rocker rust - advice?

[Shadow24]

ok, i have some pretty bad rocker rust before teh wheel wells. Is there any easy way to fix/replace the affected areas? Someone mentioned finding a J-yard car and taking a sawzall to it to get some middle rocker material to weld in place of the rust. that the best option? no pics of the right side ATM

left rear
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j16/shadowplane676/s7300356.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j16/shadowplane676/s7300355.jpg

left front
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j16/shadowplane676/s7300354.jpg

[135sohc]

I'd find a clean car and cut out some donor pieces.

Assuming thats a P-body. Too see one rotted out like that is somewhat uncommon from my experiance. So you shouldnt have to look too hard to find a solid donor.

[Shadow24]

odd, considering it was a new mexico car origionally. Ill have to see what the j-yard cars are like here in OH and try and get some donar material. what is behind the rocker outer panel? the floor pans?

[135sohc]

its not a completely hollow box like one would think there is some structure inside there and its got the reinforcement around the jack points.

the floor pan ends at the pinch seam along with the outer rocker skin

[Shadow24]

ok, i think i know what you mean. ill find out more when i hack up a donor car :)

[135sohc]

Take some pictures of the cross section of the rocker sturucture if you can.

[Shadow24]

ill try to remember the camera and batteries when i go

[ScottD]

You won't be able to cut those areas out with a sawzall, you'll need a torch or even better a plasma cutter.

We cut a rocker section out of a Daytona in a driveway (where it was easy to get to) and it took us 1.5 hours to get it cut out. That's a tough area to cut in.

[Shadow24]

you sure? how thick is the metal? if its any kind of sheet metal a sawzall should cut through it with ease...

[banger68]

I've seen aftermarket Daytona replacement rockers not long ago. I can't find the link right now.

[ScottD]

you sure? how thick is the metal? if its any kind of sheet metal a sawzall should cut through it with ease...

It isn't that the metal is thick, it is the way it is reinforced in that area that would make using a sawzall a challenge, at least that's what I think based on my experience when we tried to cut a section out.

[rampant150]

This where we get our stuff up in canada.

http://www.crosscanadaparts.com/cgi-bin/crosscanada/product_list.html?img_num=161

[Shadow24]

nice site, can't see any prices or anything though :( any way i can get a price on the 2-door rocker?

[135sohc]

a portable wrecking saw/concrete saw also works.

if your buying a section of rocker panel from a junkyard. see if they cant throw the car on a rack and torch out the section you need.

[Anonymous_User]

As mentioned, you'll have the outer rocker skin, the inner rocker skin, a heavier gauge piece in the middle, then reinforcement around the jack point. You CAN do it with a sawzall, but you'll need a blade long enough to do it all in one cut.

[Pat]

As mentioned, you'll have the outer rocker skin, the inner rocker skin, a heavier gauge piece in the middle, then reinforcement around the jack point. You CAN do it with a sawzall, but you'll need a blade long enough to do it all in one cut.

+1

A long blade will do the trick. (Easy with the jokes now!)

[Shadow24]

lol, something like a 8"-10" or more saw blade would do it i think.

unless someone knows where to get rocker panels in teh US new like that canada site...

[Shadow24]

just found a US site listing full rocker panels for $57 each + SH :) not too bad, they have P-body 2 and 4 dr rockers and door panel parts too i belive.

go HERE (http://www.rustrepair.com/body_panels/onlinecat.htm?r=ab&p=sm) and look up according to car

[84omni]

just found a US site listing full rocker panels for $57 each + SH :) not too bad, they have P-body 2 and 4 dr rockers and door panel parts too i belive.

go HERE (http://www.rustrepair.com/body_panels/onlinecat.htm?r=ab&p=sm) and look up according to car

I bought some rockers from there a few weeks ago they look good just got to get them welded on now and get my shadow painted.

[raccoon]

this is just my opinion but isnt it way less work and more cost effective to just buy another shadow and swap all the turbo stuff onto the better body instead of hacking up a good body to patch together a rust buck....

[rampant150]

this is just my opinion but isnt it way less work and more cost effective to just buy another shadow and swap all the turbo stuff onto the better body instead of hacking up a good body to patch together a rust buck....

+1 :thumb:

[Shadow24]

i don't have a turbo (24v 3.0 v6 swap) and ive got some custom work into the motor mounts and such in this car. I thought about it, but it would be too much of a PITA and for the moment, this is my only means of transportation. AFAICT thats about the worst of the rust anyways. not to mention i don/t have the space, transportation or whatnot to do all the swapping over

[onenastymopar]

anybody have a site to get daytona rockers like that canada site had?

[black86glhs]

anybody have a site to get daytona rockers like that canada site had?Look at post #18.