What guage thickness to use?

[oldschool80sguy]

Hey all, I am in the process of smoothing my engine bay. I was wondering what thickness of sheetmetal everyone was using in repairs and replacement of panels on their 510's?

[ggzilla]

Same thickness as original

[oldschool80sguy]

Same thickness as original

Understood, I just don't know what that is. 18?20?

[ggzilla]

The thickness depends on the part. Datsun used high-strength steel of different guages for different parts. Reportedly Datsun used 16 to 20 gauge for most body parts.

 

Mark Grimsley makes front and rear floor pan patch panels of 18 gauge sheet.

 

Ratsun member Henrik who is restoring a Z-car used 0.7 mm sheet (23 gauge) for the roof, but made sure it was high-strength steel.

[oldschool80sguy]

The thickness depends on the part. Datsun used high-strength steel of different guages for different parts. Reportedly Datsun used 16 to 20 gauge for most body parts.

 

Mark Grimsley makes front and rear floor pan patch panels of 18 gauge sheet.

 

Ratsun member Henrik who is restoring a Z-car used 0.7 mm sheet (23 gauge) for the roof, but made sure it was high-strength steel.

 

 

Great! Thank you, that's a concern of mine. i want to replace sections of the firewall and i need to make some floor pans to finish the floor from it's "full frame" job. I have rails connectiing the front and rear chassis and the floor needs to be sectioned and strengthened where the rails pass through it.

[tredspeed]

18 should be perfect for non loaded structure like floor pans and such any big panels would want some bead rolls in them to be a little more ridged

 

my ls1 car has 18 gauge tunnel and fender wells