Has anybody used sheetmetal from an earlier vehicle (86 Toyota pickup bed in my example) to patch panel fix the sheetmetal in our cars?

Thanks

Modern sheet metal, practically Asian manufactured car metal is of a thinner gage & strength than was used 30 + years ago on American cars. Probably it can be done, but thicker low strength & thin high strength steel react slightly differently when welded together. Each requires a slightly different heat setting from the other. Could be a PIA if you aren’t a good welder. Also some of the modern body parts are galvanized, and this is not a real good coating to be welding, and inhaling its fumes.

Additionally the old stuff & new sheet metal act differently when worked with dolly & hammer.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Thanks WJ, that's what I've heard as well and is why I'm wondering if anyone on the board has done this.

Thanks again.

ALL of "todays" sheet metal is very thin and E coated, making for a difficult and time consuming effort. Several years ago when doing a quickie R&R on my 85 PU a retired body man told me to forget the welder....glue it!!!!! Yes glue. I used Lord manufacturing's Fuser line of panel glue and 5 years later. you can't chisel the patches apart (if you can find them) Three M makes glue's as well but Lord's sticks the tiles to the shuttle. my 2 cents

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1977 Volare wagon auto Air,1977Volare wagon 4spd OD, 1985 short bed D100,4spd.OD

Yes I have.....I used a 71 pontiac hood to make a new rear quarter panel for my 53 chev panel....I left in the hood louvers for a custom look.


I once made a new front fender for a 67 Pontiac Grande Parisienne Station wagon from a refrigerator skin.....its nice stiff to work with.

I agree with panel gluing. I glued new quarter skins on my 69 dart with windshield glue and pop rivets. Dont forget to duct tape and roller!

Mid 70s hoods are huge.....a freezer is your biggest appliance.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

There isn't much left of my '74 Duster anymore, but you're welcome to go over there and cut off whatever you need.

I want to grab the taillight panel and the door striker areas, but other than that it's fair game.

The roof and trunklid are gone now, but there are(were?) some fairly large areas of usable metal along the quarter panels that you might be able to use.

You can take a look at my '56 while you're there too. Just don't cut that one up please.

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Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

This is a great discussion. I never thought of gluing together a car! I just went from an '85 Toyota to an '88, so I'm surprised to hear of a bed that's still in one piece.

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/6 '67 Barracuda convertible, electronic ignition, 4-OD, street cam, SBP KH discs, 3.55 SG 7.25" 1" t-bars. Bilstein.
340 '67 fastback, Doug Nash 5-speed.
1988 Toyota pickup work truck