The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop 55 chevy 1ton (3800) restoration

I am fairly new to body work. The toe boards on my 55 are rusted through and I am planning on replace them durring a cab off restoration. What is the best method of removal? And is a wire feed suitable for replacement. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
Chuck

Not familiar with a '55 but I'd suggest doing the replacement with the cab on the frame so you can check the alignment of any holes in the replacement panels with things like pedals, mounting bolts, etc.

Personally, I prefer to test fit and temporarily hold my panels with #8 sheetmetal screws. They are much stronger than clecos and you are not likely to break a #8 unless you use a power driver. I always use a hand screwdriver with a sharp Apex bit. Drill the parts with a 1/8 drill then drill the head side oversize to 5/32. If you do this you will easily be able to pull the two parts firmly together because the screw will not thread both pieces, only the one.

A MIG welder will work fine if you do overlap seams. If you are inexperienced it will be nearly impossible for you to weld a butt joint. Be sure you clean ALL of the rust from areas to be welded or you will play hell getting a good bead. Rust will cause the beads to bubble and pop, blowing holes in the bead and maybe even the base metal.

Tack the panel in place with single spots and skip around when you finally start running beads. Keep the parts cool to avoid warping. A wet rag or blow gun work well.

Be patient and careful not to cut yourself...

Good luck.

Thank you. I will do as you advise and work with the cab in place. After the floor work is complete, then I'll pull it. Thanks again.
Chuck