Ive been looking all over the place for a patch panel. The front 1/2 on the pass side of my 1978 elcamino is gone!!!! I dont want a full pan for that side, Just the front half. Does anyone know a good lowpriced place to go for this? Please help I need to get one asap. I will even buy used if you have one. I check my email about every hour.

Thanks
Derrick

If it is not that big of a panel, say just the front bottom, then you can call a junk yard and give them dimensions and they'll cut one out for you. Tell them the year, it can be from a monty if it is just that piece. Or if you can't find anything else just use a metal panel the size you need.

Good Mark could have the piece your looking for. Thry them you might have to call them. http://www.goodmarkindustries.com/ << Web site.

There are to many curves. I need about 30+" x 40

Necessity is the Mother of Invention. Go to a Junk yard and tell them or show them. The ones around here will cut it out for you they charge for it but if you got cutter you can take they let you do that too.

I looked at GoodMark and they don't have it. So it is a bone yard thing now, wait..... :x :? Try Calling GM. A parts place. Look for up to a 78 floor pan. GM has a rust through body protection with a Lifetime Guarantee. They will not replace it free but I know if you car falls into that time frame and I think it does, they have to give you a panel, if it is Rusted.

Ive been looking all over the place for a patch panel.
I don't think you'll find a patch panel. You can buy the floor pan from Mill Supply (http://www.rustrepair.com/app2/onlinecat.htm?p=sm-chev.car) and cut what you need.

I did what ElkyPete recommended when I needed to patch a hole in my 79 Elky. I cut out the floor from a Malibu I had hanging around and trimmed it to the size I needed.

:mrgreen:

Just putting my $.02 in, I'd get the full panel from Mill supply. I've been all over the GM parts site set up by a local dealer and I don't see pans available. Good luck and that's all I hope you have.

I myself am on the cusp of putting my 81 up on Ebay as a complete parts car- looks great from 20' but it's rust h*ll up close- both floor pans, one bed rail and the rear of the storage compartment on the driver side have typical NJ rot. Not to mention the driver side frame rear has that typical rust. :?

Dan

I have seen the full floor pans for sale...but quite expensive....my buddy looked em up and found em from his supplier...and i think i saw then in the npd or opg catalog...but as i say..very expensive. im gathering all scrap body parts i can fine to patch mine....not pretty but hopefully itll work

Hey ElkyPete - What's this about the rust protection plan from GM?? Here in New England there is no such thing as a rust-free El Camino unless you just keep it indoors and look at it! GM could go broke if they had to give us floor panels, etc. Can you provide some specific details about what you mentioned about the replacement parts? Thanks.

Some years ago GM decided to warrent their body panels for runst through. Aparently they decided to start Anodizing them or something. Anyway if you have a car that is covered, I forget what year it started all new cars are under it, you are suppose to be able to take it back and Mr. Goodwrench will give you a new replacement.

Sheet Metal parts.

What does everyone consider expensive? Found this over at Dixie @ $219:

http://www.dixiemontecarlodepot.com/subSections/s21.htm

That seems to be a good source for parts for newer Elkys.

I thought that was expensive if you needed both sides...but then im cheap

I thought that was expensive if you needed both sides...but then im cheap

Cheap is ok, gosh knows I am! But, be prepared to do the huntin and peckin, cuttin and weldin!

What does everyone consider expensive? Found this over at Dixie @ $219

I'd pay that if it meant saving several hours cutting a floor out of a junker. It's new steel and it'll last longer than a junker floor.

:mrgreen:

Cutting a floor out of a "junker" may be better then buying new.
The new floors are no made of the same quality as the original.
The new floor will still need to be trimmed.
The "junker" floor has lasted 30 years, you wont get that from an after market one.

Just my take.

Some years ago GM decided to warrent their body panels for runst through. Aparently they decided to start Anodizing them or something. Anyway if you have a car that is covered, I forget what year it started all new cars are under it, you are suppose to be able to take it back and Mr. Goodwrench will give you a new replacement.

That was the GM "Three Year Perforation from Corrosion Limited Warranty". I'm not sure when it was started but I've seen mention of it in some of the early 80's GM books.

:mrgreen:

I just checked the Web site and it is 6 / 100,000 Now. I am pretty sure there was a time that the warranty was lifetime.

Based on the fact that I have a real rustpot, I did some searching on the boss' time and found a dealer website that showed the GM rust-through warranty applied to cars built after 7-1-89.

Hope I'm wrong. Mine's an 81.

Dan