How difficult is it to replace rocker panels. I am making a street/strip car and was wondering is replacing these was structually importand i plan on about 400hp. dragslicks ect. Is is just a cut out the old weld in the new or is it more difficult.
Pretty much cut out the old and weld in the new. not any real bodywork needed to finish, unless you want to make all the seams real nice and smooth. Thing about unitized cars is the rockers are a huge strength area. You have to watch for signs of movement in the car when the rockers are out. Especially if you have a real rusty car. I would do one side at a time. Dan
Dan pretty much said it - slice it out and graft it in. My favorite tool for cutting out rust is an air die grinder with a 3" x 1/16" abrasive wheel (zizz wheel) for bigger projects I have an arbor for my 4-1/2" angle grinder that lets me run a flat 1/16" thick cut off wheel on that too. After you get it all cut back to solid metal just take your time and make pieces to go back in. You really want to try to get the replacement part to butt weld back in. It is time consuming, tedious and sometimes you will have the urge to shortcut - but the results are well worth the effort. After you grind the welds back on a butt welded joint - sometimes all that is required to finish it is a good thick coat of primer without any need for filler. Cleaver
