How to fix caved in 944 rocker panel?

cvriv.charles · 06-17-2010, 09:16 PM

I have to fix this rocker panel. I do not want to cover it up. Whats the best way to fix this? I was thinking about cutting it out and welding up a good one from my wrecked 951? What do you think? If so,... where should my cuts be? Any tips?

The one thing I know if that the replacment rocker needs to be a bit larger to over lap the cutout for welding. Is this true?

Would like to know what you guys think.

cvriv.charles · 06-17-2010, 09:20 PM

Actually the rocker isnt permanently attached to the rear quarter panel an front fender so technically I would only have to cut top and bottom. Im goign to take more pics when i get home and draw a cutting path to see what you guys think.

962porsche · 06-18-2010, 03:43 AM

it looks like the rocker was pushed up from were the jacking point is ? ez fix ! put the car in the air (up on stands) weld some flat stock to were the panel is pushed in . put a pull clamp on it and give it a pull down at the same angle that it was crunched up in. 90% of the panel will come right back into shape . i would not replace it !

cvriv.charles · 06-18-2010, 05:10 AM

I think it was lifted by the jack point because of the fact that it was caved it. I dont think pulling it down is going to restore its shape. Might get some of its shape back but not fully. Im thinking before I touch the rocker on this car I will map out of cut away the rocker on my wrecked car first.

Also,... why does the rear quarter panel look attached to the rocker where the front fender has the huge porsche gap separating the two? The rear quarter panel isnt attached is it? I mean,... I kinda know its not attached because there are quarter panels for sale all over the place. So that tells me it is. but it doesnt look separate.

pontifex4 · 06-18-2010, 11:31 AM

Rear quarters are attached (they're cut off when sold). The front fenders just bolt on, hence the gap.

cvriv.charles · 06-18-2010, 12:13 PM

Really! I didn't know that. Interesting. And does the new owner of the quarters weld them back on or no? I never knew this.

962porsche · 02:05 PM

when the panel was pushed up it got sucked in so by pulling it down it will pull it back out . doing body work for 30 plus years and shop owner for half that time . yep it will pull right out . the rockers on 944 are not heavy gauge metel . becouse its a very common repair for the 944 and i have done a crap load of them . your looking at alot more work for the same result if you try to replace the rocker . the 10 % of mud work that you may be left with by pulling the panel . you will still have the same amount of mud work if you replace the panel . if you replace it you have to drill out the spot welds and cut the rocker were it butts up to the QTR panel and into the door jam . you have to remove the fender to get axess to the welds under the fender . if yuor taking the part from a doner car the work is times 2 . the panel is an ez repair . i should add that the outter rocker is part of the A-piller on a 944 so you will have to do a cut and splice some were on the A-piller .

cvriv.charles · 06-18-2010, 08:39 PM

Ok I believe you. heres the deal though,... i am such a perfectionist. I really dont want to use mud on the car to regain shape. Maybe a little bit is ok but not a lot at all. I would really love to cut, weld, and then grind a new rocker on. For some reason that "feels" better to me. Im not really shooting for the easiest route. Im shooting for the route that "feels" right. Hard to explain. Im not afraid of the work involved. Its the final result and the path i took to create it that makes me feel right. Again hard to explain.

I will try to pull it out to see how that goes. If i dont like it I can always cut it out and replace. I looked under the car a few days ago and if i remember correctly I saw a lip on the bottom of the rocker that went under the car. Thats on a good rocker. My damaged rocker, it appears that the lip was crushed or folded??!?! i have to look again and get some better pics for you.

If I did decide to cut weld grind a new one in,... I would appreciate your knowledge seeing you have tons of it.

If I understand what you said before,... the rocker is spot welded in place? And to remove it i would have to drill out the spot welds right? And that I would have to make a cut on the a-pillar to remove the rocker from it? That doesn't actually sound that bad. So I would do the same for both vehicles and I would make a cut thats a bit higher on the a-pillar of the replacement rocker so that it overlaps the one being replaced a bit so it can be welded right?

I am probably going to replace at least the driver side quarter panel too because its rusting at the bottom. the driver side of my wrecked car is good so i can use that one.

You want to know how retarded I am? I really would like some nice fiberglass rockers. All this work just to cover it up with fiberglass

As a serious car enthusiast and a perfectionist,... you should all understand me and what im going though.

962porsche · 06-19-2010, 08:14 AM

i know your not under standing it !!!! alot of people think just putting on a new used part will be best all the time . there is nothing wrong with using body filler (mud) if your using it the way it was ment to be used . if that panel gets pulled there should be very little mud needed . if you just tryed to pull the dent out YOU WILL be mudding the hole thing . if you pull it in the same way it was crushed the part that is push in should walk its self back out . the little that may be left just spot weld a little pull tab on and pull the rest out that way . would you repair the dent that you have in your door or the one in the QTR by pulling it or would you replace it ? you would repair it no??

cvriv.charles · 06-19-2010, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 962porsche

i know your not under standing it !!!! alot of people think just putting on a new used part will be best all the time . there is nothing wrong with using body filler (mud) if your using it the way it was ment to be used . if that panel gets pulled there should be very little mud needed . if you just tryed to pull the dent out YOU WILL be mudding the hole thing . if you pull it in the same way it was crushed the part that is push in should walk its self back out . the little that may be left just spot weld a little pull tab on and pull the rest out that way . would you repair the dent that you have in your door or the one in the QTR by pulling it or would you replace it ? you would repair it no??

I do understand. Thats why Im going to trya nd pull it first as I said before. But if I dont like the result I will replace. Knowing me... I would replace my hood or quater panel if it was dented bad enough. Because im stupid like that.

mattmcginn · 06-26-2010, 07:51 PM

I agree with 962. You should be able to pull this out. The door still fits at the bottom, this tells a lot.

Having a purist mentality, you should aim for the bestest, longestest-lasting, strongestest result. If the rocker panel cannot, for some reason, be pulled back into shape without causing further or more extensive damage, replace it. This is best.

I would prefer some filler to smooth out a body panel rather than violating all of the factory welds that is necessary to replace a panel. This assumes not using too much filler, drilling holes to pull it out, etc. Filler won't fall off if the surface is properly prepared and then not hit. If it falls off when hit, you've got a bigger problem!

I have seen so much old collision repair work fall apart because of panel replacement and subsequent poor post repair priming and rust proofing where I would have rather seen some good hammer/dolly work ( if panel is accessible from the hidden side) and filler used. So many rotted wheel arches, rocker panel seams, etc.

Good luck with the repair, its always a pain!

sfoster13 · 06-27-2010, 04:24 PM

If it's a race car (as it appears) I'd work on the perfectionist bit - you might be pulling it out quite often

962porsche · 06-27-2010, 07:44 PM

looking at the door and the qtr its no prize . its about the same shape as my 944 track loaner car . so if you want the rocker in mint shape are you going to repair the door and the rest of the qtr also . or do what i do to the loaner . pull it and run the dam thing .

cvriv.charles · 06-28-2010, 04:57 AM

Yes this was a track car. But now it will be more of a street car/ DE car. I know S@#$ happens on a track but I would like to try and keep from wreckin it. I went through all this work swapping all my 951 stuff into it I would like to keep it nice. And if that means no DE's then fine. But I want this car to car nice. And yes,... the rocker, both QTR's and both fenders need work. I have my hands full but this will not get me down.