Rust Repair Panels can be
very useful to one attempting to restore a vehicle to its original
condition and anyone can make rust repair panels. You could
take a pie tin and bend it into the approximate shape and mud
it onto a vehicle. A step up from that method would be to start
with a heavier piece of steel, say 22 gauge, and use talent,
skill, proper tools and sweat to custom make rust repair panels
that can be welded into place where old steel has been removed
or even place it over damaged steel. A more common way of making
rust repair panels is on a brake. Rust Repair Panels formed
on a brake are often the only rust repair panels available for
a particular application and therefore will simply have to do
regardless of how crudely it’s made. Where the market
conditions allow for them, rust repair panels are made using
a very expensive and elaborate multi-die process generally known
as precision die stamping. Some dies for stamping rust repair
panels can be as long as fifteen foot and weigh thirty tons
with tolerances as low as one thousandth of an inch. This state
of the art technology is only utilized to make rust repair panels
that are expected to sell well after thoroughly researching
conditions which include but are not limited to the number of
vehicles produced and the number remaining in use, the perceived
value of those vehicles, and the extent of the damage among
that set of vehicles. In other words, don’t expect to
see rust repair panels made using the latest technology for
old Ford Pintos. No offense intended to Pinto owners, but the
set up costs for the manufacture of precision die stamped rust
repair panels isn’t justified by the potential sales of
those parts. If you’re in need of a rust repair panel
and you learn that it is being produced using the latest technology,
then you’re in luck. The repair process is going to be
a lot easier using such a rust repair panel. Generally you’re
looking at removing the old panel by drilling out spot welds,
removing adhesives and anything else that might be holding the
panel in and then cutting the old panel out to the same size
as the rust repair panel. If the old steel is cut out so that
the new rust repair panel fits perfectly into the empty space,
with about a sixteenth of an inch between the old steel and
the rust repair panel, the two pieces can be butt welded. (Butt-welding
is the process of joining two pieces of material together along
a single edge in a single plane.) Once the rust repair panel
is butt welded into place finishing the repair is a breeze compared
to the work that would still remain if inferior rust repair
panels were being used. Once a technician becomes accustomed
to using precision dies stamped rust repair panels he/she can
become gradually become much quicker at installing them. The
finishing work with inferior rust repair panels is such that
a certain amount of time will always be required to make the
repair look and fit correctly.
We distribute rust repair panels made through a high precision
die stamping process from heavy gauge, high quality steel. If
the only rust repair panels for a particular application are
the brake formed type then we sometimes carry those parts if
they are deemed to be of suitable quality to actually help our
customers during a repair. Some rust repair panels we simply
don’t carry. Some brake formed rust repair panels are
so poorly made that they’ll ultimately frustrate more
than help a user. Some rust repair panels made using outdated
processes cannot be produced in high enough quantities quickly
enough to serve us. Someone out there may be making really nice
hand-made rust repair panels for an old Hudson, but if it takes
them weeks to finish a few, then our customers will not receive
the service that they expect. Also, small one off rust repair
panel producers of that nature are usually heavily reliant upon
a single skilled individual whose absence could bring about
a long term shortage of those particular rust repair panels.
In short, rust repair panels are not all created equal, and
the quality of the repair starts with the quality of the rust
repair panels.
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Buy
Rust Repair Panels
From Us
Here's why:
• Fast Order Processing
• Experienced & Knowledgeable Staff
• Secure Packing and Order Checking
• Unmatched Stamping and Tooling
• Tried and Tested Fit to Vehicle
• Superior Part Definition/Body Lines
ISO 9001 CERTIFICATION
Our rust repair panels are manufactured under the rigid guidelines
of ISO 9001. The extent of this certification includes organizational
processes used in manufacturing, testing, and quality assurance.
Our adherence to these guidelines and our commitment to continuous
improvement ensures that our customers will receive the highest
quality products and superior service. |
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Research
and Development |
The rust repair panels that we distribute are
determined through an intensive process. The process begins
with obtaining an OEM truck or car body. A vehicle study is
performed to not only determine where it is rusting, but where
it will continue to rust as the area spreads over the lifetime
of the Truck, Van or SUV. After the problem areas are identified,
the vehicle section is reverse engineered and a part is carefully
designed with critical dimensions. A physical part is then cut-out
of the actual OEM vehicle as a visual reference for test-fitting
and used to acquire a 3D scan image of the part. The image used
with CAD (computer-aided design) will then be applied to the
production of the die and tooling equipment to ensure the accuracy
of part dimensions, body lines, and contours. Upon completion
of production equipment, sample parts are produced and test-fitted
onto actual vehicles for both appearance and proper fit. At
this point, the test-fit process continues until an accurate
part is assured whereby it will go into manufacturing production
after a final series of cross-checks. Remember, not all parts
need to replace the entire OEM section. In many cases we offer
several non-OEM options. For instance, on truck bedsides depending
upon your need and the extent of the problem - you can purchase
the entire OEM replica bedside or non-OEM full wheel arch section,
partial wheel arch section, or just the front/rear bed sections.
In defining the problem areas, we offer parts that replace an
entire OEM section or simply offer a lower-cost solution to
just the trouble areas.
To achieve a level of quality that is equal to or better than
the OEM body section of the vehicle that is being repaired -
we only use 19 gauge or higher steel for our panels. The highest
grade steel available is used for our parts as well. Furthermore,
our plants use "all-steel" dies and tooling which
produces cleaner body features and enables us to use a thicker
gauge of steel.
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State-of-the-Art
Factory Technology |
From AutoCAD design development to computer-driven
robotic production equipment, the factories that produce our
rust repair panels use the latest advancements in technology
to design, develop, and manufacture the finished product. Most
of these facilities have been built within the last 5 years
and long after the worldwide technology boom which allowed production
plants to be constructed with technology in mind. New robotic
equipment for stamping/tooling/finishing, laser guidance, and
plasma-cutting provides for a level of stricter tolerances and
accuracy. With these factory innovations, it enables us to use
high-grade steel of heavier gauge than many other manufacturers.
This all equates to making a superior quality part for our customers.
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GET
THE FixMyRust ADVANTAGE |
• Quality Assurance:
The parts we distribute are manufactured under the rigid guidelines
of International ISO 9001 Standards in modern high-tech production
plants. Most other manufacturers don't follow these quality standards
guidelines or use old technology. |
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Advantage: Top quality
production process is maintained. |
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• Engineering Design:
FixMyRust parts stamping forms are engineered & produced to the precise
specifications of the original part or design. Strict computer-checked
interface tolerances are adhered to without exception. Many others
are manufactured to be simply "close-enough" using only
human inspection requiring the end-user to make parts fit. |
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Advantage: Superior fitting parts
with consistency maintained. |
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• Die Stamping:
Our rust repair panels are die-stamped to exactly match the characteristics
such as body lines/definition of the original equipment manufacturer's(OEM)
part. The presses and forms are continually monitored for stress,
position, pressure, and accuracy at each stage. Some other manufacturers
don't practice these rigid procedures. |
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Advantage: Makes installation accurate,
quick & easy. |
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• Steel Gauge:
FixMyRust rust repair panels are made from the highest gauge steel possible
with each part. These meet or exceed the gauges of the OEM parts.
A lot of other manufacturers use lighter gauges of steel to save
on costs but can cause installation issues. |
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Advantage: No buckling, warping,
wrinkling, or stress lines. |
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• Product Testing:
Our parts are tried and tested on actual vehicles until both the
"mechanical" and "visual" fit are correctly
produced. Some manufacturers claim to test directly on vehicles
but merely perform visual tests or use photo references. |
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Advantage: No worries about how the
part will actually fit or whether contour & body curves line
up from a visual perspective. |
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• Tooling:
Our parts duplicate the OEM flanges, lips, and other connections
to minimize installation problems. There are no rough or jagged
edges on non-OEM parts. Necessary specs are laser measured. Many
other parts from different manufacturers require the end-user to
deal with rough or jagged edges. |
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Advantage: No major installation
or safety issues and virtually no hand-tooling work required. |
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• Fitting:
Our parts are designed to accurately fit the vehicle area of repair
with nobody fit adjustments necessary. No press brake formation
is used. The majority of others require some bending, forming, and/or
manipulation of the part. |
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Advantage: No installation adjustments
or hand-beating needed. |
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• Overlapping:
Our parts are made to not only cover the typical rust area but to
extend beyond that area to insure a clean repair and allow enough
overlapping metal to connect with the existing vehicle structure
before welding. A lot of other designs do not cover enough overlap
allowing adjacent rust areas to migrate over to the repaired section
with time. |
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Advantage: No concerns about impending
rust migration. |
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• Finishing:
PAINTED parts - The latest Electro-Deposit Primer(EDP) finish process
is used, subjecting the parts to a heavy coating of high quality
black primer upon being thoroughly cleaned and prepped.
CHROMED parts - A Triple Nickel chrome process is used which is
the most proven available. It provides a durable finish with deep
reflective properties. Other manufacturers fail to clean the parts
properly before applying primer or just leave the steel unprotected
altogether. |
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Advantage: No primer flaking, no
oil residue, and minimal scuffing of the surface required prior
to installation. |
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