Sheetmetal

[Trollhole]

I really think this could be where we get the most bang for our buck.

Rear corners and front floorboards. I talked with Paul down in Panama about the possibility. He said he would be willing to make what ever we wanted. He said he would make the whole 55 if we wanted.

Maybe we should stick with what we know everyone could afford and then move on to what we canoot afford.

Paul has a 55 he can get measurements off of and design templates. What he needs is good pictures detailing exactly what we want. Anyone want to step up and get some on here for us to decide?

Also I think we need to involve two other potential vendors who might be willing to make these for us. Ehsan and there is a guy by the name of Oscar who is in Atlanta that is making 40 sheetmetal. I don't want to have a bidding war but it would be nice to find someone who has the delivery times and the quality we are looking for.

 

[Luke111]

Paul is the same guy that told Lance he would make 55 fenders and has not produced anything yet and he priced his 45 Crew Cab $10k less than TLC after quoting them a higher price. We should get our ducks in a row if were going to do business with him. I know his work is good, we just need to be cautious so we don't end up it some legal issue. Or were paying one price and he's selling for another price. I can shoot all the pictures you need.

 

[Trollhole]

Paul is the same guy that told Lance he would make 55 fenders and has not produced anything yet and he priced his 45 Crew Cab $10k less than TLC after quoting them a higher price. We should get our ducks in a row if were going to do business with him. I know his work is good, we just need to be cautious so we don't end up it some legal issue. Or were paying one price and he's selling for another price. I can shoot all the pictures you need.

I agree. If we are gonna do this right we need to have a good supplier.

Is Lance still buying parts from Paul?

If so we could ask him about the best way to deal with him. As long as we don't compete with potential vendors on parts I don't see why he wouldn't give us some insight.

Post the pics up here. That way we all can get a good idea of what we want and have input.

 

[cruiser_guy]

While front floorboards go bad I think we'd be better off putting money into "cosmetic" sheet metal. Front floorboards can be made up relatively easy by each of us so the market will reflect that. Rear quarters or front fenders are quite different and are not easily made up by us as individuals. I say let's concentrate on those instead.

 

[Luke111]

MY BIG MISTAKE, Paul is not the guy Lance was using , extremely sorry. But he is the guy CCOT uses for the 40 Sheet Metal and it my understanding that they have exlusive distribution rights on the 40 sheet metal. Lance said we need to make sure the contract doesn't cover all his sheet metal. He also said he would be happy to get involved as a vendor. Lance also said Paul does great work.

Lou

 

[nuclearlemon]

I know paul..he's a great guy. i also know jeremiah proffit pretty well and he has done a few of pauls tubs and said they are bolt on. best fit he's ever dealt with. and yes, his contracts are exclusive.

so...great product and afaic, great guy. he got the floors for lvs done for mike, whom i also know and they are nice.

that said. getting money to paul is a pita! also, large items will be expensive to ship.

smaller patch panels would be great. i understand the idea of the rear quarter, but we might talk to paul about shipping prices first.

 

[nuclearlemon]

rear quarters...in red would be an ideal panel, but expensive to ship...requires crating.

if you could do sections like the green, and piece them together, the large middle section could just be sheetmetal, or the dimpling that happens may pop back out.

also, rear sill would be nice.

 

[Luke111]

So does that mean we have to by 55 sheet metal from CCOT, or could we get the contract for 55 sheet metal?

Lou

 

[Eric Ellis]

Some time back Metal Twister bought himself a 55 (see his chop) thread. He made the offer to make floors (has a shop and expertise). My floors had gone to Ehsan in a failed effort but at the same time as Metal was offering Ehsan updated an implied possibility of floors and then there was the alleged product from Iron Pig.

In that regard...I think I'd go with Metal Twister if he is still willing.

Charles, with out good tools I do not think we could fab really good floors like a shop.

Floors, corners and well/to Rocker patches would be great.

 

[cruiser_guy]

Charles, with out good tools I do not think we could fab really good floors like a shop.

I'll agree that the floors that we could fab ourselves would not be OEM quality but I'd rather have perfectly straight fenders than perfectly straight floors! I've been down the floor repair road on my piggy and while it is not OEM it is certainly servicable.

 

[Trollhole]

Email I recieved from Paul.

Marshall.
just went over the 55 we have in..
Looks like the floor is pretty easy, might I suggest ...options..
i complete floor, front to back, the rear tier seperate,
front section including rear support, mid section including support..
I would really not like to get into patch repair sections
Fenders are pretty simple too so no problem there, you need the apron?. door skins..easy. rear qrts easier for me if the complete panel is made, repaired (tacked in) at the window level and down, obviously would be the same for the door skins,
Let me know, send me some snaps when you get the chance.
Regards.
Paul.

 

[Trollhole]

So does that mean we have to by 55 sheet metal from CCOT, or could we get the contract for 55 sheet metal?

Lou

No we buy from Paul. He has no contract on 55 parts that I know of.

 

[Luke111]

Thats great news.

Lou

 

[nuclearlemon]

No we buy from Paul. He has no contract on 55 parts that I know of.

correct. ccot has all fj40 sheetmetal. also, while there's no "contract" between mike and paul, getting 45lv parts might be sticky. but currently no one has contracted with paul for 55 parts

 

[3_puppies]

While front floorboards go bad I think we'd be better off putting money into "cosmetic" sheet metal. Front floorboards can be made up relatively easy by each of us so the market will reflect that. Rear quarters or front fenders are quite different and are not easily made up by us as individuals. I say let's concentrate on those instead.

I'm along with Charles here, fenders and cosmetic stuff.

I thought there are 3 different versions of the front floor??

I've got 3 different trans humps for 55's
so I'm just adding not one size fits all with the floor around the trans.

 

[n2666s]

Marshall; don't mean to be hard on Paul "lomussas" in Panama; just a bit doubtfull of his ability to follow through 'cause in 2005 this is what he wrote to "rsrai" that was asking about fj55 floorboards ...... also has not answered any emails I have sent re: floorboards....rear corners and and complete fenders are a lot more complex than floorboards so might be better to explore options closer to home

Lou
copy of reply from lomussas to floorboard thread on mud

12-23-05, 08:15 AM #2
lomusass
IH8MUD Regular




Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: panama-panama
Posts: 275 replacement floors..

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'll have complete replacement floors available for the 55 in Late January early Feb..Will post when close to completion.
Paul.


Quote:
Originally Posted by rsrai
does anyone make replacement floorboards? I took the seats and such out and pressure washed the gunk out, and it looks like the floorboard has three sections, my front floorboard needs to be replaced due to rust. does anyone make a replacement? if not, how much have some of you that dont have the welding skills to do it yourself paid to get it replaced with sheetmetal?

also for the fenders, my front drivers side has a huge rust hole, is it cheaper to have someone cut and weld or replace?

 

[cruiser_guy]

Marshall; don't mean to be hard on Paul "lomussas" in Panama; just a bit doubtfull of his ability to follow through.

Have you seen some of the stuff he did for treeroot on the LV´s? https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj45-class...ctions-complete-floors-bumpers-tailgates.html Pretty spectacular if you ask me. I personally think he is wise to the ´Cruiser world and want´s to see the color of the money first and frankly I can´t blame him!

 

[Luke111]

I think Paul can produce the body panels we need, the question as Charles points out is how many are in a position to pay. Its a position thats difficult, its one reason why vendors aren't spending the money to produce 55 parts. Its a very small market, there's no profit to be made in the 55 arena. In my conversations with Lance, he made rocker panels and had very little interest and sold them at little or no profit. He loves the 55 and said he would help and knows there's really not much money to be made.

Lou

 

[Luke111]

I'm thinking we should push towards sheet metal as our first project. Marshall can you ask Paul how long would it take to fab up a fender and rear quarter sample and the quarter should be the whole quarter including wheel well lip, right up to the rocker and back to the tailgate opening and to cover early and later models have it cut out below the tail lights. And get a price for the samples.
Thanks

Lou

 

[n2666s]

Agree totally with the great quality that Paul turns out; it is just that till now have not seen any pieces for a 55 or a price although there was a statement from Paul dated December 05 that he would have them available in 2-3 months...re: Lance at IPOR; purchased a set of his sliders along with a lot of other items and very happy with them had a phone conversation with him a while back <see floorboard thread>and he was happy and willing to make floor patches but think he was wanting to hear from others and to see interest before he would commit to fabbing......Paul, Ehsan, Lance have to make a profit to stay in business........sheet metal by craftsmen is labor intensive and workers have to be payed.......but I think if we could get a price estimate before the part is made then money could be sent..perhaps 50% of the cost of a unit would be a lot easier for them to start the fab process; the balance on completion + shipping....or any variation of the same..but we have to put some kind of cash up front!.......just can't expect them to start making parts hoping that they will sell......but by the same token also feel that they should be willing to give us a ballpark figure before we send cash...just my 0.02

Lou