Diamond Plate quarter panels add on (2 Viewers)

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Joined
Dec 18, 2021
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SoCal - San Berdoo
Hi all, where's the best place to buy some of those diamond plate quarter panels. I've got a rusty tub that needs cover. It's only cosmetic cover (for a 72) as far as I'm concerned, so aluminum is fine. I plan to paint them black anyway. I'd ideally like the full panel that goes all the way to the door opening, but open to just the corners. I'm not seeing any used ones readily available. Also, how do they apply? Just start drilling holes and riveting??? located in SoCal. Thanks for your replies.

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Diamond plate is for fire engines.....not 40s. Just leave as is. Covering it will only make it worse.
 
You won't get anyone in favor of diamond plate here. The 40 section is very purist. But you can try cool cruisers of Texas.
 
I thought I saw someone had an ad in the classified section for a pair of those last week. Idk if they sold or not. You can put a "wanted" ad in there too.

It's your 40. Do what you want.
 
I have some old steel diamond plate on one of mine. Thick and works great off road. I like it for a trail rig. I bolted it on with Stainless 1/4 20 bolts. Body was shot and cut up from fender flares so no harm done. I got it from a late friend and not sure were he got it from. Maybe Spector Offroad since he had several parts from them.
Looks like you have quite a bit of rust as well.
I have some beat up aluminum that came off a parts rig. That stuff is thin. I would definitely try to find the steel stuff.
 
I have it on my 1st 40, full wrap around 1/4's. I gotta deal on a 4x8 sheet of it. I did it intentionally also. The tub was in pretty good shape. The trees and rocks hate it. It's certainly reinforced the tub which was the goal. Thru the yrs any place where the sheetmetal was doubled is where it rusted. From the inside they're are no holes. It's been on there 25 plus yrs.
 
I have it on my 1st 40, full wrap around 1/4's. I gotta deal on a 4x8 sheet of it. I did it intentionally also. The tub was in pretty good shape. The trees and rocks hate it. It's certainly reinforced the tub which was the goal. Thru the yrs any place where the sheetmetal was doubled is where it rusted. From the inside they're are no holes. It's been on there 25 plus yrs.
People seem to be passionate about this subject. Seems an odd one given all the 350 small block conversions present. It's more for looks and covering the heavy rust bubbles in my case. The paint is probably holding a lot of the rust from falling off the rear of the tub. Where we go out west, it's dry low humidity desert and just low brush, so no worry of panel damage from heavy crawling or trees. This rig is already HEAVILY modified and a lot of the body is rusted through underneath. I think the truck came from back east around 20 years ago and had the cancer when it showed up out here. Just going to be for going out and having fun, not for concourse 40 competition.

Thanks for the info, I'll look at that option. How tough was it to bend around the back corners? How'd you do that??
 
I can assure you I'm not a purist. I've done this to two tubs. The 1st time the tub was pretty ruff. The diamond plate was really hard to bend. I 1st used butcher paper and traced the 1/4 panels and transferred to the aluminum. Cut most of it with a circular saw with a carbide tipped blade. I attached the panel at the rear door opening so we had leverage. Then ran my winch cable around 1 side of the tub and attached it to the rear and tighten the cable. We couldn't bend it on our own. It was like heat treated or something and resistant to bending. It was bolted on. I then did a frame off with a near perfect tub. The aluminum sheet was more maliuble and easier to bend. I started with the winch, but found it really wasn't necessary. Attached to the rear and bent it around the 1/4. Bolting as we go. The yellow 40 had the hard to bend stuff. The well enjoyed white 40 is the tub 28 yrs later. The tub has been thru hell and has a lot of battle scars. I'm not sure sheetmetal wouldn't have lasted.

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I put aluminum diamond plate as a temporary solution. Mine had a bunch of Bondo I bashed out and cut all the rust out. Once I have a welder I will fix and replace.

I used aluminum etching primer and rattle can with sheet metal screws. I took them off about 10 years later to repaint the color to match the body. I didn't see corrosion or anything damaged or weird.
I don't like it, I wish I just did the same thing but with sheet metal. But it achieves what I wanted it to do. If you still wish to use plating, if it was me, I would remove all that bubbling and the rust underneath. The rust will only get worse. Then use rust converting primer after I removed the worst of it. But idk that's just me, just until I can properly repair.

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I diamond plated mine... I couldn't stand the rust holes. It's a band aid, hopefully a new tub someday. But until then, gotta make yourself happy!

I am also betting that with the number of purists that take them off their 40's, someone might have a set to sell?!
 
When I installed my sides, I knocked down and converted the rust. Fortunately my 40 was white, so I painted 2 thick coats of rustoleum with a brush b4 bolting it on.
 
I’ve had to cover up plenty of “not worth fixing rot” and .040 plain aluminum sheet was my choice. Cheaper, easier to work with, and doesn’t stand out so much.

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