Hello, I am installing a new lower rear panel on my 1948 cab. Just curious if there was any kind of material installed on the lower rear panel? There is metal to metal contact where the support ribs and the rear panel touch. Was there a pressed paper or something like a jute material on those ribs? I was thinking of putting some thin rubber where they meet.
My 1948 Chevy 2 ton was used as a flat deck sometime in it's life and the back of the cab took a beating. The truck had been poorly painted when I bough it and when I started removing the paint, I found a lot of body filler. I tried to pull the dents and heat shrink, but since I am not an expert it ended up beyond my talents, so I decided to go the patch panel rout. I had done inner and outer cowl patch panel repairs on both sides of the cab and they needed a lot of re-working, and I mean not really close. This rear panel took very little tweaking to get it to fit. If anyone decides to do this repair, I recommend bending the top corners of the side lips out for what I call a convenience bend so that it slides easier on the door frame. Also, I don't know if GM had different top mounting holes for different years, but the panel came with four holes, and my truck had 6 holes with different spacing. Not a big deal. Use some soap to get the top lip to slide into place. You can tap the top into place with your hand or a wood block right on the bend, it's strong enough not to cause damage. Also, I recommend using a couple of tie down straps over the panel, and through the door openings to pull it tight into place.
A day without laughter is a day wasted- Charlie Chaplin When wrestling a grizzly bear, you have to keep at it until the bear gets tired, not when you get tired. 1948 Chevy 2-Ton
