Putting 1985- Leone rocker panels on a 1984 GL wagon.. suggestions?

[mkoch]

Hello,

 

I am in the process of cutting out some rust from the rocker panels on my 1984 GL wagon.   

 

I bought some 1985 Leone rocker panels, thinking they were the right ones, they're not.  They are a little short.  

 

I plan on using rivets, and carbon fiber, and , sigh, likely bondo.  

 

Suggestions?

 

mkoch

[BEECHBM69]

1. Buy a welder. I bought a lightly used Hobart Handler 140 with gas, helmet, gloves for $500. You can find them cheaper if you look around. I'm pretty much self taught. I figured out early on a grinder is the universal eraser. Screw it up, grind it off and do it again.  

 

2. The EA82 rocker has a round outside edge. Preserve the body line under the doors at all costs. If the sill has holes, patch them separately. I made the mistake of cutting the entire thing out of my car on the first side and it was a major pain in the butt to recreate that body line from a rounded rocker panel. Lesson learned, preserve that edge. You can cut it a half inch under the corner and cut the new rocker to fit. 

 

3. The rounded front of the rocker, that tucks up behind the bottom of the fender is not going to fit right. If that part is rusted out on yours (mine was) you can cut the end up and reshape it to work right. (If you have a welder.) 

 

4. You can use fiberglass filler to chase pinholes. Skim coat with the cheap plastic. 

 

That's all I can think of at the moment. I just replaced the rockers on my hatch this past winter and learned a lot of stuff the hard way. If I can pass it on, it wasn't for nothing. 

 

On edit: 5. Get a spot weld cutter. It's basically a small hole saw with a spring loaded pin in the middle. You will need this to cut out the spot welds along the bottom, and preserve the metal behind it (if that's not rusted out, mine was.) 

 

Good luck!

 

Dan

Edited August 29, 2017 by BEECHBM69