Just bought 95 SC, and found that both rocker panels are rusted out... Help!

phils89sc

Registered User
Hey everyone! I have just purchased a nice 95 SC. The paint was shot, but she runs and drives great. Everything works as it should. I got under the car and found that the rocker panels are just basically gone. I have searched on here for other that have had the same problem. Apparently there are a couple places that sell replacements, They are labeled as slip-ons. I am not sure what that means. I have the welding equipment to weld them in.

Can someone give me some recommendations on how to approach this? Also, do the rocker panels provided much chassis support?

Thanks for any help you can give!

-Phil
 
The rockers provide a significant amount of rigidity to the chassis. They are a necessity.

Yes, you'll MIG the replacement panels into place.
 
Prior to installing the new rocker panels, and removing and and all rust, fixing anything else found, what is the best way to prevent this in the future? Has anyone figured out why they are such a magnet for rust on the MN12 chassis?
 
Has anyone figured out why they are such a magnet for rust on the MN12 chassis?

Does your car have a moonroof? The rear drains end inside the foam material along the rockers and can clog, giving water no exit.

Otherwise, I think anything inline with the wheels is going to suffer more than usual, especially with the SC's GFX.
 
Does your car have a moonroof? The rear drains end inside the foam material along the rockers and can clog, giving water no exit.

Otherwise, I think anything inline with the wheels is going to suffer more than usual, especially with the SC's GFX.

No moonroof. No other rust on the car, just the rockers. Seems to be a very common problem regardless of where the car is from or driven. Probably much worse is the northern states.

When I go online, I see several companies selling these, and they appear to be all the same product. Is CC the only one to be trusted? Or are there others?

Thanks again for all your advise everyone!
 
Do they use road salt where you live?

I've never seen a rotted rocker on any of the SCs I've inspected here in the PNW, including mine, which was a Calif. car, originally. Guess I've been lucky.

Didn't rock auto used to sell them?
 
Do they use road salt where you live?

I've never seen a rotted rocker on any of the SCs I've inspected here in the PNW, including mine, which was a Calif. car, originally. Guess I've been lucky.

Didn't rock auto used to sell them?

LOL!!! I'm in the heart of the rust belt. I don't know if I've seen one that WASN'T rotted between the rear wheel well and door.

I've rebuilt 2 sets thus far, and as Rod stated earlier they ARE the ONLY real strength in the car between the subframes. There are actually 3 layers to them, an inner wall, an outer wall (door sill and curved lower that the OP is asking about) and a third in between (at least behind the door). You won't know how bad it is till you start cutting away the cancerous bits back to clean metal. Then you can start rebuilding layer by layer based on where and how you can cut, and access for welding. To do it right is some considerable fab work.

I believe I bought one of the last weld in sets Rockauto showed a few years ago. They sorta fit as if they may have been something close to thunderbird part :rolleyes: Luckly the rocker skirts hide them...

Adam
 
I agree with KMT

I think the GFX on S/C does contribute to the early rust & failure of rockers
My 2 XR-7's(which have no lower skirting) are both great shape
compared to the S/C's & they're all Ontario Canada cars that
that did see winter roads when new. Non are moonroof cars
 
Prior to installing the new rocker panels, and removing and and all rust, fixing anything else found, what is the best way to prevent this in the future? Has anyone figured out why they are such a magnet for rust on the MN12 chassis?

Weld through primer inside, weld it on, epoxy primer on the outside (and paint of course). Follow that up by running a wand inside the rocker and shoot a coat of cavity wax. Fluid film works well.
 
LOL!!! I'm in the heart of the rust belt. I don't know if I've seen one that WASN'T rotted between the rear wheel well and door.

I've rebuilt 2 sets thus far, and as Rod stated earlier they ARE the ONLY real strength in the car between the subframes. There are actually 3 layers to them, an inner wall, an outer wall (door sill and curved lower that the OP is asking about) and a third in between (at least behind the door). You won't know how bad it is till you start cutting away the cancerous bits back to clean metal. Then you can start rebuilding layer by layer based on where and how you can cut, and access for welding. To do it right is some considerable fab work.

I believe I bought one of the last weld in sets Rockauto showed a few years ago. They sorta fit as if they may have been something close to thunderbird part :rolleyes: Luckly the rocker skirts hide them...

Adam


Thanks for that Adam! On the three layers, I am guessing the slip-ons that are available are just the outer layer that is visible? What is the inner layer? Does anyone have any pics of a rocker repair in progress on a MN12 tbird?
 
Yep. The slip ons would just b the outer skins. Not where most of the structure comes from. The innermost layer is the vertical "wall" you can see when under the car looking out from the center towards the rocker. From the floor pan down to pinch weld. As Rod stated the weld thru primer ($$$, like $20 a can around here, really works tho), or at least some type of paint rust preventitive each step. Like I said above, I've found that if the outer is in the condition u describe, there will be ugly under it on the others. Actually not a bad learning project (welding, patch panel forming and such) as even if not perfect none of the inners will b seen, and the ground effects cover the rest...

I don't take too many in process project pics. Just never think of it till after. That and I am hard enough on my phones without exposing them to that kinda work.

Adam
 
On the three layers, I am guessing the slip-ons that are available are just the outer layer that is visible? What is the inner layer?

This diagram might help:

attachment.php


Couple of in-progress here:
https://forums.tccoa.com/15-exterior/154473-not-taking-my-own-advice-build-thread.html
 
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