The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Patch panels

I like to know what company makes the best fitting highest quality patch panels.

As far as I know none of the patch panels fit right into place. They are nothing more than a good start. All take work to fit into the area you have cut out.

As for high quality, what makes a patch panel high quality?

And you probably can't buy them from the company that makes them. You have to buy from retailers.

Any patch panel is going to require a little craftsmanship to do a good job.

Someone should keep track of how many times this question gets asked in a year.

We could replace the FAQ tab with a catalog of them.

And, another problem is that any vendor who has a good patch panel at one time cannot be sure that the next set they buy will also be good.

Took my '58 Chevy into a guy to fix a litle spot around the headlamp area and he ground it off to find someone had riveted in a piece.....some body guy huh??? Anyone in here know where to find a patch panel for the LF fender headlamp area?

Thanks, Steve in Idaho

no patches available for the 58/9 headlight area, need to fab it up yourself or find some used fenders to cut pieces from

Goodmark makes good patches, usually available from your FLAPS, like NAPA [in Canada same things available from Cross Canada thru NAPA]

Bill

You could ask metalman if he does or will make them for you...joe

Ray Stanley
Wheelwright Restorations
92 Pine Street
Wheelwright, MA 01904
1-413-477-6467
[email protected]

Good quality? Aren't they all made overseas?

no they're not all made overseas, and even the ones that are have good and bad, depends on who contracted the piece

Bill

They all seem like a perfect bargain when you start thinking of how much time and effort you'd have to spend to actually MAKE the same part from a piece of sheetmetal. I've spent more than my fair share of money and time replacing cab panels and I'd have to say that overall the quality is good. Most are better and some are worse (inner-to-outer cowls) but all are usable if you have a working knowledge of sheetmetal.

It's been my observation that guys with mechanical skills dismiss sheetmetal as something not requiring any special skills and quickly find themselves in trouble that is, of course, the result of "crappy Chinese parts". Sheetmetal requires a unique set of work skills so if you've never done it before expect to have problems. If you have experience with sheetmetal I think you'll find them to be an overall good value.

I personally have never bought anything from Ray, BUT those who have bought sheetmetal from him have said it is top quality stuff & he makes it himself here in the good O'USA. HERE's he's ebay page.
And HERE's his webpage.
Ray isn't the only person out there that does this. You just have to pick & choose who you want to spend your $$$$ with...Joe

i bought a pair of cab corners from jim carter for my 49.they did not have the lip for the door opening.i was at a swapmeet and a guy in a van from tennesee was selling truck parts he had cab corners that included the lip.my drivers side had a little rust close to the opening .so for 30.00 i bought that one and sent the other one i had to JDL. there is a difference........dave