Chevy & GMC Vans

Need some help with this one. I bought my rollpan from FBI and don't know if it's just their design or if it's the same with all steel pans. Question is, after placing pan flush against body each end is at least 3/4 in. out from where it needs to meet body line. The curved section on each side. This is not a squared off ends pan but is cut to those curves on each side. Because of the curve formed at bottom lip of pan, I'm not sure there's enough flex to mate up the ends with body without kinking the bottom lip. Is this normal with steel pans ? We're talking about at least 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch to meet body on each end of pan.

Darren, I know you got your pan from Sir Michaels,, did you have any problems or was it a perfect fit for you. Did your pan have squared ends or cut to fit body curve ?

Just for the record. Anyone thinking about installing a rollpan,,don't buy one from FBI. They look like a million dollars but don't fit. In fact when you but the pan against the body, the ends lack at least 3/4 of an inch of meeting the curve of the body on each end. When I first layed it against the body I thought, no big deal, it'll bend around to meet body but since there is a 90* bend on the top edge and a slight roll at the bottom, there's no way it will bend enough to meet body. After talking with Darren about his Sir Michaels pan I found that his was exactly like mine but did not have the upper 90 in it. So looks like I'll be cutting about 1 inch off the top and that should work great. FBI went to alot of trouble making that top 90. About every 8 inches they cut a very narrow V and then bent the pan so V edges meet and then welded back together. This give the pan a slight curve to fit body curve but it's not near enough to allow ends of pan to meet body. I'll post some pics when I get back on this deal. Think I'll call FBI and mention this to them. It will save them alot of extra work fabbing something that really doesn't need to be there and causes alot of extra work for the customer.

I`m glad that I was able to help you out there Larry......

Larry,
Just a thought.With all the body work you do,it might be worth it for you to buy a english wheel from http://www.Eastwood.com

That way you could make your own body parts for mods.

Gary, if I was a youngun like you and was just getting started in this mess, I'd love to learn how to use one but if I got one of those things now, my hand would become a filler after being pulled through the rollers.lol
I've watched Jesse James on TV a few others work one of those and it's amazing what they can turn turn out.

Larry,
Who me a young gun????.I'm 60 years old(or young depending on how you look at it)If your a good fab guy like you are,it's a tool you wonder how you have gone without one for all these yrs.Let alone all the parts you could build and sell to all of us.(yeah I have my reasons for what I am saying.LOL)So take a second look and give it some thought.

Don't think it'll happen Gary.lol
Have talked to Victor at FBI and explained what's wrong with the pan and what they can do to correct it. I'm to take some pics and send so they can see exactly what I'm talking about. He understood and said they may have some bad pans that have been shipped.
I'm not sure I'm going to return mine and just go ahead and cut the top 90* bend off and be done with it.

Man !!!! nothings ever easy for you is it larry ?????

Man !!!! nothings ever easy for you is it larry ?????

You're right Skippy but I'm used to it. I don't expect anything from anywhere to be right the first time so I'm never dissapointed.

Good luck on the problem you guys are having with the 4.3.

Now just hold on to that "nothing right the first time" business.
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Smiliesafari wrote:Now just hold on to that "nothing right the first time" business.
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That's what "custom" means right? Larry's custom Astro

That is correct. My shop motto is: "Not working is not an option,"

Now just hold on to that "nothing right the first time" business.

I should have completed the statement by saying if I do happen to get something that is right the first time, such as the fab work from you Skip, I'm beside myself. Like a kid Christmas morning. Now I know I can be excited beforehand if it's coming from down your way because I know it will be right on.


The custom part I'm not to sure about. When an add reads cut perfectly to fit the first time, beware,,it ain't right,,,,,,unless it came from Orlando.

Just pulling your chain, Larry. I knew what you meant. Don't you just love it when you read in the adds "BOLT ON". Yea, right. Never happen. It sounds like someone sent you the wrong pan. ](*,)

No, it's the correct pan,,has perfect cuts on each end that match up with the Astro body curve but the rest of pan is way off. I think the guy making it went in to a short coma.