i am at the point where the demolition is almost at an end and the reconstruction begins. i am looking for anything i might have missed or any tips you might have. in one of the photos i show my rocker panel but just this end is rusted so i am gonna weld a new end on instead of replace the entire panel. i think i am gonna have to remove the door to get the job done right. as for the hood, i am trying to leave it in place and will cut the new cowl panel to fit around the hood portion of the cowl. does anyone sell the track that the weather stripping fits into? i dont think i can salvage it but it must be removed to put in the new inner panel. is there anything i can put/spray inside the empty space to resist rust build up or to keep water from settleing? thanks- Robert
Put a good rust encapsulator inside the panels. I remade that lower piece on both of the trucks I built, but for $30 you can get the whole piece now. I highly reccommend replacing the whole panel instead of just a patch whenever you ave to. The reason is that usually if there is enough rust to come through, there is at least half that much already eaten into the metal further up than you think. I am replacing the whole upper cowl panel in my truck, because it is rotted through all around the cowl vent. I am also replacing the complete lower cowl sections on both sides, instead of just the lower corners. Replace the whole kick panel also....it really is much easier. Take the doors off so that it is easier to work and the weight won't distort the panels. Also, now is the time to work the dor opening to correct any factory errors. Check the photo albums of the buildup of the 50 and the 53 to see the work I did in each.
windlace channel LMC truck has the panels and the channel but it is not cheap. www.lmctruck.com Hope this helps. Gene
Here is how I did it. Here are some pictures of how I did it mine was similar. Parts are mostly the same from vendors shop around for the best deals. I coated all my inside areas with KBS black rust encaser. http://community.webshots.com/user/RugerWSM?vhost=community I would be glad to answer any specific questions once you are ready to start. Here is the order I went in: Floor, inner cowl piece (curved looking one) inner cowl sheet metal, outer cowl sheet metal. When you weld the outer cowl you need the door on for alignment. Once tacked all these repairs are easier with it off. Jim Carter sells the replacement weatherstrip channel (12" $17 bucks). One side at a time measure lots before you cut.
