Body Panels

[Powerman5K]

I am starting the repair of the heavy rust over the bed wheel arches. I have opted to use replacement panels and just cut out the infected area. I ordered one side from LMC but the other side is backordered. I have found them at a place called Raybuck but have no experience with them. Does anyone know anything about their body panels? Are they any good? Why are their panels nearly double the price of LMC?

[Gary Lewis]

Jim put me onto Tabco years ago and my paint/body man said they are the best he's used.  They make them here in the US.

[Powerman5K]

I received my Right Side Upper Wheel Arch Panel over the weekend from LMC. I have to say that I'm not pleased with it at first glance. The body lines don't seem to match up well and couple that with it arriving with 2 bent corners in shipping and I'm less than satisfied. Not sure why they wouldn't put foam caps on the corners for shipping? Seems logical to me. LMC doesn't accept returns for bent corners as they say it is to be expected in shipping.

I plan to buy from Tabco (As Gary recommends) for the Left Side. If it is better, I'll buy a new right as well from them and just eat the $20 one from LMC. It will be worth it if it saves me body work!

[Gary Lewis]

Please let us know what you think of Tabco vs LMC.  And you can capture your thoughts about it on the LMC review thread at Marketplace/Vender Reviews & Ratings/LMC.

[Powerman5K]

I'll do a comparison of the 2. Another thing I didn't like was the LMC was bare metal. Aren't they usually painted?

[Powerman5K]

Just ordered the Tabco. Hopefully it is better. Shipping for it cost more than the panel itself! Hopefully that means they will do a good job packaging it. LMC was only $8 shipping.

[81-F150-Explorer]

Ford body Panels/parts were/are painted primer black. Very little work to get them ready for paint. Just a nice prep cleaning etc...

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Bare metal parts? I'd stay away from those if possible.

[Powerman5K]

Update... my left wheel arch just came in from Tabco and I've made a discovery. They are exactly the same! On closer inspection, they both came with the same "Made in the USA: Tabco" sticker on them! The LMC just puts their own inventory sticker over the Tabco logo! I can't speak for all body panels but thse both seem to be made by Tabco but Tabco charges nearly double! $17 for LMC and $8 shipping. $22 for Tabco and $22 for shipping. Shipping quality seems to be about equal. Neither come primed! I'll do an update when I mount them.

[Gary Lewis]

That is an interesting, and valuable, observation!  Good for LMC!

[Machspeed]

 I purchased mine through NPD a couple years ago. Mine came E-coated and were of very good quality.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Powerman5K wrote

I received my Right Side Upper Wheel Arch Panel over the weekend from LMC. I have to say that I'm not pleased with it at first glance. The body lines don't seem to match up well

Tabco panels never seem to have crisp body creases. It's not that they are in the wrong place.
I imagine their dies are getting worn after all these decades of use.
But I thankfully haven't had to cut that high above the wheel arches and that leaves me with some nice annealed drops for other small patches/reconstruction.

81-F150-Explorer wrote

Bare metal parts? I'd stay away from those if possible.

Tabco panels are galvanized, not bare.
I've never had a Ford replacement panel but the black primer found on many aftermarket panels is hot garbage that I make sure to strip off before before repriming with proper DTM 2K epoxy, then after patching I procede with sealer/surfacer.

[81-F150-Explorer]

Galvanized is a different kettle of fish.  Quite a few of the Factory Ford panels are galvanized, then primer used on top of that.

I've used a few Ford replacement parts. Tailgates etc...  The black primer on those are very decent.

It does not surprise me, the quality of the aftermarket stuff.