Very Sad Day: Is Rust Worst Nightmare?

jose luis · jose luis's Garage

After going to the paint shop to get some parts fixed I found that the Rocker Panels are rusted and also the LH Floor Panel . It was like in a Sunny Day someone throws a bucket of Water to your head!!!It is very sad but I need to deal with it the best I could: So hands on I will try to Fabricate the Floor and the Rocker Panels here in Mexico cause trying to get those parts from the US with taxes, transportation and all that is beyond my budget. I am trying to get some input from you fellows with some experience. The Hard part is to "form" the sheet metal as the original transversal and horizontal floor renforcements or "veins" for rigidity I believe, also those little circular sheet metal covers seems to be a pain in the neck . But I think I do not need those little covers. Functionality over Originality

Does anybody has done that yet ?.

JL Garcia
912,1968

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

Is it easier if you buy used parts? What you're talking about doesnt' cost too much but would be very hard to duplicate out of sheetmetal.

Rot 911 · 06-23-2005, 06:12 PM

What tech said, what about used parts? Keep in mind the rockers are not easy to fab up, not to mention you will also need to fab the inner rockers and probably part of the door jamb.

ras911 · ras911's Garage

Mid america motorworks has sheet metal replacement parts including floorpan and rockers . Get the catalog 800 500 1500

Maybe the host has sheet metal???

Good luck

randywebb · 06-23-2005, 08:20 PM

You might want to strengthen it over stock while you're in there. Think of it as a chance to improve the car...

Is Toluca near the coast (salt spray)?

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

toluca is just outside of mexico city..
ryan

jose luis · jose luis's Garage

Thanks for the Input , Used parts will be a good source but very difficult to track in Mexico. Maybe I will end up Manufacturing those, sheet metal form costs is not as expensive as in the US. By the way as Ryan said , Toluca is a town about 35 miles from Mexico City and 4.5 hrs. from the nearest Beach: Acapulco in Guerrero. I bought the car un-seen in 2002 from California but I did not notice the rust , until last week. Unfortunately in 2002 I do not even know that this Forum Exists , that is the price you pay for being a Novice!!!!!

JL Garcia
912, 1968

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by jose luis
Thanks for the Input , Used parts will be a good source but very difficult to track in Mexico. Maybe I will end up Manufacturing those, sheet metal form costs is not as expensive as in the US.

I may have the parts you need as I'm cutting up a 911 coupe. Remind me in a couple weeks.

jkarolyi · 06-24-2005, 06:14 PM

The rocker panels are next to impossible to reproduce, but they are only $59 each side here at Mid-America Motorworks (formerly known as Tweeks):

http://www.tweeks.com/shop?frame=3.74.2735

Pelican no longer stocks them. Shipping and duty can't be THAT bad. The floor would be very expensive to ship, but if it's not a concours restoration then it can be fabricated.

Zeke · 06-24-2005, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jkarolyi
The rocker panels are next to impossible to reproduce....

Where do you get that idea? All the '68 rockers are is a straight piece rolled. Even the door sills are easily bent up in a brake until you get to the arch at the lock post. And that comes on the lock post anyway.

The inner rocker doesn't have to be pretty, just functional as he said. Jose, if you have access to a brake and a sheet metal roller, you can do a lot of this. See if you can find some 16 ga stock (1mm) and go for it. Of course, if TW will send you some parts, cool. But why would he be cutting up a rust free car?

Bobboloo · Bobboloo's Garage

These guys manufacture the parts you need. they have a package deal on the inner and outer rockers. Tweeks buys from these guys as well as Dansk.

http://www.restoration-design.com/

jkarolyi · 06-24-2005, 10:01 PM

Sorry Milt...not all of us are expert metal fabricators like you.

I wasn't aware that the '68 and earlier rockers were different than the '69-73...those would be hard to get to look right with just sheet metal.

steand · 06-24-2005, 10:53 PM

A good metal worker can fabricate almost any panel shape out off a sheet metal. My friend who owns a garage is from Iran, and in countrys in middle east, they are used to fabricate what ever spare panels you need, since spare supply is low, and cost is high compared to western standart, and labour is relatively inexpensive, so him taking 1h to fabricate som panel is cheaper than bying a new one.

He made the side panel for my friends 924 from scratch, since the only available replacement part was a complete panel including a rear quart up til the window, and it cost $700. My friend beat up a replacement for the rusty part in 30 min; cost $10 material + 1/2h work.

I think in Mexico the situation could compare a little to middle east. So fabrication is an alternative; and maybe a cheap one to. Just get a god panel beater to fabricate the parts.

Bobboloo · Bobboloo's Garage

Outer rockers should be the same 65' thru 73'. They changed in 74'. Inner rockers are the same 65' thru 89'.

andymin · 06-25-2005, 04:04 AM

I remember years ago in an English classic car magazine a gentleman from Scotland fabricated his own floor pan for an early 911, 68 i think. It showed pictures and he had beaten the 'ribs' by in by hand, damn good job he made of it too. He could not afford to buy a replacement one but apparently at the time they were only available in two halfs.
regards

Andy

Carrera 3.0 restoration, (new site coming soon)

jose luis · jose luis's Garage

All ;

Thanks for your help , I talked to the Resto. Shop Mgr. Today and he already cut the rusted parts : Floors and Rockers to be use as Masters for the new sheet metal parts, seems that those could be made from a 1.00 mm thick sheet metal panel. Which is good news for me !.

Keep the forum posted with photos (As soon as I figure out how!)

JL Garcia
912, 1968

Zeke · 06-27-2005, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jkarolyi
Sorry Milt...not all of us are expert metal fabricators like you. I wasn't aware that the '68 and earlier rockers were different than the '69-73...those would be hard to get to look right with just sheet metal.

I'm not an expert anything except maybe in my regular line of work that I have done for decades. When I first got my car, the rockers were covered with some kind of overlay part that was made by a sheet metal shop. Full length of the door and no compound curves. That's where I got the idea that the main piece could be easily made on a brake and a sheet metal roller. Jose probably has access to those or he would even be talking this stuff.

Sorry if I sounded wrong, I didn't mean it. But, we can't put ideas out that things can't be done either. Success comes in cans, not can'ts.

jose luis · jose luis's Garage

Zeke :

Well put : "Success comes in cans, not can'ts" . This is something we as humans need to learn AND MORE IMPORTANT Apply. A 911/912 resto project could be a good challenge though.

JL Garcia
912, 1968