1941 60 series inner and outer rocker panels

[LCross]

Can any one recommend where to get inner and outer rocker panels for a 1941 60 special, front and rear doors both sides. I have looked on the web and they talk about panels for a 62 and other models but I have not found any for a 60 special. Or do I have to make my own?

Thanks
L.Cross

[jackworstell]

??  A 1941 Sixty Special doesn't have inner and outer rocker panels in the same sense as most other cars

The "outer" rocker panel is a stainless trim piece maybe 50" long and maybe 4" wide.
On the inboard side of that is the a wooden stringer that this stainless trim fastens to.

Where are you located ?

Jack Worstell     jlwmaster@aol.com

[LCross]

I am in Mesa Arizona. I guess what I am looking at is some ones attempt at a repair of the floor boards in the area of the door sills. It looks like there were possible rocker panel parts cut and welded in place so I thought that there were rocker panels available. I have attached two photos of the area. Is it all part of the floor pan?

LCross

[Paul Phillips]

Larry
As noted above, the rocker structure on the 60S is wood, and the outer polished  stainless rocker is really just a trim part. The main sill pieces are the structure, and the attached wood rocker extensions under the doors are mostly there to receive the trim. The step plates at the front of the front door are there to align under the fender extensions that mount to the front door, and trim out that feature.

From your pix, it looks like someone got rather creative at some time in the past, but those parts do not look like anything original on a 60S. You now have the files for what the wood sill should look like (thanks for the support of the CLC Museum). If you need to see pix of the correct metal in that area, please send me a direct email and I can send pix from my resto project. 

You may also benefit from buying the reprint of the 41 60S welding guide. I know Faxon has this, and others may as well. To put your car back together right, you will need to remove some of these creative repairs, replicate the proper wood sills, and possibly source some of the stainless rocker trim.   

I am attaching a bottom view of the rocker area, taken from just forward of the front door. Hope this helps show what is ‘correct’

Paul

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

I have a set of the stainless rocker trim if you need it. fltd6019@nwcable.net

[Paul Phillips]

Larry
I should have mentioned earlier that there is an intentional split in the floor pan metal in the area under the threshold plates at each of the door openings. It appears someone may have tried to put a series of welds across that, which is what I was calling ‘creative’. The main wood sill is what connects those sections of pan metal together, with a host of small nails and a handful of wood screws being mostly what holds the metal to the wood. I have posted below top side photos from the left front & left rear door openings on my car before the restoration, to depict what that should look like. In these views, the stainless outer rocker trim has been removed, as has the step section at the front of the front door.

Also, for the benefit of others looking at your photos that are less familiar with the 60S, your photo views are posted upside down, so folks need to visually flip them over to better understand what they are seeing.

Paul

[Paul Phillips]

Here is a view from the top and bottom at the B pillar area on my car before restoration.  This is what happens when exposed hinges allow water entry to the pillar, and it pools on top of inadequate drains in unsealed wood with unprotected metal nailed to it.  The wood rots from the top down, and the metal corrodes from the bottom up.  This was a low mileage CA car (23K) that had spent a lot of time stored indoors.  Everything felt 'solid', it was only in taking things apart that the real damage was obvious.  Note also the cage section welded to the B pillar.  You absolutely must weld a triangulating cage, bracing all door openings and cross-ways in the car to stabilize the body from the inside before trying to remove the wood sills. 

Paul

[Paul Phillips]

Here is what the repaired and refinished metal looks like from above & below, before the replacement wood sills are installed.

[Paul Phillips]

Here are the replacement sills ready for test fit, and a view of the driver side with the sill in place but not yet fully fastened.

[jackworstell]

Paul.... the replacement wood seals......what kind of wood did you use  ?

Jack Worstell   jlwmaster@aol.com

[Paul Phillips]

Jack
The original sills were oak, but they were laminated & pieced in order the best utilize the material & and minimize scrap. I used ash when I reconstructed the sills, and avoided any laminations or piecing together with the main structural sills.  I sealed everything in penetrating epoxy (CPES product).

Paul

[LCross]

Thanks for all the information it looks like I have found a another car that I can get the floor pans out of and all the metal that they had tried to repair. Then I will make a cage and work on the sills.

Larry Cross