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| | | Forums66 Topics128,012 Posts1,055,317 Members48,419 | | Most Online14,466 Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down with Ads! Again, thanks! | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 124 6 heaven | | 6 heaven Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 124 | The bottoms of the cab corners like to rot out and I see that cab corners are available. Would the patch fit outside/over the corner and kind of be riveted in place over the bad spot, maybe giving it a industrial look? I am not a bodyman at all and wouldn't try to weld it in, but a riveted cover patch would be acceptable for me. Like iron on blue jean knee patches from yesteryears. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 5,775 Gearhead, Stovebolt Tech and Parts Tracker, Mod for Swap Meet and GTT | | Gearhead, Stovebolt Tech and Parts Tracker, Mod for Swap Meet and GTT Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 5,775 | texczech - What truck are you working on??? If for an AD Series truck, cab corner patch panels are available for both inner and outer pieces. Depending on if you have enough metal on the outer patch panel, you could put a step-flange along the edge so the cab edge overlaps the patch flange creating a somewhat level surface. If you just can't weld it, you could try a product called "panel bond" (a kind of adhesive) to install the patch. Or rivet it in place if that's acceptable to you.
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100Follow this story in the DITY Gallery"My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine"1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 124 6 heaven | | 6 heaven Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 124 | Forgot to mention, it is a 1953 model. Would you be talking about putting a step flange on the truck, or the new panel? I have seen the "panel flanger" tools. Can they make the flange while going around the corner of the metal as well ? | | | | | Joined: Nov 2021 Posts: 1,351 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2021 Posts: 1,351 | I would think the step flange would go on the new panel such that it would overlap inside the truck metal. However, the panel flange tools I have seen (some I have) do not work well for going around the curved shape of the cab corner. The narrower the tool the better the chance but the more time it will take to work around the length of the overlap area. | | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 10,997 Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums | | Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums Joined: May 2015 Posts: 10,997 | I would not use a lapped joint on a cab corner (or pretty much anywhere else, for that matter.) A butt joint is much easier to get the panel and the original metal edges lined up. And you can deal with shrinkage of the welds.You may wind up with small valley along the weld line on a cab corner, but that's not hard to deal with. Take a look at MP&C's excellent writeup on MIG welding sheet metal HERE
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truckFollow this saga in Project JournalPhotos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2025 Posts: 30 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2025 Posts: 30 | One could use glue with a say 1inch wide sheet metal backer An expensive way to do it but it would work Me I would just TIG it | | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,270 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,270 | Cab corners are not structural. If I couldn't weld, I'd remove the rust inside and out and lay fiberglass on the inside and body filler on the outside. I don't like to do things that way, but you didn't ask me that.  Besides that, a cab corner patch panel will very likely not fit anywhere near perfectly over your cab corner
Last edited by 52Carl; 04/30/2025 4:38 AM.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 10,997 Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums | | Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums Joined: May 2015 Posts: 10,997 | Besides that, a cab corner patch panel will very likely not fit anywhere near perfectly over your cab corner Definitely true. That would be like trying to nest two same diameter hemispheres together. They would have a significant amount of space between them at the center regardless of thickness of each.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truckFollow this saga in Project JournalPhotos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together. | | |
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