Patch Panel Advice

[downic]

Hi there,

The front part of the rocker panel has rusted out on my Miata. I plan to cut out the rusted section and weld in new metal. I will need to cut out the entire section out below the seem and down to the pinch weld.

I am looking for some advice on how to approach the replacement piece. It has a number of different contours which is going to make it hard for me to fabricate an accurate, single section replacement. Does anyone have any other ideas on how I might approach this?

It's a structural piece of the car so i was planning to use 18guage sheet metal. It gets covered by the fender so looks are not as important as strength. Also, I don't have any special metal working tools other than a vise, hammer and dolly.

Thanks.

 

[fingers99]

I'd see, before you spend hours with a panel hammer, whether a replacement panel isn't available. If it is, it'll be cheaper (in man hours, but they're usually pretty cheap anyway), easier, stronger and will look better and will last longer. The Miata is, after all, a common enough car.

Reserve your panel beating skills for those instances where a replacement panel isn't available.

 

[downic]

Hi Fingers - I completely agree and would have gone this route if I could get hold of a replacement. Unfortunately, there are no North American manufacturers of aftermarket rockers for MX-5/Miata (I looked...everywhere). Canadian winters are hard on these cars so it's near impossible to find a rust-free used parts car that I could salvage.

I have spent the past 6 months rebuilding the rear rockers from scratch:
http://picasaweb.google.ca/ckdmobile/Welding#

I was thinking that it might be possible to create 3 smaller patch panels and butt weld them at the seam and then to the pinch weld at the bottom. Then hammer them down so they overlap and weld them to each other?

But I'd appreciate people's thoughts.

Chris

 

[fingers99]

this looks appropriate.

If you find somewhere that does the panel outside Canadsa it might be worth imposting a few and selling them on.

I'd advise making the replacement up from but welded peices off the car, then welding on (use the same guage as the original or one guage up), then following up with zinc rich primer, a few drain holes and cavity wax every 6 months or so.

 

[hotrodder]

Personally i would make some card templates of the area and then have a close look at other cars in a scrappy first- find something with a similar profile to modify, you can get all sorts of complicated (to fab from scratch) panels from old roof skins/quarter panels etc. Replacement aircooled VW panels are useful sources for complicated compound curves too

No good for this particular job but stainless kitchenware is also a good source of useful shapes- mate of mine built some beautiful hubcaps for a '50s sled using stainless salt and pepper shakers and bits of butter dishes. Old FX4 (black cab) roofs are a favorite of his

 

[Coo]

Looking at your last panel you made picasa pics,
you did a great job.....you should do the same for this part

 

[downic]

Thanks all for the advice.

Given that it's going to be hidden under the fender, I'm going to give the multi-section approach a try. It's not like i don't have enough time - winter is here for the next 5 months!