Diamondplate...acceptable? (1 Viewer)

[edin351]

Alright so the quarters on my rig do not have any rust. The right rear one is wrinkled but the body shop hammered it out fine. the left quarter is fine.

So I won't be covering up any rust, I guess what i'm trying to say is that I have a similar plan to CruzAK above. I have rust free corners and simply like the look, and the trail protection is also appealing.

Say I go ahead with the DP. Should I cut out the quarters and put the DP in place of it? or put thinner DP over the existing panels?

 

[edin351]

I shoudl also say this rig is for ME.

I'm 17 yrs old, this is my first car, I love it, I hope to keep it forever. Not planning on reselling it soon..or ever

 

[4x4 Station Wagon]

budbuilt.com But drill and countersink them to put on externally kind of like you see on jeeps. Then if it rusts your sides out way down the road you can cut the rear quarters out and put your budbuilts back in place of the metal. No need to do it now if your sides are fine..... Or down the road you might realize you dont like or need them anymore and you can simply remove them and maybe not have rusted areas. I had a guy recommend to put rubber orings behind the bolts to allow a bit of space to at minimum dry out in the summer months. Thought it was a pretty decent idea. I chose not to though and am not a fan of the look of diamond plate but that is my opinion!!

 

[uted]

Thanks for all the comments, it helps that i won't be shunned by EVERYONE

I should have probably stated this to begin with, but I was going to use steel diamondplate, not the tacky shiny aluminum stuff.

If I got it the same thickness as the factory metal, could i cut out the quarters and weld it in place? This would reduce the problem of metal on metal corrosion and water trapped behind.

Thanks all

Thats pretty much how i did it on my ex troopie. Used 2mm plate to replace most of the rusty Quarter and did a tailgate while i was at it.

Your rig mate do to it what you want. If others don't like it tis their bad luck

 

[edin351]

thats a good suggestion, maybe i will try that.

I have a neighbor with a steel shop so he can get me some diamondplate at cost which will be wayy cheaper than buying online and having them ship it out.

The problem is, the shop where my truck is doesn't have equipment to bend the thicker sheet metal, is there any way to find specs on how exactly to bend the sheet so it will fit perfectly around the rear quarters?

 

[MtnClimber]

It's all good!

A previous owner did all the metal work including all the fender bending. It was 1/16" steel diamond plate laminated over existing body panels. Designed to take the beating that Maine woods have to offer. This FJ is built like a tank, a battle ship, a brick s*** house, or whatever adjective you have to describe strong as hell.

 

[Gumby]

my parents bought me a 40, but it doesn't have enough chrome and shiny bits on it to impress my high schools buddies. I'm going to keep asking for opinions until somebody tells me what I want to hear, even it it causes irreparable damage to a perfectly good rare vehicle.

Pretty much what I've been reading here and the WCLC forum. Buy yourself a Jeep, Sparky. JC Whitney can hook you up with all the sparkly bits you think you need to get chicks to pay attention to you.

 

[cjgoode]

Do what you want, tons of these fj40's have DP, cut fenders for wheel clearance, lifts, custom seats, custom dash. If your a purist the DP is the least offensive mod I have seen, and unless they want to buy it from you for a premium they will just have to live with what you do. A little DP is far better then cutting it up and parting it out.

 

[pbgbottle]

i used diamond plate on my rig and i have new metal in the rockers and quarter panels.
i coated the back of the DP with a bunch of undercoating before bolting it on ,I don't mind the look ,
but if i ever paint it again ,which i think i will be doing in the near future it will be comeing off.
going to be painting it an OEM color and going with widened steelies and caps

 

[CruisinFJ60]

you wont find that crap on my 40, it looks like crap when painted or not. and f you are using it to replace or cover good metal to keep from damaging the good metal... guess what, the good metal will still look like ass when the DP comes off. so i see no advantage to it when used with good metal case you will only end up ruining it. and if you arnt ruining metal then your are covering up rust holes.

your truck do what u want, but one with DP on it isnt worth as much to me rust or not cause i would want it gone and either way that means more work. but i have an alum tub so what do i know.

 

[taro]

I like the look of mine. But part of what I like about it is that it is not too pretty. I also don't mind the rust. If it weren't for the fact that I'm only attached to the frame by three body mounts and my floors are barely there and makes my roll cage pointless, I'd leave it. With getting a new body, I'm afraid I'll get all neurotic about mucking it up. I've been very pleased at all of the mods the POs did: OME lift, winch, 15" x 8" wheels, front roll cage, and blacked out bezel and running boards. One of the POs even moved the rear bumper step to the right side making it more usable.

 

[Kent]

thats a good suggestion, maybe i will try that.

I have a neighbor with a steel shop so he can get me some diamondplate at cost which will be wayy cheaper than buying online and having them ship it out.

The problem is, the shop where my truck is doesn't have equipment to bend the thicker sheet metal, is there any way to find specs on how exactly to bend the sheet so it will fit perfectly around the rear quarters?

I would do it like this...

https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/209162-1-4-panel-patch-limited-tools.html

https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/226944-making-new-rear-quarter-panels.html

 

[edin351]

Sweet, two very helpful links,

thanks!

 

[cjgoode]

i had not seen that first post, thanks Kent for that, just what I needed to know. I am not suing DP but it will work for this guy and DP as well.

 

[fj40_rico]

Every time a see a cruiser with diamond plating anywhere I think to my self "they must be covering some rust". That doesn't mean is wrong to use it but if you might sell it later it might change what you get for it.

My old cruiser had diamond plating on the quarters when I bought it and that is why it was there. I always wished it wasn't there.

But you do whatever you want. It's your rig.

- Rico

 

[4x4 Station Wagon]

Quote:
Originally Posted by edin351
my parents bought me a 40, but it doesn't have enough chrome and shiny bits on it to impress my high schools buddies. I'm going to keep asking for opinions until somebody tells me what I want to hear, even it it causes irreparable damage to a perfectly good rare vehicle.


Pretty much what I've been reading here and the WCLC forum. Buy yourself a Jeep, Sparky. JC Whitney can hook you up with all the sparkly bits you think you need to get chicks to pay attention to you.

Am I getting that old..... I don't remember bling doing any good when I was 17 but 38's or larger turned heads

 

[craptabulous]

i have full sides diamond plate . its covering some rust, it was like that when i bought it. when i get the time i will take it off and fix the body.

that will most likely be in a year or two, who knows who cares. until then ill continue to ram the side of my vehicle into tree's and laugh at them getting there s*** get pushed in by my diamond plate .

i don't feel like running around showing off rust , i hate rust i would much rather look at diamond plate.

i slowly work on my rust problem the floor mounts were much more important then the outside in my mind .

 

[KY Longhunter]

Before and after.

 

[micky]

if you go the aluminium diamond plate route you will be adding another problem. electrolysis. regaurdless of how well you isolate the aluminium from steel if you have a electrical connection between the two it wil happen. i think it looks badass if done right and considered it for a while. but then i replaced all steel on my rig. if you really want diamond plate epoxy it if you want it to last. if it is a temporary fix anything from ductape to rivets will work.

 

[shelfboy1]

i welded steel diamond plate corners on my rig over thirty years ago they are 1/4 inch plate.the truck has been through hell and plows every winter and are still on there. its your truck build it the way you want it,what other people think should not affect your decision.just make sure you do it right.good luck