Patch Panels
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New User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Patch Panels
Who makes the BEST patch panels out there for my 1953? I have seen some that look okay and others that have "wrinkles" in the areas where the metal was shaped. I do not want to spend all my time massaging a patch panel that I will be paying for. And also how difficult is it to replace the whole panel in front of the doors (just from the seam on down)? Thank you in advance for the help.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
From: indiana
i bought my patch panels through mid-fifty. i got all four cab corners and inner and outer door skins. they were pretty nice,fit and apperance. i have never seen patch panels for the front of the door going all the way down.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 823
Likes: 4
From: Calais, Vermont
cowl patches
I just patched in front cowl pieces on both sides of my 53 about a month ago. I got the parts from midfifty. On the passenger side, I only needed about 6 inches measured from the bottom of the cowl. That went okay. On the driver's side I had to patch in about 16 inches worth. I was dissapointed with the shape of the stamped patch. At the point where the patch is fit to the door post, the stock sheetmetal has two bends at about 90 degrees to each other. The patch piece did not have exactly the same bends. I fit the piece so that the gap between the door and the cowl was even and the same width along the edge of the door. So, it all looks fine when the door is closed. But close inspection with the door open reveals that the stock metal and the patch don't align perfectly. I'm hoping that I can still hammer some of this non-alignment out...and that filler, primer and paint take care of the rest. The shorter patch on the other side came out fine, because there was so much less of the factory sheetmetal that the patch had to relate to.
