Working on the rocker

I know it has been a while since my last post.  I have been working on the car when the weather is agreeable, and my time coincides.  Unfortunately it usually only translates to a couple of hours at a time.

So if I remember right, I was last working on the frame rail.  Next on the list was to get working on the rocker since it will need to be in better shape before I think about installing a torque box and floor pans.  I decided the best thing to do would be to remove the entire inner side and replace it.  With that out of the way it would make it easier to deal with the problems that I know was there and some I was sure to find.


I cut all the welds and took it back to the rear torque box and trimmed it there for the time being.  I will finish pulling it off and install the new piece after I remove the rear frame rail.  That's right, the other rail needs to go and be replaced.  It has actually broken in half just under the transition pan, and it seems to have just as much rot as the driver's side.  At least I was able to save one out of four rails, right?

Anyway, I removed the front piece of the rocker due to rot, and made some patches for some small places in the rocker itself.  Next on the list will be to get the front piece welded in and treat the inner part of the rocker for rust before I think of closing it up.

I have a few pics as this was over several weeks.  Definitely did not have enough time on the car for my liking.

Pulling it apart.  Yep that was the home to some four legged vermin.

Looks like he was bunking with a friend, this was just a little farther down.

Metal taken off and the homes demolished.

Removal of the front piece.  Ended up being easier to take it out in pieces.

Cowl side panel seems to be in pretty good shape.

Found some extra vent holes from rust.  Cut this out and fabbed up a patch.

View from the inside.

Tacked in place.  I actually just got the basic curve shape into the piece, welded the bottom to the car, and then slowly tacked it up the sides as I formed the patch into position.

After I ground it down, some more holes made themselves visible.

Cut them out and fixed it the same way.

Done!

More rot cut away.  I rebuilt this in two pieces.  In order to keep the flange straight, I clamped a piece of flat stock along the flange and clamped the patch to that.

Finished.  There is supposed to be notch there, I will cut it out later.

Fitting the front piece.  Ran out of time to weld it in.  Don't know when I will get to it as it has been snowing all week.