Looking for a place that could reproduce a patch section of a repair rocker panel that’s out of production and has been for many years. I have a good sample section to get measurements from. The 2 closest places I’ve found is Christ Church NZ or NB Canada making things complicated with shipping costs and duty issues.

Making 24-30 inch patches that butt together if need would be ideal being a patch theres no R/L sides to deal with the patch would be universal. With not being the whole rocker shipping is way cheaper the common fail point on the mini trucks is more centered anyway reducing greatly the need for a complete rocker replacement.

The section piece I have is from an old repair panel that’s not to be found now the piece I have is probably worth what a set of complete panels cost back then. I’m not looking to get into the parts business quite yet but would like a supply to keep our mini trucks on the road a little longer. Maybe 100-150 pieces to make it worth someone’s time to start who knows I could need more if the demand is out there or the price is right to make them.

Sample

How thick is it? How long? Anyone worth their salt with a sheet metal brake could bend that up

Any steel supply yard should have a Brake to bend it.

I see them guys making fenders for hot rods out of sheet metal but I’m not one of them. If it’s easy how much for 100 quality pieces then?

Again lol, what guage and how long?

PM sent I’ll get you some photos.

My neighbor is not home to mic the thickness accurately but I compared it to my spark plug gauge it’s around .032 holding them up to each other. Not 100% but that’s a guide to go by I’ll do some more research. Here’s some more photos like I figure a 24-30 inch patch made to butt up if needed to fill a span. The rocker panels are a weak point in these trucks mostly the seam in the photo but in the other photo a random spot, that’s the only rust in that whole truck.

The seam in question is towards the rear of the door that white streak that’s often the problem.


How and where it starts


Other side of the same truck different spot.

Spencer Steel Clarion Iowa, formally Florence Iowa, maybe to far from you but it’s a start.

Youngs in Le Roy MN. thats all they do is anything restoration

messiers Mechanic in Jasper IN should have no problem if the old guy is still there.
I couldn't find falling to go around my stove pipe when I put on a new roof since it . was a 16-12 pitch roof.A FRAME tool the old one with me and saved if they could make one.

yes not only did they make one they made it out of stainless and did so while I watched. we're also cheaper than all the galvanized steel kits that were avaliable for less pitch roofs. That old man was a wizard with sheet metal

That last photo is actually the exact replacement repair part that was sold years ago. I’d say it’s more of a patch than a complete rocker replacement the patch is more structurally sound when put in place linking it all together. It’s body work lots of ways to go depending on the damaged area it’s going to replace. If trimmed it looks like it could repair any section of a rocker if it can be secured to something solid.

Now to figure out the cost to make them efficiently my guess this one involved a stamping that was fast and economical once the die was made up but a die is expensive there might be dies out there but who knows. The curve of the body line is probably tricky part in all this and getting all that material to fit right into place, body men can work miracles it’s probably easy for them.

I’m checking the demand for these sections I know they are out of stock and have been for 20 years. I see lots of folks searching for the repair panels on the web. I’m not looking to start a business at my age just looking to fill the need that’s out there is all. If someone decides to produce them again go for it I don’t want anything out of this just want to see the need met.

One die is going to make that part, but it would be a very expensive die.
Better to have several cheap dies and brake press work for low volume stuff.
The large curved section is the most problematic.
The rest could be brake pressed relatively easy.

The way most places do what your talking about is they go to China.
China will make as many as possible with what ever tooling is req'd for as I remember approx $25K.
You may get 100 pc or 500 pcs all depends on processes and tooling req'd along with cost to make parts.
I have a friend who did this.
Down side is quality is iffy, del'v is long, 6-12 months.
This was over decade ago so take it for what little its worth.

I have made tooling for no longer available auto parts too.
It was a piece of rubber molding for a station wagon tailgate.
Low pressure rubber mold.
Lots of time in making mold and making ea. part took about an hour.
Not cheap but if ya gotta have it.

Unless you're trying to restore it to factory original, I'd just bend some metal around with a little brake and get a form/shape that is acceptable. I see no need for all them bends, just a rolled pan type profile, if you're just about ridding it of the rust. Nothing fancy but no big rust hole type fix.

^^^^ help… I’ve fallen and I can’t get up

It's about to that stage by now. LOL

Yes most folks can get by with less panel no problem. This piece covers a lot of options if it totally replaced the old rockers completely a guy could do a lot of things with that curved part of it. The amateur restoration guys would want the complete patch the pros probably just make their own panels. Lots of collectors out there with different hobbies like daily drivers, show trucks, those moving bed trucks low rider looking trucks, off road and engine swap guys to please.

If a guy has the smaller holes just a short couple patches can come off a single repair panel to fix both sides if the panels in bad shape the full panel has the coverage depending on the repairs needed.

Here’s that full panel laid over the spot it fits on it butts up under that kick plate to the floor pan.

Went to the metal shop at one of the colonies this morning talked with a fabricator guy have him working on the full patch panel and the lower section patch piece will see what he comes up with. .

I have all my rocker panels bent up in 18 gauge.

Just cut a one inch wide slice of the rocker on the cah...then tell the sheet metal shop

How long you need it.

And bring beer

is it beaha when your drinking it and beer when your bringing it ? I want to know so I don't break edicate and crack the beaha at the shop and start drinking it when I shouldn't

It's Beahs...24/7