Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Has anyone found a good source for replacement body panels and/or floor boards for rust repair? I read a couple of threads about Classic 2 Current Fabrication. The main complaint was that the strengthening indents were not deep enough and the mounting holes were shaped different. So far, I have been leaning toward using them, but was curious if someone found a better alternative. I purchased some replacement rocker panels on ebay several years ago that were molded straight. I don't know if anyone has used these and gotten them to look OK, but I think I got burned in that deal. Trying not to repeat past mistakes.

Unless you are willing to pay for custom fabricated floor pans, then they are really the only game in town. I bought a set of floor pans that will fit 51-54 sedans, but have not welded them in yet. They are the correct general shape, but generic. They will work, but will not be exact, and you may have to make a coupe of spacers to fill the any gap between the floor indents and floor supports.

But they are still better than the Flintstone floorboards currently in my car.

I bought the classic 2 current front floor pans for my 55 Clipper. They resemble the floors in my car, but direct replacements they are not. They have sharp bends from the floor to the toe boards, where the cars are curved. It is going to take some extra work to get them to fit. In hindsight, I should have taken the money and bought the used bead roller I was considering. At least then I could make my own panels that don't fit.

As far as any other sources, I'm at a loss. Good luck.

LOL! "At least then I could make my own panels that don't fit." That cracks me up. Sounds like what my alternative would be too, except I can't weld very well either.

So lets say there is a section of swiss cheese floorboard...maybe 8-10" long. Would it be better to keep the old floor and weld in a repair section or replace the entire pan with one from classic to current? Which would be stronger? I'm guessing you would be better with the new panel because it would be easier to install and newer metal. I'm not too concerned about what it looks like since no one would see it.

Has anyone used classic to current's rocker panels?

Keegan,

I am glad that you have chosen our company to help you with the restoration on your Packard, but not pleased that our product has not met your expectations. We are eager to hear our customer's feedback (good and bad) and it is people like yourselves that keep business' like ours going. Any feedback that you may have on how we can better our product is always welcomed and you can email us anytime at Sales@c2cfabrication.com . Almost all of the product that we make have been supplied to us from customers that either cut out their originals and send to us, or by them making a template of them and sending that. The problem with making dies from templates are that each person has their own way of making them and some are not as accurate as others. We are constantly going back correcting patterns of ours based on feedback from customers and our goal is to make your restoration process as easy as possible for you. We have since corrected our outer rocker panels for the Packard, and have actually installed them ourselves to insure the quality of the fit. We have just came out with the trunk pan for the 1951-56 Packard. The trunk has been made into two sections that are to be welded to form a whole piece (for shipping purposes) and do not include the spare tire well, but do have the indent where it is located. Any member of this website that would like to purchase or inquire about any of the product that we make for the Packard can contact me directly at the email address provided and I will give you a discount on the price listed on our website. Any friend of BigKev is a friend of ours.

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This is the reason why I always recommend you guy's to anyone looking for sheetmetal, as you guy's are so willing to work with people and appear to have great customer service. The one thing I wish you guy's had was the forward part of the trunk floor with the wheel well on '48-'50 cars.

Have there been any recent changes to the pattern 51-56 Packard Floor Boards to incorporate the curved transition from the floor to the toe board? Just curious?

Also any more thoughts on dog-leg, and rear wheel well corner patch panels? Removing the entire quarter is a major process, when usually only the two lower corners of the rear wells are all that just need to be replaced. Plus those two patch panels would be easy to ship when compared to the entire lower quarter.

Also I am sure with everyone on here and the access we may have to part cars, we should be able to come up with good pieces that you can make perfect patterns from. Just let us know!

Sounds like you need to personally examine and measure a good, un rusted floor pan to develop good patterns.

Perhaps some member who lives nearby, can bring their car over (one with known good floorboards) to measure?

If this is impractical it might be possible to take a mold of a floor with fibreglass?

I realize this is asking a lot but there are some big hearted people who frequent this forum.

Thank you Eric for referring people over to us. We have not altered our floor pans for the 1951-56 because we have not been contacted directly with any problems concerning the fit nor have we been supplied with a "correct" pattern to go from. It's funny that you mentioned a template made from fiberglass, because that is how we received the patterns for the 1948-50 (and also 1941-47 Clipper) and we've yet to hear a problem pertaining to them. I don't think that there would be a problem making the lower rear section of the rear quarter panel considering that we currently make the full lower rear quarter panel. I will have my fabricators look into that next week and see what we come up with. As you are aware of, we currently make the lower section of the trunk pan for the 1948-50 but we can not make the wheel well section due to the process of how we currently make our product, but we are tooling right now to change that here in the next year or so.