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| | | | Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 29 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 29 | Just picked up a '52 3800 Panel. Mother nature has taken a huge toll on its sheetmetal. The rear lower corner panels (just rear of the rear fenders) are gone. I guess about 10-14 inches of the lower sections on both sides are gone.
I know Ray Stanley at Wheelwright Restorations and have talked to him, he tells me that he can do them but he doesn't have a good pattern to work from.
Question is do any of you folks know where a doner 3800 panel truck might be that these lower panels might be cut out and used for replacement panels?
I am all ears if any of you can help on this situation.
Thanks,
Brent | | | | | Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 55 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 55 | Did you mean like these from JC I also have to fix a bad spot in the same area that the PO had roughed out(and I mean rough)and slathered on about an inch of bondo. I need to go up to about the top of the wheel well. Don"t ask me what size they are, I talked to a nice lady on the phone at JC and she did not have a clue. Email received no reply. Hard for me to drop $139 on something I dont know the size of. I think JC could benefit from better descriptions in their catalog. Or at least have info on a product when asked about it. I also talked to Ray about a month ago about making some patch panels for me and he explained it would be a while as he was extremely busy and said to check JC as he makes patch panels for them. If Ray made these, maybe a shout to him and he can tell me what size they are. | | | | | Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 | Ray does make those panels that King Kielbasa shows in the link.I just measured the height of one for you.From the top to the bottom it's 11 5/8" long.
Tim
1951 3100 Chevrolet1951 Chevrolet Suburban CarryallImage"A house is built with boards and beams. A home is built with love and dreams." "Look deep before you leap !!!" / "Everything is Everything" "If I say a mouse can pull a house, hitch him up"
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 29 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 29 | Ray does make those panels that King Kielbasa shows in the link.I just measured the height of one for you.From the top to the bottom it's 11 5/8" long.
Tim Yea but my panel is a 3800 1 ton. Much different than the 3100. Brent | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 |
Brent,
Did Ray tell you that the rear lower corner panels are different on a 1 ton compared to a 1/2 ton?
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 104 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 104 | You might try contacting Paul at GMC Pauls... http://gmcpauls.com/ He doesn't specifically deal with suburbans or panels but I believe he knows Jim Carter fairly well and may be able to advise if the panels are good enough to work with. Paul no longer has a contact phone number so use the email and see what you get back. NOTHING I've seen yet in the repro world fits exactly but a good shape to begin with makes a huge difference over hand fabricating from a flat sheet.
1952 Chevrolet 6400 flat bed
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 29 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 29 | Brent,
Did Ray tell you that the rear lower corner panels are different on a 1 ton compared to a 1/2 ton? Didn't have to. The 3800 is much longer. I have three 3100 panels and the 3800 section is much longer than the 3100. Maybe 5-6 times longer. | | | | | Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 | They look wider to me,here is a picture I found on the net.his is on a 1953 3800 panel truck. 1953 3800 rear panel pic 1953 3800 panel pic#2 Tim
1951 3100 Chevrolet1951 Chevrolet Suburban CarryallImage"A house is built with boards and beams. A home is built with love and dreams." "Look deep before you leap !!!" / "Everything is Everything" "If I say a mouse can pull a house, hitch him up"
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 104 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 104 | What did he use as a pattern for them ?? Too bad Ray didn't make another set to use as patterns when he made yours.
Would it be possible to send yours back to make a pattern set from ??
1952 Chevrolet 6400 flat bed
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 |
Brent,
OK, thanks.
I looked for years before I found 1/2 ton lower rear corners in good shape (a few years later, Ray made those corners).
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 104 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 104 | There ya go, Trucked Up......patterns for him to make yours... 
Last edited by Bigdreamer; 05/28/2012 11:00 PM.
1952 Chevrolet 6400 flat bed
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,557 | I hope you post the pictures here so we all can view them.
Tim
1951 3100 Chevrolet1951 Chevrolet Suburban CarryallImage"A house is built with boards and beams. A home is built with love and dreams." "Look deep before you leap !!!" / "Everything is Everything" "If I say a mouse can pull a house, hitch him up"
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 29 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 29 | Here's the pics I promised. I went out and place the panels Ray Stanley made over the stock ones on my panel/bus. Now remember I'm putting a hand formed replacement panel over a stock machine stamped one. I did have to push in slightly toward the rear section of the panels near the rear doors to make it fit tight. But I'm sure this was just due to the two panels placed over each other. Yes I can tell they do need just a tiny bit of tweaking. So I'm going give Ray a call and see if we can fix this by sending my stock panels to him that I will cut out along w/the ones I bought. BUT....... my stock panel will be missing the short lip(Ray supplies this) that bolts to the rear panel under the doors. My panel is welded in & I'm sorry but I ain't cutting that one out.....joe Picture Link here.........Joe, Thanks again for your help. I did order from Ray yesterday but if you can help improve the panels that would be great. Brent | | |
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