Where do I find rear passenger kick panels (rust repair)?

[Jessie James]

I've given up trying to find a rust free K5 in good shape and have decided to just restore mine. Can anyone point me to rust repair panels?

Specifically, I need the rear passenger kick panel. You know, the part where the front seat belts mount to the body side, about where your foot would touching on the side be if you were sitting in the back seat. In my K5 that section is completely shot, including the floor. Or should I just have a shop put in some generic sheet metal?

I figure I can pick up the frond floors from LMC. I also have to replace the rear cargo floor, gas tank pipe cover in the right rear corner, one or two body mounts, and rear body support (where the hinges for the tailgate mount). All of those pieces are available from LMC.

Of course, if you can recommend a better quality source for sheet metal I would be very thankful. I want to do it right the first time.

 

[ryoken]

is no such repair panel..... needs to be fabbed... simple piece tho...

 

[TripleJ75]

Actually there's a place in CT that has them.... http://www.autobodyspecialt.com/ but they don't have the bolt "insert" and they really weren't worth the $55 a piece they were charging...I still had to cut them to make them fit right...I'm with Ryoken, I'd just fab them in hindsight!

 

[ryoken]

hmmm, didn't know that.. i stand corrected....

 

[4X4HIGH]

I've given up trying to find a rust free K5 in good shape and have decided to just restore mine. Can anyone point me to rust repair panels?

Specifically, I need the rear passenger kick panel. You know, the part where the front seat belts mount to the body side, about where your foot would touching on the side be if you were sitting in the back seat. In my K5 that section is completely shot, including the floor. Or should I just have a shop put in some generic sheet metal?

I figure I can pick up the frond floors from LMC. I also have to replace the rear cargo floor, gas tank pipe cover in the right rear corner, one or two body mounts, and rear body support (where the hinges for the tailgate mount). All of those pieces are available from LMC.

Of course, if you can recommend a better quality source for sheet metal I would be very thankful. I want to do it right the first time.

You haven't looked in California or Arizona have you? There are ALL KINDS of RUST FREE blazers in both of those states.

 

[Jessie James]

Sadly I am in VA. Considering my luck with recent sellers I am not about to fly out there only to encounter another truck which needs $2k in repairs when it is advertised as "clean" and "rust free" which really means "moldy" and "rust included free".

Heck, even the CARPETS had major rust on them, from old rims being piled in the back. Sheesh!

 

[4X4HIGH]

That is why the brotherhood "has your back". You look for a RUST FREE blazer out this way and then once you find one you see if there are any "brothers" in the area who can check it out in person for you and report back what they find.

 

[Jessie James]

That's a good point, I may have to ask for some help. I've driven a 14 hour trip for one truck, and an 8 hour trip for another. Now I am looking at one in SC but ... man ... the drive will kill me!

 

[Blue85]

I asked this same question last year. Got some suggestions but never found anything: http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252155. I ended up fabbing some pieces. The seatbelt bolt section was rock solid, so I didn't even have to mess with that part.

I would like to see this piece made by Autobody Specialty. It looks kind of flat, but the part that would make the fabrication the easiest would be if it was 3-D, having the curve of the floor out for a few inches, while also have a good section of the "wall".

 

[DieselWarrior]

A piece of 22ga sheet metal is about $7 at the hardware store. A simple cut off wheel on the grinder and a bit of welding and woot woot, its good as new and water tight.

GL,
Andrew