Patch Panels

quote:

Originally posted by Joe6pack:
I pretty well have the car stripped now and we pulled the engine yesterday. I have started looking for sheet metal from some of the vendors, but I am a little confused on some of the parts. I am going to have to do some work in the inner wheelhouses and all of the vendors offer a "rear inner wheelhouse patch", but none show what it actually looks like. Anyone have a picture of a rear inner wheelhouse patch? Thanks.

What do yours look like? Do you have a photo?

I don't have a good pic of the problem areas. What I really need are the two upper U-channel pieces that run along either side of the engine bay.

Is this the kind of work you are talking about:



I did this all from scratch. Email me and I will tell you how I did it all. I submitted an article to George for the magazine on this and I am not sure he wants me to lay it all out here yet.



Gary

email:

gow2@rc-tech.net

Here's a shot of my wheelhouse patch.

Ron
#3336

Those patches look great, but the area I am talking about is up higher in the wheelwell. Here is a shot of it. I could use tubing and form it myself, but it would be nice if these pieces were available. Thanks.

Everything up there is square enough it should not be hard to make if you wanted to.

Gary, how much for a set of those?

It's actually a re-construction process. I can walk you through if you need. It's not that hard. In fact, Jonesborough is not that far from here. You should come up here some time.

Gary

Gary - What guage material are you using for most of your patches? Thanks.

Hi Joe,

Most of the body work patches are about 22 ga. I guess that is what you are asking. The uprights are actually constructed with different ga; thicker obviously. The actual upright tube was pretty heavy gauge. I neat to look it up. I have found several thicknesses used through different part of the sub structure but 22 is pretty close to the body panels.

Gary

quote:

Originally posted by comp2:
It's actually a re-construction process. I can walk you through if you need. It's not that hard. In fact, Jonesborough is not that far from here. You should come up here some time.

Gary

Wait a minute. I just remembered your car didn't have any rust. So you just made beefier supports? You didn't have to cut rust out, right???

quote:

Originally posted by DeTom:

quote:

Originally posted by comp2:
It's actually a re-construction process. I can walk you through if you need. It's not that hard. In fact, Jonesborough is not that far from here. You should come up here some time.

Gary

Wait a minute. I just remembered your car didn't have any rust. So you just made beefier supports? You didn't have to cut rust out, right???

The group that did the repairs durring the restoration in the 80's didn't do it right. They rebuilt the uprights with square box. Not only was the square box wrong but the square channel just looked awful. I wanted it rebuilt with round tube to look half way descent.

On top of that the fender wells and the frame between the channels were not boxed in like they should have been. Without boxing them in you make an already weak area weaker:

I've just done this repair myself. I used 1mm stainless steel.

Thats approx 18 American Wire Guage and 19 Standard Wire Gauge (i.e. British).

It's a bit of s**t to bend and cut but it will last twenty years, at least.

A few people have told me that you can't weld stainless steel to mild steel. No idea why I have never had a problem.

If MIG welding you can use mild steel wire - though stainless wire is better it is much more expensive. I always use and an Argon/CO2 mix instead of plain CO2.

In the past I have often used zinc coated 18SWG (about 16.5AWG or 1.2mm) mild steel.

The Zinc fumes are really bad for you so you will need a carbon filter mask - I use the same 3M mask that I use when spraying paint.

I usually use 20SWG (about 18AWG or 0.9mm) for non-chassis stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by Rapier:

The Zinc fumes are really bad for you so you will need a carbon filter mask - I use the same 3M mask that I use when spraying paint.

Between the cloths, the welding helmet, the ear protection, the breathing protection, some people might think I have a safety gear fetish. I don't as much worry about burning my skid but I really watch my lungs, my eyes, and my ears. You only get one set!

Gary you flatter me thinking I could do anything like what you just showed. I am a pliers and hammer sort of cobbler. You guys steer clear of zinc. Zinc ingestion can lead to neural damage that is irreversable. I have heard stories of guys who had welded zinc commiting suicide to get away from the constant incessant pain.

Detom if you get you car ready, I'll come down and help. Is this something you want to do?

Gary