replacement body panels
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: cincinnati hamilton
replacement body panels
has anyone replaced the rocker panels on their aerostars? i'd like to hear how it went.
i recently purchased both driver and passenger side panels from jc whitney for my 91 extended. the drivers side was badly rusted through,and easier to get off. i've been teasing the new one into place for a week.my next job will be the panel from the driver door to the back wheel. any tips on installing these? i do not have a professional cutting tool. i tried to make my own version of a roto-zip tool with my drill, it worked on the real badly rusted metal, but is hard to cut anything straight for any distance. any shade tree ideas? any tips on paint for the underside of these panels? has anyone drilled in any extra weep holes to prevent the replacement panels from rusting also?
i recently purchased both driver and passenger side panels from jc whitney for my 91 extended. the drivers side was badly rusted through,and easier to get off. i've been teasing the new one into place for a week.my next job will be the panel from the driver door to the back wheel. any tips on installing these? i do not have a professional cutting tool. i tried to make my own version of a roto-zip tool with my drill, it worked on the real badly rusted metal, but is hard to cut anything straight for any distance. any shade tree ideas? any tips on paint for the underside of these panels? has anyone drilled in any extra weep holes to prevent the replacement panels from rusting also?
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Joined: Aug 2001
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replacement body panels
Try cutting the old sections of the body with a good quality pair of tin snips. I used my WISS brand pair to cut my old rockers off with good results. I didn't however replace my rockers with pre-formed units. I made my inner and outer rockers from two old hoods from Pontiac Grand Am's. It turned out a lot better than I expected and I did it for free. I made cardboard patterns and bent the panels with a hammer over an anvil.
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: cincinnati hamilton
replacement body panels
thanks for the help. i have the rocker panel in now. just a little different in the way it curves under. and a little tight under the driver door when it shuts. i've begun cutting out the rusted part of the lower back panel, from the driver door to the back tire. it isn't all bad so i'm hoping to just cut the lower 4 to 6 inches off and patch in the newer panel. hiding the pop-rivets will be a challenge.
i've been cleaning and painting the back of the panels. i just wish i could do a better job than with the spray can. finish is rough, although under the panel willnot be seen. on the outside surface, it will be harder to get a good finish. .....still working rick
i've been cleaning and painting the back of the panels. i just wish i could do a better job than with the spray can. finish is rough, although under the panel willnot be seen. on the outside surface, it will be harder to get a good finish. .....still working rick
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Joined: Apr 2001
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replacement body panels
For what its worth dept: I have used the small, readily available "duplicate color" aerosol cans for a variety of repairs. I find the color match acceptable especially with lighter colors. What I dislike is the variation in spray nozzle perfomance. I once had three cans of the same color from the same manufacturer and each one put down a different spray pattern - one was almost a stream, the next a sputtering sloppy spray and the last a fine misting spray. There is either a lot of variation in nozzles or the cans are not uniformly pressurized. (Yes, they were properly agitated beforehand and at the proper temperatures). A good gun and compressor can't be beat for this type of repair but the upfront costs are considerably higher. There is also a body repair forum in the specialty sections lower down in the main menu. You may find some help there.
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