Question for those auto-body experts

[Don Willets]

I've got some rust repair (longitudinals, floor pan, trunk floor,ect) on a 1972 but am having trouble locating sheetmetal. A local supplier can provide 16 ga. cold rolled but nothing thinner. I'll have to travel to a metropolitan area to get 18 - 20 -24 ga. My question is: how will the 16 ga. steel work on the longitudinals and floor pan and how difficult is it to work with compared to 18 or 20 ga. steel? I'll be using a hand-made brake to put the 90 deg bends and stiffing ribs in it.

[philinjax]

Don,
Check out http://www.restoration-design.com/index1.html
These guys have the panels you need.
Phil

[Joe Ricard]

Just so happens I pushed my floor jack through the donut lift pad the other day. Not to mention the jack reciever tube broke last month. Looks like I will be ordering the longitudinal package for right side.
What kind of bacing should I do when I scarf out the panel and mig in another one?

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Or you could buy the panels and support this BBS at the same time. I think we charge the same price that RD does, so why not support Pelican?

--DD

[Don Willets]

Dave, I'll support Pelican with all the things that must be purchased (ie. engine parts, doorhandles, etc) because I am appreciative of what you all are doing. But, I checked the prices; and several hundred $$ for $15 worth of sheetmetal and an afternoon cutting and bending just doesn't make sense to me. I guess it's kinda like making a cake from scratch vs. using a mix from a box.

I still curious what difference others have found working with 16 ga. steel vs the 18 ga used on the longitudials and 20 ga for the floor pans. If it's not too big of a difference in bending and cutting then I'll just use the 16 ga for both. If 16 ga is to stiff to work with then I'll drive to Tampa and get some 18 & 20 ga. Anyone have any sheetmetal expirence?