Firewall Repair Panels

[Caman96]

looking at reviews like that , and I didn't, nor am I going to look deeper. The reviews can be inclusive, like the site sold 69 varying parts.....like all together and the reviews are more about how they did as a specific seller, and not so much about specific items.

Yes, that’s what I meant. Those are reviews for any part sold. That $62.00 price was likely the last time one of those sold…maybe 15 years ago.

 

[Hipster]

Yes, that’s what I meant. Those are reviews for any part sold. That $62.00 price was likely the last time one of those sold…maybe 15 years ago.

Yes, maybe, at a wholesale price to unload them and they might have had one or 2 in inventory. Firewalls are not a common replacement collision part so there was never a need to have an abundance sitting around in inventory at the dealer level. 30+ years in bodyshops and replaced 1 firewall and it was in a $250K Benz. Alot of resto type stuff i'll scrounge and use what's available around me, buy the floor pans, but make the 2 inches of firewall/toe kick panel I need. A little effort doing it nice and you can't really tell and get away from 18g aftermarket where 16g or whatever was . Actually like the challenge of making the stuff. Don't always hit a home run on the first go and more you do it better you get.

 

[someotherguy]

Yes, maybe, at a wholesale price to unload them and they might have had one or 2 in inventory. Firewalls are not a common replacement collision part so there was never a need to have an abundance sitting around in inventory at the dealer level. 30+ years in bodyshops and replaced 1 firewall and it was in a $250K Benz. Alot of resto type stuff i'll scrounge and use what's available around me, buy the floor pans, but make the 2 inches of firewall/toe kick panel I need. A little effort doing it nice and you can't really tell and get away from 18g aftermarket where 16g or whatever was . Actually like the challenge of making the stuff. Don't always hit a home run on the first go and more you do it better you get.

When fixing up the '92 ECLB I noticed it had previously suffered a crash bad enough to dent the firewall and break the HVAC box near the fresh air flap. It was that point I understood why it had boneyard marks on the UCA; crash must've gone over the frame rail and took out everything above it. Frame showed no damage or repair.

Knowing I'd need to replace the box, had to deal with the firewall first.

You must be registered for see images attach

I don't think I would have ever considered going to the effort of replacing it.. but a sledgehammer from inside got it flat enough to work again.

You must be registered for see images attach

And once you start putting pieces back, it doesn't even look half terrible.

You must be registered for see images attach

Looking back on the pics I think now (and I also did then) wow, this is an opportunity to really clean up the firewall and paint it so it looks nice. Then I also thought, it's a 200K+ mile beater I'm rebuilding on a serious budget, and it's below freezing temps in the borrowed shop I was working in. Nah. Get it done - quickly.

Richard

 

[Hipster]

When fixing up the '92 ECLB I noticed it had previously suffered a crash bad enough to dent the firewall and break the HVAC box near the fresh air flap. It was that point I understood why it had boneyard marks on the UCA; crash must've gone over the frame rail and took out everything above it. Frame showed no damage or repair.

Knowing I'd need to replace the box, had to deal with the firewall first.

You must be registered for see images attach

I don't think I would have ever considered going to the effort of replacing it.. but a sledgehammer from inside got it flat enough to work again.

You must be registered for see images attach

And once you start putting pieces back, it doesn't even look half terrible.

You must be registered for see images attach

Looking back on the pics I think now (and I also did then) wow, this is an opportunity to really clean up the firewall and paint it so it looks nice. Then I also thought, it's a 200K+ mile beater I'm rebuilding on a serious budget, and it's below freezing temps in the borrowed shop I was working in. Nah. Get it done - quickly.

Richard

Kudos, but can't do stuff like that in a bodyshop when Insurance companies, name on the building, work orders are involved...yadda yadda. Not to say i wouldn't have done the same on my own. If there's a means to put tension on stuff opposite the way it got hit it takes much less of a brutal beating to get it to walk out. There have have been times when I've used a 4x4 to hold one off a telephone pole and strapped up a couple come alongs to pull with. Sometimes you just do what you gotta do. One time I used the building corner posts and several 50 foot chains and when I looked after cranking stuff tight I had all 4 tires off the ground with the car suspended in the middle of the shop. lol

 

[someotherguy]

Kudos, but can't do stuff like that in a bodyshop when Insurance companies, name on the building, work orders are involved...yadda yadda. Not to say i wouldn't have done the same on my own.

10-4 on that. This was very much a low budget "get it back on the road" effort after retrieving it from impound stolen, stripped, and beat. They got the whole front clip (Escalade), engine, transmission, wheels, driver seat, stereo, clear tails, they even took the friggin wiper motor. Every hose and harness that got in their way, they cut. Then looks like the impound lot damaged the door with a forklift as it was at the end of the row in the lot, and the marks look all the world like a careless forklift operator skimmed past it.

It was a hell of a learning experience in what years of what parts are compatible, and what isn't. I almost gave up a few times as I knew it would take way too much to get it back to pre-theft condition, but eventually it did come together and made a good work truck for a long-time friend, and I replaced it with the black '94 C2500LD.

Richard

 

[Caman96]

When fixing up the '92 ECLB I noticed it had previously suffered a crash bad enough to dent the firewall and break the HVAC box near the fresh air flap. It was that point I understood why it had boneyard marks on the UCA; crash must've gone over the frame rail and took out everything above it. Frame showed no damage or repair.

Knowing I'd need to replace the box, had to deal with the firewall first.

You must be registered for see images attach

I don't think I would have ever considered going to the effort of replacing it.. but a sledgehammer from inside got it flat enough to work again.

You must be registered for see images attach

And once you start putting pieces back, it doesn't even look half terrible.

You must be registered for see images attach

Looking back on the pics I think now (and I also did then) wow, this is an opportunity to really clean up the firewall and paint it so it looks nice. Then I also thought, it's a 200K+ mile beater I'm rebuilding on a serious budget, and it's below freezing temps in the borrowed shop I was working in. Nah. Get it done - quickly.

Richard

These pictures are useless without having a “blue arrow” to show which direction to swing the hammer!