2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Bodywork - with pictures!

[vsimkus]

So I've decided to tackle some of my own body work. Started with the rusted out rocker panels. I've never done this sort of thing before so work is going extra slow. Took me 20 hours to disassemble front bumper, fender and door, to remove the old panel and install a new one. I'm hoping that I learned something and that the other side will go faster



Starting point

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Bumper, fender and door removed

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Old panel removed

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Fit of the replacement panel. I think that's quite good for a rank amateur

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New panel welded in

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[LBARTLETT]

keep the pictures and progress coming, great job

 

[tstephens]

I need to do some of this work to my wifes truck-particularly bottom door panels - did you overlap the new panels to the old in any way. or just butt them together and weld? Thanks

 

[vsimkus]

I need to do some of this work to my wifes truck-particularly bottom door panels - did you overlap the new panels to the old in any way. or just butt them together and weld? Thanks

I butt welded them in place. The ones I got were formed in such a way that overlapping wouldn't work.



Vic

 

[tstephens]

what did you cut the old metal out with? a cut-off wheel on angle grinder, sawzall, or something?

 

[vsimkus]

what did you cut the old metal out with? a cut-off wheel on angle grinder, sawzall, or something?

I used a cut-off wheel for the bulk. Areas that I couldn't get the wheel into I used a die grinder with a burr attachment. Before I do the other side I'll get some sort of a small cut-off attachment for the die grinder.

 

[tstephens]

Thanks for the tips. Bodywork is certainly not my specialty (can paint ok when its not so humid) so I do appreciate it. Would like to see some more pics as it comes along.

 

[Joe Mc]

Mine is real weak where the QC joint is on the driver side I'm sure I'll be doing the same as you in another year or so . . . Good work!

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Sure glad I live in the Northwest! 13 year old truck with 418,000 miles and not a spec of rust on the body anywhere. . .

 

[vsimkus]

Sure glad I live in the Northwest! 13 year old truck with 418,000 miles and not a spec of rust on the body anywhere. . .

Yeah yeah. Quit gloating

 

[vsimkus]

The new doors came in Friday. The driver side door was apparently dropped at some point in it's life so the front bottom edge was bent in. Making sure that the door fits after the fix



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This is what the corner looked like after straightening to door out. A couple of dimples... couldn't get to them from the other side so filling in was the only option.



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Here's the area after being leaded. First time doing lead-work and it turned out not to be as difficult as people make it seem.



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This is the are after being ground down, sanded and glazed to fill in the gauges left by the file.



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And the finished product - two doors ready to be painted white.



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Took me 2. 5 days to do all that. Would have the gotten the doors painted if I didn't waste a day screwing around with the one damaged door. Turned out that the other bottom corner was a little out of whack too. If nothing else I got to practice my body soldering technique

 

[msamarziya]

Where did you get the replacement rocker panels?

 

[LBARTLETT]

great work & post, keep them coming

 

[vsimkus]

Where did you get the replacement rocker panels?

I got the doors and the rocker panels from Browns of Two Rivers: Truck Accessories, Truck Parts, Dodge, Ford, Chevy, Jeep at Browns of Two Rivers



Since I'm in Northern IL, they were able to ship the stuff using a local courier - 'SpeeDee'. The shipping for the rocker panels was $10. The doors were $30/per and I got them in two days - called and placed the order Wednesday afternoon, had the parts Friday afternoon.

 

[robbiesworld]

LEAD! AHHH hey make sure you use the correct primer for lead or other primer will fall off.

 

[vsimkus]

LEAD! AHHH hey make sure you use the correct primer for lead or other primer will fall off.

I primed/painted about a week ago. We'll see how everything holds up

 

[CCiatteo]

I got the doors and the rocker panels from Browns of Two Rivers: Truck Accessories, Truck Parts, Dodge, Ford, Chevy, Jeep at Browns of Two Rivers



Since I'm in Northern IL, they were able to ship the stuff using a local courier - 'SpeeDee'. The shipping for the rocker panels was $10. The doors were $30/per and I got them in two days - called and placed the order Wednesday afternoon, had the parts Friday afternoon.

Let me make sure I understand this. The rocker was $10 and the entire door skin or the entire door was $30?



I need to do my driver side rocker panel, but am curious about the door.



BTW, looks good so far.



Thanks

Chris

 

[Extreme1]

Let me make sure I understand this. The rocker was $10 and the entire door skin or the entire door was $30?

That would be nice. He was talking about the shipping.

 

[CCiatteo]

That would be nice. He was talking about the shipping.

I knew I was missing something..... :-laf