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Here`s where I am lost.
I guess my first question is ...I`ll have to use bondo anyway?
The panels are for a 1960-66 fleetside and they are long and short.
I think I have it figured right to run both rear sides long as the cutoff leftover I can use for the
front patch to the cab...or should I run long forward and have that one piece(wheel well to cab) and
patch the rear panel?
Should I start at the wheel well and work from there or from the cab down ?
If I have to use bondo, what about panel adhesives? Instead of welding?
Maybe someone out there has done this.

Best I can do for the time being.

Guitplayer, I'm curious too as I'll be doing this repair on a '55 suburban. What patch panels did you get?

My worry is the thin outer skin ,already old and thinned. With the thicker new metal panels.
That the old outer metal will just not hold a weld. I`ll be cutting the old fender wells soon.
To eliminate welding , Im thinking SS rivets and panel adhesive. Bondo at the lap.
I would be very open to hearing someone else's solution.

I would think run the long panel in front to have one piece from the wheel well to the door opening.

I suspect that the old metal is not that thin unless your panels do not go far enough to get away from the rusted/thinned metal. Welding is going to be a better approach in my opinion. I know lap joints are not desireable but if you offset the new panels at the top to slide behind the cut off old you have double the metal thickness at the overlap/joint. It would be best if you can access the back side to apply seam sealer over the lap to prevent moisture from invading the joint.

Interesting. I`ll look into running behind

So the welding concerns me but the best alternative. What about warping the metal?

Read MPandC (Robert's) treatise on welding sheet metal HERE. He covers the art pretty well, including how to avoid warping. Good stuff!

Very nice, Thank you. The hammer and dolly will not work here. I guess maybe some don`t know how these panels
are set up. It has 2 walls. Outer thin , inner thick and rigid. Any flattening or planning cannot happen. So
I won`t get the weld flat? IDK. I just started a couple months ago learning to weld. If I dont do it ,it won`t get done.
Do you think without being able to dolly that the welds will be flat? or stretched?

If you overlap can you put holes in the outer and plug weld the panels together? I bleive based on your description the panels skins are not structural so welds would not need to be too close together which should minimize the potential for warping.

Thanks, but if it does warp, there is no remedy. Brady at HH did mention putting in a fold for that purpose and plug welding. But he agreed that once
the process started there is no turning back, so I want to be careful.
they put me in touch with the owners Uncle who probably has forgotten more than most know.
I`ll meet with him at 1.
I`ll report back.

A weld line in a flat panel will form a valley (I think Robert covered that), so once you grind the welds down, you'll probably have a bit of filling to do. If you can't get a regular dolly behind the panel, maybe you can sneak a spoon up between them to use as a dolly, that can help minimize the "valley" effect.

Thanks, I like keeping as much old as I can. I`ll have to think about what I heard today.
Basically. I have alot of work ahead of me. All panels cept the wheel well will have to fabricated to
some degree. With the WW being the easiest. But if I can do that, the other can be done.

BTW ,I saw some older trucks I`ve not seen before. Fella has a building with some.
Most are rods. He did have a nice condition Viking that he was working on.
he was making a pickup bed for it that looked like a regular stepside bed, but much bigger fenders and all.
So a monster looking apache step. Short bed!!

Almost ready

well...almost

Brakes

Great Job! Ready to do the task at hand.

I`ve gotten DIY as much as possible and got brakes . Me pulling myself underneath the truck
with the driveshaft and frame. Then reaching up to the brake pedal and pumping
it and then pulling myself back to the rear of the truck and bleeding the line. Back and forth.
I have brakes!! Need a proper bleeding. As soon as I get my windshield in, I`ll load it up and take it
to where I can get proper help. Whoo- Hoooo!!!

Front Panels are on. Body filler to come and paint. Fender support with a brace to crossmemebr

One side together. Man its hard getting that thin old metal to tack.
Places I just stopped. Its not bad. The profile is there

At least it's coming together.

Try increasing your wire feed speed a bit to minimize burn thru. You can also try using a copper backer bar, but you still need to regulate the heat and wire feed.

You really should have rounded off the corners of your patches. I thought I had mentioned that earlier in the thread. It warps less than if you have sharp corners. Hope that doesn't come back to bite you in the butt. Maybe it'll mean just a bit more filler.

There is no way to get behind it for a backer bar. I thought I made that clear it has 2 panels. I am glad I used panel adhesive for the wheel well panel.
That would have been a nightmare. Right now ,its more solid than it was originally. Since I have another to hit on the side to compare.
darn I figured I would not get knocked down about it. I am proud as hell. Ive never welded before.
I guess if they sold the panel rounded I would have done it that way. Its gonna warp.
In addition ,I put on some vintage T bolts for my valve cover.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_K4HWxOf_g walk around

Short fender braces here. Same ones for a stepside. 55-59

I drove it around today. Actually got to 3rd gear. 37 mph and the speedometer works!!
I`ve ordered a hammer and dolly set.

not too bad.hardest part was separating the seam at the roof

Windshield in today. I`ve keep that old thing around for 4 years.
Having the wiper marks on it lends to the effort of replacing the rubber.
That was one of my goals from last year , getting the truck glassed in.

Hood to cowl seal day. Laid the old one out and marked the holes next to the new. Mine were a little off center width ways.
Cut to length. Hole punch.

Rubber seal

Fixed that rust spot bottom of door.

Fender braces in. You can see the inner panel I have cut and bent back.
Its solid. There is a brace in front of the wheel too.
At least I can get to the back of this small portion. Paint.

This what I put in the truck. Might be of interest.
3 speed with OD. Looking for a cable with a 55-59 knob profile that will reach
the transmission, so I can activate the OD manually.

some things to deal with.

Can you post a picture of the "knob profile" you're trying to match??? Also, what length of cable do you need?

I`d say at least 6 feet . Then cut to fit. This knob profile black or chrome.

What about one of these??? Knob designs are slightly different, but I think both could be touched up to fill/remove the throttle image to make work for your need.

96" go-cart throttle cable

96" lawn tractor throttle cable

I`ll try that lawn tractor cable. Thanks!!!!
I got the drivers side panel blended pretty well. This side is much better.

Two short videos to highlight the body work progress so far.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaGJv_vxoas

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Na9ocI0dGs&t=10s

One I got was real cheap and will not fit in the cable mounting bracket. I`d return if I could.
lawn tractor

Sorry to hear it didn't work out. What kind of bracket are you using?