes open today so i may have to give in and take a snooze...

Per the other cab, not in a hurry as its my next project, just want to stop the rust.

Re: Rat repair.
 

I didn't remove the entire cowl, but did remove both sides for repair on my previous truck. See posts 25 thru 28 on the build thread if you want to see what's going on under the covers.

Re: Rat repair.
 

I like:metal:

Re: Rat repair.
 

I got the shipment of repair panels and opened the boxes today.

First picture is the label on the lower door skins, never heard of this brand before but it is made in Twain, anybody know if these are junk?

The rest are all Key Parts panels.

The two inner rockers on the same end have an area i'm a little concerned about, Pic's 2 and 3 show the upward curve. but with no experience i don't know if these would be considered normal or bad? would you use or return them? Pic 4 is the other end of the inner rocker, both have a little waviness to them

I'm still trying to visualize how the inner and outer rocker fit together as far as how to make the weatherstripping flange and the little wire gutter complete, I hope that made sense, i thought they would fit tight together but now i assume the outer is held away by the A pillar and cab corners? The picture didn't show the little gutter i'm talking about but its right along side the weather strip flange. Let me put it this way, if i line up the bottom of both panels the outer panel is about a 1/4" taller where i figured they would be spot welded beside the weather strip.


This brings me to what i forgot, i guess i better order some floor pans. would you recommend i go to Tabco on these as i read that Tabco uses stock gauge steel??

Re: Rat repair.
 

The outer rocker sits on the top outer floor edge of the inner rocker repair panel... And held there with spot welds every 4-6". The lower lip of the outer rocker is spot welded to the lower lip of the inner rocker panel. Outer rockers usually require some "curling" to get them set. Can adjust your lower door clearance somewhat this way as well. I wouldn't sweat the lower door skins not being tri plus... I made mine. As long as measurements are good.

Re: Rat repair.
 

I drill holes every 4" in areas to be spot welded on the outer rocker. Clean paint off in these areas from the panel to be mated too... Spray with weld through primer... And screw them on with metal screws. I'd start with rockers.. Leave cab corners in place until rocker repair done. Gives you something to line up with. Weld cross braces inside cab from braces to floor to prevent movement prior to cutting anything out. You'll have doors on and off lots. Replace door hinge pins and bushings before replacing panels if needed!!! Impossible to align otherwise. My unprofessional opinion. Lol

Re: Rat repair.
 

Thanks Molberg!

Keep in mind everyone these panels are for the Rat and not the 67, i'm just keeping busy with the other cab till i get the rat out of the tranny shop sometime next week. I think doing the doors worry me worse than the rest of it.

Re: Rat repair.
 

Lay the repair panel over the old one and trace with a paint marker. Only cut out what u need to. Draw reference lines/measurements on the panel outside the repair area helps too. (Eg... 6" to door edge). With the door skins... I grind the return bend on the edge of the old skin all the way through around the door edge... It comes right off easily. Then grind off the strip left spot welded to the door tub. Take lots of measurements... Draw lots of reference lines. You've got skills to get this far. You'll get it. Weld slow.

Re: Rat repair.
 

On their website, if you click on the Quality link, Tabco states they use OEM thickness steel. The problem won't be the thickness so much, although that's a factor. The real issue with floor panels is that most are made to lay over the existing area. They aren't formed as a replacement panel with a pinchweld lip that mates to the firewall. Instead, vendors assume the whole area is rotted out so they extend a flat piece up and over the toe board at the bottom of the firewall. Many guys just tack weld or screw the replacement panel to the existing floor, slather seam sealer around the edges, cover it with carpet and call it good. The fact that the underside is rotted and hanging down doesn't enter into the equation.

On my '68, I took careful measurements and cut across the top of the repro panel, then put a ninety degree lip on it using the sheetmetal brake. I cut the spotwelds on the firewall pinchweld, cleaned the lip and mated it to the newly formed lip on the replacement panel. Then spotwelded them together. Lotsa work, but I never found a source for an actual replacement panel. And unfortunately, the floor pans won't be the only pieces with fitment issues...

Re: Rat repair.
 

Any sheetmetal from outside the US (that means almost all of it) will have been rolled to thickness in millimeters, not tenths/thousandths of an inch (or gauge) so unless it's a lucky accident, the thickness of original and aftermarket sheet will be slightly different.

They don't have steel mills in Taiwan rolling out metal to meet US scpec, and they aren't buying the steels from the US.

That said, if you take the time to cut a section of original and aftermarket metal dress an edge and measure, they'll be pretty close in most cases. :)

Re: Rat repair.
 

Thanks for the door tips!

If i have to go up to the body line on the door, would you recommend cutting right on the sharp bend or just above or below it by a given amount?

Re: Rat repair.
 

Thanks Vic! I sure don't want to drop a replacement panel on top of the existing floor, I'll cut out the bad stuff and patch it in.

Re: Rat repair.
 

Thanks for the info Franken! and welcome to my thread.

Re: Rat repair.
 

I followed Vic's advice and removed the outer cowel sections instead of trying to remove the whole cowl, i knew it wasn't going to be pretty but i wasn't expecting a gaping hole in the seam, knew the seams were rusty but.... :)

This is one job where i really wish i had a shrinker and stretcher! but its not in the budget, not sure how i'm gonna form some of these pieces yet.

Haven't looked at it yet but tomorrow i'm gonna try and pull the dash, no idea if they bolt on and off or welded in...

Re: Rat repair.
 

Vic is a good man, he want steer you wrong. I had to ask his stuff in the pass. Good luck with the project.

Re: Rat repair.
 

I've read both of Vic's threads, nothing short of impressive!

I hope you find a windshield guy that understands these trucks pretty soon!