Sheet Metal

[Chataf]

I am looking at 78 Corolla 2dr 5 speed car. Unfortunately it is suffering from alot of rust but he is only asking $395 for the car. My question is, who sells new sheet metal for these cars. I am new to this car and Internet searches have come up empty. I hoping enthusiasts can help me. Thank you.

[coln72]

Used to be able to buy repro bonnets, front guards and front bumpers. rare spares do sell patch panels.

 

http://www.rarespares.net.au/rarespares/SearchPage.aspx?type=partsfinder&brand=toyota&model=corolla&car=35a&productgroup=panels+%26+rust+panels&pno=0

Edited December 18, 2015 by coln72

[parrot]

Welcome Ryan. I wouldn't go into it thinking you will fix it up cheaply and easily, unless you can find reasonable second hand replacement panels locally. New panels you will struggle to find, unless perhaps you have a contact in the panel beating industry who has inside info about pattern panel replacements I would reckon.

 

Reason being that any cars of this era that receive even modest damage will be written off by insurance companies. I doubt pattern panel suppliers would hold stock.

[Chataf]

I thank you for your responses and information. A buddy and I are looking at this car to use a stage rally car, but I'm thinking it won't be happening with this car. The bottom six inches of the car were pretty rotten and the floors were gone. So I believe I'm going to have to pass on this car because I think it's to late for it. Thank you again .

[altezzaclub]

A buddy and I are looking at this car to use a stage rally car,

 

That has some advatages-

 

It doesn't have to look good, its only going to get smashed up. So buying a dirt cheap wreck is always a good way to go, weld on some steel sheet and vaguely bog it into shape..

 

The cage structure replaces the body for strength, so you can modify the design of the cage to add strength where the body is weak. You can't do that on a road car.

 

Guards, boot and bonnet can be made of fibreglass, so repair those panels once and make yourself a set of molds, then make new f'glass panels every time you ruin them.

 

Rally cars can have a lot of shit taken out of them, you need the bare minimum to make it roadworthy. So if the indicators in the bumpers are broken, you just screw them on somewhere else.

 

Rally cars get stripped back to a bare shell when being built, so fixing a bad shell is much easier then.

 

Got any photos?