Where is the best place to get metal panels?

[JeffAARy]

Do Year One, Paddock, Auto Body Specialties, and Sherman's all sell the same panels or are there different companies making duplicate parts?  I ask because there seems to be a big difference in price.  My guess is Year One and Paddock are just marking them up more.  Am I correct?

-JeffAARy

[Green Drop Top]

Goodmark & Shermans/Cross Canada are the only manufacturers, most of everything they make is made in China or Taiwan. To make the picture a little more fuzzy, the two companies trade product from each other and market one anothers items. There are a few items like Challenger quarters and upcomming Challenger fenders that Goodmark makes which are better than the other vendors versions, but nearly all the rest is the same stuff, shop price. Beware however, sometimes they have a "cheap version" and a "good version" I HIGHLY reccomend you get the better of the two if handed a choice.

[Stacked440]

One of my relatives is a professional body guy, he says some of his customers will buy the cheap ones and end up paying him more because it takes him twice or three times the time to get them to fit even close, so I'd recommend getting the pricey ones.   But also...yearone is like a "name brand" so you will  almost always pay more at yearone for things.

[Green Drop Top]

Year One offers only one thing, service, and they get a premium for it. They actually manufacture none of the parts they sell, they simply stock and ship it.

Many who shop there prefer paying extra to have the conveinience of one stop shopping, but few realize that there are often better parts for less money elsewhere should they take the time to shop around. It's all about personal buying preferences and expected part quality. To each his own.

[JeffAARy]

How do you know which version you are getting?  I'm still not clear which company I should be buying from.

[4Cruizn]

Be safe and just buy from Sherman's.  I haven't ever heard anything bad about them yet and I got all my sheet metal there with no problems!   


http://www.shermanparts.com/index.php

[mrbill426]

I was under the impression that Sherman's only sold to shops and not the general public.

I'm seriously thinking of replacing both inner fenders (engine compartment) on our '72.  They otherwise will need patching at both hood hinges, on the flat areas above the shock towers where some support seems to be spot welded underneath, and under the battery tray.  Also, most of the slotted holes on the top lips that the fenders bolt too are ripped out.  Is it a big job to replace these?  Pricey tools?  Or should I just patch away?

Bill

[4Cruizn]

Sherman's sells to everyone!   

[dougs bs23]

After shopping around for floor pans, i found a small shop that sells Shermans parts,, and believe it or not can sell for less than directly from shermans.   So,  for what it's worth,, and to save some $$   look at Northcoast Musclecar
  3/4 length pans around $99 plus shipping,, save a few $ and give some business to a little guy.

[mrbill426]

Thanks. 
Now how about the task of replacing those inner fender panels, is it a big job that requires pricey tools?  Looks like the original ones are spot welded in, is an air chisel used to take them off?  Is a spot welder required to put the new ones on?  If so, what would one with enough power to do the job cost?

Bill

Sherman's sells to everyone!   

[Green Drop Top]

It's a pretty big job if you haven't done sheet metal replacement before, but pretty easy for an experienced body man. They were spot wleded in from the factory, and you could spot weld them back in if you have the equipment, but the factory spot welds were much larger than what most lower priced hand held units create so it probably wouldn't look 100% correct when done. Plug welding might be easier, drill a hole to match an original spot weld dia. then match and clamp the panel, fill the hole with wire weld, then grind and finish to duplicate the look of a a factory spot weld. Works fine for most.

[mrbill426]

   That sounds good, thanks.
I have a friend with some experiance who has a wire feed welder who has offered to help me with the body work.  I think the original panels just need too much repair and I might be money (time) ahead to just replace them. 
This will not be a points show car but I want it to be solid because it will be raced on occasion.

So, I just drill out all the spot welds and panels come off, then re-weld through those holes?  Are they spot welded to those inner supports (above the shocks) too, or do they just "sit" on them? 

Do the replacement panels come with the square sliding "nuts" that the hood hinges bolt to?  The original ones are rusted out pretty badly. 

Bill

[JCWCuda]

After shopping around for floor pans, i found a small shop that sells Shermans parts,, and believe it or not can sell for less than directly from shermans.   So,  for what it's worth,, and to save some $$   look at Northcoast Musclecar
  3/4 length pans around $99 plus shipping,, save a few $ and give some business to a little guy.

Does Northcoast have a website ?