Projects replacement sheet metal versus hand fabricated patch panels

With the ongoing progress with my '50 Ford club coupe it became all to clear that whoever built the car took some shortcuts to get the car on the road.

The majority of the mechanical parts seem to be well thought out and executed, but when the mustang gas tank was removed it was obvious they didn't take any pains with the job and there is even some metal flashing pop riveted in place around the opening where the mustang tank protruded into the trunk.

I have purchased a new correct tank and in the process of replacing the trunk floor and this is where a problem was discovered, I picked up my catalog and found the pieces to do the repair correctly using high quality original style replacement panels and then looked up the price of the three pieces I needed and the reality of what they were going to cost,plus shipping and tax and I was looking at close to 700 bucks, that's money that can be put to better use elsewhere on the car.

I have no doubt the replacement panels are worth every penny and I have done business the guys and used their parts in the past when I was building the wagon but in this case I am no stranger to making my own panels and I'm going to buying a sheet of steel and fabricate my own trunk floors, will they be as nice as the offerings from the vendor? no they will not but then again, with a piece of carpet in the trunk I don't think it will mater.

I do plan on using the vendor for the door seals when I get to that point. HRP

 

Good decision. And keep your skills polished.

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I do buy patch panels but I frequently make my own. Yes complexity matters. I bought a 2 piece floor for my 55 chevy and will tweek it to fit. I have never understood why people will make reproduction parts that are almost right.

 

Yes , make your own panels and show a what you did thread. Any tech is good tech.

 

A sheet of metal, electric shears, a good bead roller and a small metal break.... probably well under $700 and you get to have fun !!! I figure you probably have hammers

 

Tips and tricks rule

 

When I was building the '54 Ford Ranch Wagon we used two sheets of steel to fabricate all the body panels with the exception of the front floor and the rear passenger floor boards, and at that time the '52-54 Fords were low on the reproduction sheet metal list, EMS has since stepped up and making many of the parts I had to make and at pretty reasonable prices.

If you look back on the '54 build you will see a lot of hand fabrication. HRP

'54 Wagon start to finish.

 

i have, in the past, gone to a pick-ur-part with a battery sawz-all and cut a trunk floor tub out of a donor car. i looked for something approximately the same as what i had, then i only had to fab a few "filler" pieces to connect it all together.
YMMV. doing it this way i didn't need the bead roller and metal brake that i didn't have.
Chappy

 

ya do what ya gotta do

 

I figure for the majority of our cars that are drivers the floors and trunk floor don’t have to be show quality, as you said carpet covers it anyways. Functional is all it needs to be!


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I've learned that even with a simple replacement panel close is the best you get. Now get into a little more difficult part and the Quality seems to get worse as the part gets more difficult. I just plane don't understand that in today's world of C-n-C and Cad programs. It costs the same money to make a set of Crappy stamping dies as it does to make good ones. How the HELL did Henry do it with with a Hammer and a Crow bar?
The Wizzard

 

You'll have to beat, cut, grind, fit either way. So, which is easier? From scratch or adjust what's 90+% done?

 

I will say that the panels I have bought in the past from MACs were a lesson in futility when it came to installing them, they were of poor quality, EMS makes some of the best I have used and I will be using their pieces later on on this project. HRP

 

I have never used a patch panel from anyone that was as good a fit as an original part cut off a car. I had a guy bring what was sold as trunk and floor pans that were flat sheet with cheap bead rolls. not floor pans at all.

I've installed EMS lower quarters on a 51 Chevy and they were shit around the wheelwell area. did the body mounts as well and what they sell is garbage.

it is best to find original sheetmetal if at all possible.

 

I haven't used any of their sheet metal for Chevy's, but the parts for Fords have been very good, did you contact the guys at EMS and voice you displeasure? HRP

 

It's a Battle for sure. I think it gets down to what level of quality do you expect your end results to be, what is your skill level, how deep is your Wallet and how much Body Man in-a-Can will you except? The older we get the longer things take because we've cut corners in the past and now we want perfection. We're tired of seeing the corners we cut fall apart and be bigger jobs the second time around. There's also a level of Pride that goes with a job well done.
The Wizzard

 

I haven't seen anyone crawl under the wagon to do a up close and personal inspection but if the casual observer did, what they would see is the areas that have been patched to the best of our ability and the car is meant to be driven, the bottom of the wagon is far from show quality and I suspect the '50 will follow suit.

If I was doing a nut & bolt restoration with the intent of asking stupid money when I finished it I would have no reservations in spending the money and doing whatever it takes, but my cars are built to drive & enjoy. HRP

 

Post war cars seem to have better patch panels available.
Almost every pre war patch I have ever seen sucks

 

As has been mentioned use the $700 for a bead roller and a brake and a couple sheets of mild steel and have at it.

Maybe it was the original car manufacturer that got it "almost right". Do much work on '30s era cars and you'll come to realize that - thank God - they don't build 'em the way they used to.

 

30 years ago it was a hacksaw, cold chisel and a hammer. Made card board templates of the curve I needed and went looking. Top of the doors on a '71 Malibu wagon were a perfect fit for a '66 Malibu HT
lower quarters behind the wheel. Deck lid skin on the coupster started life as a roof panel with just the right side to side crown. Folded a 1/2" lip all the way around and the shrinker/stretcher put the crown back in and curved it hinges to latch.

Got to be careful with today's light gauge sheet metal.

 

PM sent.

 

Received and replied. HRP

 

they know they sell crap and don't care. if they did they would have made the parts right from the beginning. probably some good parts com from them, I just haven't seen them.

 

Bought lots of reproduction panels and haven't found one that just fits without some time to make them fit.

 

My '29 AA cowl panels required hammer and dolly work. If I had a shrinker/stretcher, that would have helped, too, but I did what I could with a ballpein and piece of railroad track to get the curvature corrected. I'll finish it with a skim coat of Bondo.

 

I saw these installed on a '57 Ford and they fit like a glove.

Regardless of the quality or lack there of I believe many cars are saved by back yard builders that are not professional panel men.

The intent of this thread wasn't to discuss the quality of aftermarket replacement sheet metal but the individuals preference to spend the money and save time or use ones own creativity and fabricate their on replacement pieces, HRP

 

I think if you have access to a bead roller and are capable of making the panels yourself then that is the way to go. It certainly will be cheaper and the bought panels I have seen all need work anyway. One exception was the trunk floor pan on my 56, it fit really well.
One more thing Danny, its "versus" not "verse".

 

Thank you Don, I usually proof read my threads but you caught my faux pas, This time the postman rings once instead of twice! HRP

 

[ QUOTE] Regardless of the quality or lack there of I believe many cars are saved by back yard builders that are not professional panel men. The intent of this thread wasn't to discuss the quality of aftermarket replacement sheet metal but the individuals preference to spend the money and save time or use ones own creativity and fabricate their on replacement pieces, HRP
[END OF QUOTE]

I "believe" once the project is painted to the builders satisfaction no one knows or cares how it got there be it full of Band-aids or butt welded hand filed metal finished seams.
What I "know for sure" is that the closer to perfection you get the Harder people look for flaws.
The Wizzard

 

Well Danny , I do not know what sheet metal tools (shrinker/stretcher, bead roller etc. ) you have. But I look at your cars and you have the talent , so I would go with that. Guess this might be selfish on my part but I really enjoy when someone shares their knowledge.