Rust repair panels 57 T'Bird


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By LON - 11 Years Ago
Where is the best place to buy inner & outer sills for a 57 Thunderbird ????

Lon
By Hoosier Hurricane - 11 Years Ago
Lon:

By sills, I assume you are talking about the panels we call rocker panels, which are under the door, full length. The U.S. T-Bird parts vendors have them, and their mantra is show quality restorations, so I would assume the quality is good. All of them probably get their panels from the same source, so which dealer you use probably doesn't matter. They should have online cataloging for your convenience.
By Y block Billy - 11 Years Ago
I am not so sure about that John, most vendor suppliers make them to fit over the originals and cover up the rust and the fit is poor, although for the birds I am sure there is a vendor out there that does them concours but I would be careful and discuss with them the quality before purchase as for inners that will even be harder to find. I always fab my own along with mounts, the outers you can make a template and have a good local metal shop bend them for you, its cheaper than having some shipped, they can make them extra long and you just cut to fit etc, they end up looking more original than those cover up styles, I dont even use the lower fender cover up styles, they just end up not looking original.

If I were you Lon, Make a template and find a good metal bender.
By aussiebill - 11 Years Ago
LON (3/11/2013)
Where is the best place to buy inner & outer sills for a 57 Thunderbird ????

Lon


Lon, try my mate bill stratton at Tee bird products, VERY HELPFULL AND GOOD GUY. Rolleyes
By NoShortcuts - 11 Years Ago
Hi Lon,

I've been fortunate to have N.O.S. Ford outer rocker panels on hand when I have done inner and outer rocker panel work on '55 - '57 'Birds.

That said, ALL of the repair panels that I have used from Warren Lang's 'Custom Autocraft, Inc.' have been EXCELLENT in material thickness, shape and fit. -Floor support pieces, inner front fender repair panels, floor repair sections, doglegs, rear quarter repairs, etc.

On some of the pieces they make, they offer a concours quality grade and a less expensive structurally sound, but perhaps less exact in some hidden detail, offering for those of us who are not making 'trailer queens' to compete at the national shows.

The pieces they supply are not intended for simply cosmetic repair, but for repair to original structural standards. An example of this would be the front inner fender repair panels they make. IF installed as supplied, (i.e., no cutting to simply make it LOOK like it's attaching as original) there components can be connected (welded) as original to the front outer fenders at the hood opening and to the door posts as original by spot welding or plug welding. In installing their floor braces, if the plug welding technique is used inside the passenger compartment, you would never know they were replacement pieces in looking at the underside of the car.

Warren has been making these pieces since the '70s I believe. His son Robert is working with him now, or has taken over the day-to-day operation. If you want to talk to Warren or Robert, phone 631-862-7469. For a brochure showing their offerings, send a self addressed envelope asking for same to:

Custom Autocraft, Inc.
2 Flowefield, Building 2
St. James, N.Y. 11780

Attention: Warren or Robert Lang

There may be other good patch panel makers, but I KNOW Warren's repair pieces WILL FIT AS ORIGINAL when you receive them! No 'adjustment' or massaging necessary for the shape or fit to be correct!

Hope this helps. Smile
By paul2748 - 11 Years Ago
There are three suppliers that I know have rockers. When I did my 56, CASCO had NOS right side (if I remember correctly) that the fit was excellent and were full length. They may still have some.

The next was Tee Bird Products (PA) - they had the best reproduction around when my body guy was looking but were not full length. I would guess that the other TBird parts suppliers have replacement rockers.

The third was Warren Lang - they were good, but not as good as the ones from Tee Bird. The lower shape was not the same as the factory. I did buy the otherside from them, but my body guy noticed this and we got better ones from Tee Bird. They were not full length.

Both Lang and Tee Bird did not have the drain holes and you have to make them. I don't remember on the Ford ones.

Not even sure Lang is still in business. It was just a few weeks ago that some one said he was retiring.
By Oldmics - 11 Years Ago
I have the tool to create the "weep holes" in the rockers if you want those installed.

I think the best rockers were to use are the outer originals (bout a grand these days for an original pair) and Langs as the inners.

I am pretty sure that the Langs have retired.Might be prudent to call them and see if the business was acquired by another T Bird parts dealer.

Oldmics
By LON - 11 Years Ago
Thanks John ,yes you assumed correct .I meant rocker panels .The weld in panels are what I am after .I have seen plenty of panels that have been glued,screwed & bogged over the original rusted ones .Can never work that out ???? It must take longer to do all cover up work than to cut & weld in the replacement panels ???

Lon
By NoShortcuts - 11 Years Ago
Hi Lon,

While ‘cladding’ a partial 'repair panel' over an existing panel and ‘blending it’ into the body line may seem like a lot of work, that cosmetic repair is more easily accomplished than ‘doing it right’.

Full replacement of '55-'57 'Bird inner and outer rocker panels is no easy task. They are truly ‘built-in’ to the body structure. Originally:

-the inner rocker is spot welded to a tab on the passenger compartment floor pan

-all of the passenger compartment floor brace ‘boxes’ have tabs that are spot welded to the inner rocker panel as well as to the floor pan section

-the inner and outer rocker panel are spot welded together all along their top and bottom edges

-the front end of the O.E.M. outer rocker panel slips into a sheet metal pocket that is part of the bottom of the door post assembly. My recollection is that the front end of the outer rocker is spot welded to that door post 'pocket' it fits into

-the rear end of the O.E.M. outer rocker has an end 'block-off' piece with a tab that also was originally spot welded to the inner rocker.

The O.E.M. inner rocker panel is 16 gauge steel. The O.E.M. outer rocker panel was 20 gauge steel.

Structurally, the 'box' formed by the inner and outer rocker panel on a 'Bird, and the connection of that 'box' to the floor of the passenger compartment, the front door post, and the rear door jam are critical to the structural integrity of the body.

While not referred to as having unibody construction because of having a full frame, I can’t think of a major sheet metal component of the basic ‘Bird body shell that was not spot welded together, likely to give integrity to the body because of it not having an integral top. The seams where the outer rocker panel meet the front fender and rear fender dogleg were leaded.

Appropriately installed and aligned replacement inner and outer rocker panels on a ‘Bird are to be appreciated and admired, IMO. Smile