Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness?

Posted By: topbrent

Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/24/09 07:32 AM

What was the original thickness / gauge of metal for the various areas of 60's mopar?

Ie:

Front Fenders,
Quarter panels,
Trunk floor,
Floor pans,
Wheel Tubs.

This would be a good topic for the archives, as there seems to be alot of differing opinions.

Posted By: DPelletier

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/24/09 05:12 PM

Exterior panels were typically 22ga, but most people here will tell you it was thicker!

Dave

Posted By: PAINT IT BLACK

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/24/09 07:45 PM

Quote:

Exterior panels were typically 22ga, but most people here will tell you it was thicker!

Dave

Does that include wheel housings?

Posted By: DPelletier

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/24/09 08:35 PM

Not sure on the wheel housings, Steve, they might have been thicker: I never mic'd any of those. My guess would be that they are thicker; probably 18 - 20ga.

Dave

Posted By: PAINT IT BLACK

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/24/09 10:22 PM

Well I'll be sure and let ya know when I find out. Just thought I'd ask so I could procure material before the day I

Posted By: psycho_440

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/24/09 11:11 PM

22 is very thin. if you are making patches i would go with at least 18. i think most late model stuff is 18

Posted By: bboogieart

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/24/09 11:33 PM

Quote:

22 is very thin. if you are making patches i would go with at least 18. i think most late model stuff is 18

I think he's working on the radiator core support, judging by the earlier post.
Maybe you can borrow a mic and measure to make sure and get it right the first time.

Posted By: MoparJoe

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/25/09 12:55 AM

On a Dart the 1/4's & outer wheelhouses are 20ga, trunk floor and fenders are 22ga, not sure on the floors since my '68 didn't have any left but the replacement panels were thinner than 22ga.

Posted By: farmington

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/25/09 01:50 AM

Not sure of the guages, but most modern outer metal is .028 - .031 thick.

Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/25/09 02:38 AM

It is 18 ga for the sheet metal inside and out and 14 ga for the frame rails and cross members. 22ga is used on repops except for some floor pans which I have bought that are 18ga. Buy a guage indicator to check any sheet metal you buy so you get the correct ga.

Posted By: gregsrt

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/25/09 04:32 AM

I just bought some sheet metal for making patches. Mic'd the original panel and it was between 18-20 gauge. I bought 18 gauge, any thinner and you can butt weld without burning through. 22 is probably what they use on new cars now, it's a bit thinner than the old stuff

Attached picture 5313689-IMG_3446.JPG

Posted By: DPelletier

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/25/09 03:02 PM

All I can say is that I also mic'd them and there is no way any exterior panels of any muscle era mopar are 18ga.

....go ahead and use it for patches, but it's thicker than original

FWIW:

Cold Rolled Steel thicknesses:

- 18ga = .0478"
- 20ga = .0359"
- 22ga = .0299"
- 24ga = .0239"

Satin coat or galv. sheet

- 18ga = .0516"
- 20ga = .0396"
- 22ga = .0336"
- 24ga = .0276"

Had I known there was going to be this much confusion and controversy on the whole sheet metal thickness thing, I would have taken a micrometer to every panel in my car when it was down to bare metal.....oh well.

Don't forget that metal from the mills can vary by a though or so and not all micrometers are created equal; if you're using some pce of crap from a box store that cost $7.00, you may not be getting accurate measurements.

my 4 cents;

Dave

Posted By: jsully

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/25/09 09:47 PM

While replacing the quarter panels on my 70 Challenger I did mic the existing panels just above my cut line (an inch or so below the rear quater top flared area) it is just uder .040".
I measured to compare with the goodmark quarter I bought which was less than .036, but read (either here or in Mopar Muscle) that the new panel had higher carbon steel than the originals (welding information).

Posted By: moparmojo

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 06/26/09 02:13 AM

I just checked my challenger firewall and floor I have been working on with a gauge I got with my welder. It was right at 20 gauge and would not fit in the 22gauge slot. I used 20 gauge patches.

Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Original Sheet Metal Gauge thickness? - 07/04/09 03:58 PM

Quote:

All I can say is that I also mic'd them and there is no way any exterior panels of any muscle era mopar are 18ga.

....go ahead and use it for patches, but it's thicker than original

FWIW:

Cold Rolled Steel thicknesses:

- 18ga = .0478"
- 20ga = .0359"
- 22ga = .0299"
- 24ga = .0239"

Satin coat or galv. sheet

- 18ga = .0516"
- 20ga = .0396"
- 22ga = .0336"
- 24ga = .0276"

Had I known there was going to be this much confusion and controversy on the whole sheet metal thickness thing, I would have taken a micrometer to every panel in my car when it was down to bare metal.....oh well.

Don't forget that metal from the mills can vary by a though or so and not all micrometers are created equal; if you're using some pce of crap from a box store that cost $7.00, you may not be getting accurate measurements.

my 4 cents;

Dave

I checked the thickness on my 69 coronet 500 and my 69 super bee and my buddies 69 RR with two different gauges and they show 18 ga.