<VV> who has info on making/welding braces on LMconvertibles for rocker panel replacement

[Tony Underwood]

At 01:05 hours 05/19/2006, J R Read_HML wrote:

Re:  '65 ragtop pinching the hell out of arm meat

>Tony,
>
>It is turning into a "flexible flyer".  You need to do something 
>before it breaks in half - probably replace or repair the stiffeners 
>inside the rockers.  If those rocker stiffeners are shot, there is 
>not much holding the front and back together.  After enough flexing 
>of the floor pan, it is just going to let go from metal fatigue.


I've already noted that there's some rust creeping through the A and 
B pillar sheet metal where the pillars meet the rocker, not unusual 
for a late ragtop.   This isn't good.   The car is otherwise fairly 
solid (more so now after having received a number of patch panels 
welded in place lately) and the next spot to look at closely is 
welding up fresh meat in the pillars where they meet the rockers, 
obviously.    I'm also gonna be entertaining notions of beefing up 
the rockers themselves underneath, so as to help stiffen the car further.

>I can easily open and close doors on both verts while on jack 
>stands.  A buddy has one up right now undergoing restoration.  He 
>purposely left one stand shorter than the other 3 just to be able to 
>demonstrate the integrity of the body.  No problem with the doors on 
>that one either even though it is really sitting on only 3 stands.


In all fairness, I got pinched when I'd rather hastily backed out of 
the driveway with the front wheels full lock, and the body twisted a 
bit as I'd "bounced" out onto the street.   I've jacked the car up on 
one corner a time or two and noted that when stressed such, the door 
jambs did show body flex.   Not a lot, but then again any is worthy 
of notice.    I'll be looking into that as well as work on the car 
progresses later this spring.


tony..