Custom Rear Cab Panel

[andsonsvd]

Because the freight on a new rear cab is so much to Australia I am considering an alternative.

My Cab rear panel is badly damaged and stretched, Looking at the later Chev cabs that have the rear panel that is not flat I thought maybe I can use something else?

I have a few Colorado Twin Cab trays laying around I thought the floor might suit as a infill panel?

Any advice or opinion?


Shane

[andsonsvd]

Anyone?? Please?

Thanks Shane

[youngrodder]

Shane-

To me I think your best solution might be to use flat sheet matel and have someone with an english wheel recreate the back panel of the cab.

The pictures of the cabs that you are showing look totally different in shape and size and it would take more work to get something like that to work and look right.

You might also get an estimate from a fab shop or body shop on a cost to replace/reshape the metal of the back cab. In the long run it may still be cheaper than your freight for a replacement cab.

Good luck
Marc

[_Ogre]

i don't see that much damage that you'd need to replace much.
the dents on the roof can probably be pulled with a stud gun/puller
maybe a little heating with a torch and quenching
the ding at the beltline i'd think you could cut it out small and patch it in

newer car/truck metal is a lot thinner than your cab, i'd think blending the two steel thicknesses would cause more warping.
maybe i'm not seeing all the damage and i'm not a bodyman, though i hang out in a shop that does bodywork

[OrrieG]

Unless the metal has rusted and is thin, it does not look any worse than places I had on mine. I would rather work what is there than try and get a patch panel that is right then fight the welds that it will take to install it. I would still lobby for you giving it a try to see how close you can get it. I would hate to see you cutting out a lot of the back only to find you cannot get a local replacement made that fits and looks right and end up with the expense of shipping parts from the Northland...

[MARTINSR]

You would have a much better chance at making one from scratch as you would making that other one "fit". "Forcing" something to fit somewhere is much harder than making something from scratch.

Now, that being said, I am thinking you aren't even close to be needing to replace that panel. From what I see (photos can be deceiving) you aren't even close to needing to replace that panel. If you had one sitting right there, yeah replace it. But with logistics as they are, I say fix that one.

If it's stretched a shrinking disc is in order, now that's cheap freight to Australia, or simply make one.

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...ng%20disc&sm=1

Here's a good one to get you started.

Krimpschijf Shrinking Disc demo Vocor - YouTube

Here's another one with a home made disc.

Episode #5 - 1956 Oval Update & Home Made DIY...

Picture the shrinking disc as a "heat block". It only heats the high spots, so when you cool it, it is only shrinking the high spot!

I am really digging that right hand steering dash, that is soo cool! I have always gotten a kick out of seeing the little hump on the firewall on the right side of mine for a steering column but I have never seen on as yours, very cool!

Brian

[andsonsvd]

Thanks guys, I have a shrinking disc on order from a local supplier.

Can this be done over primer or does it have to be bare metal?

Thanks SHane

[MARTINSR]

Bare metal.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Do body work on other parts like the doors and fenders and get some more experience under your belt before doing that rear cab panel.

Just put it on the back burners and work on other parts. Then when you get to it you can take more photos and we can discuss it on the forum.

Brian

[andsonsvd]

Thanks Brian.

With a cab like this is it a must that the doors are on the body before cab corners etc are replaced?

Shane

[dwcsr]

its a great tool for what you want to do. I have a quart / liter spray bottle with water and about 4 drops of dish soap that I spray the section with. It lets me know when its hot and adds a little slippery to the process for less galling of the metal. run the disc over an area and they spray it to cool it. don't wipe it off and run the disc again until the water evaporates.

I was able to fix this fender with a disc and dolly

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by dwcsr

its a great tool for what you want to do. I have a quart / liter spray bottle with water and about 4 drops of dish soap that I spray the section with. It lets me know when its hot and adds a little slippery to the process for less galling of the metal. run the disc over an area and they spray it to cool it. don't wipe it off and run the disc again until the water evaporates.

I was able to fix this fender with a disc and dolly

Good advice, I always wipe it dry and that sounds like a good way to go, thanks.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by andsonsvd

Thanks Brian.

With a cab like this is it a must that the doors are on the body before cab corners etc are replaced?

Shane

I like doing things kinda all at the same time in regards to when fitting is an issue. The door fit must be as good as you can be when putting in the patch panels. So you could straighten metal and get it good then epoxy prime it. Then using that door that only needs filler do the patch panel and get it done, then come back and finish the door. You can apply plastic filler right over a quality epoxy primer so it's great for long term projects like ours. I say to leave the filler undone only because while fitting the patch panel you could need to do a little "massaging" of the door to make them both fit together. You might as well just prime it and leave it until you have the the surrounding metal on the cab worked ready for filler too. Then do one panel at at time after the filler is done put it back into your finished primer and move on to the next panel.


Brian

[andsonsvd]

Thanks Brian,

If im doing the rear cab corner that isnt affected by the door does the door need to be on to keep the body straight or lined up or anything?

Also i have the body sitting on a dolly right now should it be attached to the chassis whn fitting panels?

Shane

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by andsonsvd

Thanks Brian,

If im doing the rear cab corner that isnt affected by the door does the door need to be on to keep the body straight or lined up or anything?

Also i have the body sitting on a dolly right now should it be attached to the chassis whn fitting panels?

Shane

ABSOLUTELY! I made a dolly out of a frame for this very reason. It uses all the cab mounts just as it will on the frame I am using.

Your cab corner patch doesn't go all the way to the actual door edge at the jamb? It's always a good idea to have things hung, that is one lesson you only have to learn once.

Brian

[andsonsvd]

Well the tool shipment has arrived so I guess the finished product is now just a formality lol.

[MARTINSR]

There you go, you can do it!

Brian

[OrrieG]

Nice assortment, I don't even have a bumping hammer as large as the red one. You might want to see if you can find or fabricate a lone slender dolly, there are a few places on these where you need to be able to get some mass up and between to panels.