The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop patch panel placement

Hi All,

back to my truck after an extended break. Working on fixing the cab - a lot of rust!!!!

I recently purchased the bottom front door pillar left from classic parts. you cansee the part at the link below:

http://www.classicparts.com/1960-66-Front-Door-Pillar-Front-Left/productinfo/44-217/

the part has a flange stamped into it and I thought that was ment for an overlapping joint. I called Classic Parts and they told be to butt weld that part in and that the flange was to locate the new rocker panel over this part.

has anyone ever installed one of these patch panels and if so can you give me some direction?

Thanks,

Paul

Its been a long time, but I think I welded the rocker to the flange. In the upside down pic they use, its the right side.

64 fleetside,

so you welded the rocker to the flange - did you butt weld the piece from the link above to the cab first?

Paul

On the top(bottom in pic), I butt welded to the kick panel.

I just got done repairing that area on mine a few months ago. First off, like they said above, its upside down in the picture. If you look closely, you'll see that the contour of the top matches the door pillar. Kind of. The rocker fits over the bottom of it, so you won't see most of it when its all in place. The flange with the holes is for the bracket thing the front fender bolts to, the back hole is one of the cab floor brace holes.

That said, I don't have any good pictures for you because my pillar was so far gone and the part was so poorly made that I fabricated the bottom half of the pillar from scratch and cut up the door pillar repair piece to get some of the more complex curves. It just didn't fit with the rocker at all. I wound up welding the rocker to the bottom of the pillar.

Heres the pictures of my cab repair so far, maybe they will help a little.

http://s140.photobucket.com/albums/r28/meld1234/Davids%20Truck/

thanks for the responses! still have questions though concerning the patch panel from the link above.

if you look at the picture the top of the part (bottom on the pic) has a flange machined into it all the way around the top. you can see it in the pic - it kinda looks like a wrinkle in the metal.

from what I read above that wrinkle or flange is use for placement of the outer rocker panel and that the flange is not to be used as an overlapping weld but that the part should be butt welded.

THoughts?

Paul

anybody else?

Thanks,

Paul

As with all patch panels, I always cut out only the damaged parent material, followed by trimming the patch panel (sister material), to fit. Regardless of what they tell you at Classic Parts, the top of the lower "A" pillar patch panel, should be cut, to match the remaining original pillar. The reference point should be the location of the bottom portion of the original assembly. I have done this several times, so let me know if you need additional information and I will be glad to help.

What do you mean "The reference point should be the location of the bottom portion of the original assembly"