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Tips
Tips

TR6 Rocker panel hole

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pdplot

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What's the best and easiest way to patch a rocker panel hole without taking off the panel? Picture has been previously posted on my clunking noise thread. Fiberglass patch would be too obvious. I'd like it to be smooth.
 
"Best" and "easy" aren't always compatible.

Bodywork is definitely not my strong suit, but I've had good luck with fiberglass cloth and JB Weld for smaller repairs. You can sand it as smooth as you'd like. Use metal screen wire if you need something to support the first layer while it hardens.
 
I've looked at your picture, and I can't figure out where on the rocker panel that spot is exactly. I don't know of another sheet metal panel that meets up with the rocker like the one in your picture. Would you be able to post another picture of it ?
 
I would have a shop cut it out and weld in a new piece, then body filler and sand. You can paint it....bed liner.
Scott in CA
 
You do not want to take the rocker panel off it's way too big a job grind down around the hole and see the extent of the damage if you don't want to bring it to a shop to weld a piece of metal in there try to get something behind it and fill it with jb weld it will work.
 
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but once you start grinding on that area it will probably look like Swiss cheese. I noticed another small hole and lots of rust spots that probably started on the back side. Unless the rocker is rusted in more spots you should be able to have someone weld new sheet metal in then finish it up with filler. If the rocker is black it won’t be too hard to paint the whole thing.
 
It's matte black. Knowing my previous bodywork attempts, I'll take it to a local body shop who does good work and have the job done right the first time. Whatever I do won't look good - I know it. As for removing the panel - forget it. Not going to happen.
 
Scot1966 said:
I've looked at your picture, and I can't figure out where on the rocker panel that spot is exactly. I don't know of another sheet metal panel that meets up with the rocker like the one in your picture. Would you be able to post another picture of it ?
Click to expand...

I am not recognizing it either.
 
The best way is the easiest way unless you like redoing body work over and over. First get a pick hammer or a ball peen and lightly tap around the hole to discover actually how big it is. Most rockers rust from the inside out and what looks small on the outside is actually much larger inside. It may start as a penile size hole and end up with a 50 cent piece or bigger. Once you discover the hole size then take a cut off wheel and cut out all the bad metal feeling with your finger inside the rocker until you have a smooth surface. Then trace and cut out a piece of metal slightly bigger the hole. In the center tack on a piece of metal 1/4x 2" long to use as a handle. Insert the patch inside the hole using the handle to hold it tight to the rocker panel and tack weld it in each corner. Then alternate tack welds around the patch until it is completely welded to the rocker. Grind off the handle and smooth out the welds. Use a water PROOF body filler and smooth and paint as desired. This will last for years and hopefully there are no more starting. If you just try to fill it with filler or fiberglass the patch will probably crack and fall out over time from all the flexing in the body.
 
Welding is not in my limited skill set unfortunately - not in over 60 years. But I did take another picture to show the exact location, plus poked around the hole. The metal is all solid. The hole is about 1 1/4" x 3/4" at the widest. The panel is held on by 3 bolts. Probably rusted in and may be a nightmare waiting to happen if I try to back them out. It would be nice to take the panel onto the bench though to repair. Maybe I'll shoot some penetrating oil in there and make a limited attempt to undo. here's the picture. Rocker hole.jpg
 
For what I see there you got more issues down the road. Best is to take it to someone who knows what they are doing. You can remove the 3 bolts and the bolts that attaches the inner fender flange to the A post then pull the fender out a bit to get some room to work with. The back side is going to need cleaned up and sealed. That hole can be weld or glue patch in. There is a lot of crap that gets logged between the fender and the inner rocker that hold moisture and causes rote and will continue to rust. Good winter project and you should look at both sides too.
 
It is a moisture trap in there for sure. There seems to be an intermediate piece of thin metal in there that appears to have some rust. The rest of the rocker is fine as is the driver side rocker.
 
pdplot said:
e.View attachment 55681
Click to expand...


Oh, ok. Now I see what I thought was sheet metal was actually the aluminum molding strip. It wasn't picking up the light in the first picture. I think if you take the wing / fender off you will find more rust on the back of it. " Rust never sleeps "
 
In 2004 I got a TR6 for a daily driver with a spot very much like that. I did what Got_All_4 says: removed the lower & A-post bolts, held the lower part out with a piece of wood, cleaned out old leaves/crud, painted all surfaces with POR15, patched the hole from the back with fiberglass mat then reassembled. Some spray undercoating made it look good as new. Several years later I removed the fender to extend the scuttle drain out the bottom and the repair was still fine.

Jeff
 
Thanks for all the help. To do a proper job that looks good is probably beyond my limited body repair skills so I'll check out a couple of the better body shops in the area and see what the $$$ will be. As an example, the Alfa has a plastic windshield washer bottle with a big hole in the bottom that a PO or shop tried to patch with a piece of rubber and some what looks like rubber cement. It leaked like a sieve. I put some duct tape on it as a temporary measure but I plan to fiberglass the hole if it will stick to the plastic. To remove the bottle is very tough. It has a connecting hose that will be a bear to pull apart.
 
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