[Car1]

Have same issues on both sides. Doors bottoms are rotted out, same goes for outer rocker panels and lower quarter panels. Marked area need to be replaced. Now, doors and rockers I guess can be used from any other model, but what about quarter patch panels, I don´t think they are reproduced? Maybe try to save the wheel house lip/arch, and use part of this panel?
Whats the best way to approach this?
Thanks//

 

[HILLBILLY 823]

I can't tell what year you need . but from what i've read, until recently, the qtr patch wasn't very good, but at least for a 57, there is a better piece, Ol '55 in Doylestown, PA carries the better piece. as well as the older one.

 

[LEE T]

You should be able to look inside and see how bad it is, too many guys replace the whole panel when not necessary.

 

[Car1]

Thanks Lee, I have in fact had a good look. I wasn´t planning on having full quarters installed, hopefully that patch panel can be used. Let´s see if anyone done it before.

 

[55wagoncrazy]

I subscribe to the belief that using the least amount of metal to replace rust is the best. I have seen and been forced to make repairs to
rust problems that others took the approach of lopping off too much and then discovering the repair panel was a poorly made part.

Door bottom panels are a good part and I have done this on lots of doors. Most of the time the rust in the skin can be repaired with
just small panels in the corners.

 

[Car1]

Thanks Mikey, maybe this quandary is better put in another section. What do you think, can parts of this patch panel, https://realdealsteel.com/i-23901445-1955-chevy-2-door-left-lower-forward-quarter-panel-section.html
be used on the lower qtrs on the Nomad? Is the curve/profile the same on a Nomad vs a 55 sedan?

 

[55wagoncrazy]

That panel is all that is made for a general repair on any 55 2 door. Most of the panel will "work" but it requires some adjustments to make it work
well. The problem is it is not an exact part and never will be. It is just a repair panel. You can use a part of it to repair your rust area. The problem
with it is that the lower underside where it matches the inner rocker is not well stamped. This must be adjusted, and the issue with that is there is not
enough metal there to make it exactly like the original stamped bottom of the quarter.

Lastly, the location of the wheel well opening is not the same as the Nomad, and any damage to the lip of the Nomad quarter, cannot be
repaired with this panel.

 

[Car1]

Thanks Mikey. I was planning to save the wheel well. This project is a bit further down the road. Who knows, maybe there will be repos of this part when the time comes.

 

[55wagoncrazy]

Don't hold your breath on that. The panel you showed has been available for 30 years, and no maker is going to redo it at this point when they
can sell these.

 

[twin engines]

I can't tell what year you need . but from what i've read, until recently, the qtr patch wasn't very good, but at least for a 57, there is a better piece, Ol '55 in Doylestown, PA carries the better piece. as well as the older one.

That's a 55 fender shape.

 

[zookpr]

That's a 55 fender shape.

Yup, but also the door eyebrow spear is a giveaway.

 

[ssffnomad]

Car1 , maybe send more pics of the 55’ Nomad wheel opening. Something does not look right.
Take a good look at both sides of quarter. Especially from the backside. Quite possible that area has already been worked on. You will not know for sure till you remove all paint & primer.
Stretch

 

[Car1]

Sure can Stretch but yes, is has been "worked" on. My guess is that this was done when the car was resprayed, sometime in the 70´s(?). The marked areas, similar on both sides are built up using bondo/filler from the rocker upwards, which both ocular/magnet exam confirms.

 

[5nomad5]

The shape of the opening doesn't look quite right - too slanted but hard to tell..
I used the patch panel you show. A lot of work was required but it turned out fine. The other side was similar.
After cleaning off the bondo and brazed on patch, this is what I started with.

Used a plasma cutter to cut up the patch panel:

I reflanged the bottom to match inner and outer rocker as shown above:

Piecing it together:

Ready for install:
:

After blasting the body. Good enough for an amateur (my finish bodywork/paint guy was amazing!).

 

[Car1]

Here´s a pic showing the arch. I haven´t reacted to anything looking suspicious, but then again I don´t have another Nomad to compare. The angle might not be optimal even on this one, I´ll load a few more up later.

 

[55 Tony]

Yup, but also the door eyebrow spear is a giveaway.

I spotted it by the concave curve along the bottom of the rocker panel and on back. But is seems that the curve doesn't go all the way to the wheel well? Mine does, before and after.

 

[Car1]

Steve, those pics will be really helpful. Looks like you did a great job too👍

 

[zookpr]

I spotted it by the concave curve along the bottom of the rocker panel and on back. But is seems that the curve doesn't go all the way to the wheel well? Mine does, before and after.

That's because of patches. Back in the day some folks layered patches.