1966 how are rocker panel hanger brackets attached?

[Douglas M.]

I'm really puzzled- looking up at the location of what should have been a bracket. I've scoured the sites and don't see how this could have allowed the brackets to get to the birdcage as I understand them. Any idea of what I'm looking at?

Doug

[Don H.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

I'm confused too, by the lighting in your pics, and the large yellow mass in half of each photo. I think your frame rail may be the dark element on right in pic 2 and 3? It looks like you may be focusing on a bubba made notch in the outer edge of the birdcage sill piece? If so, the hangers would have been spot welded to bottom of the main birdcage sill piece, above the frame rail. And drop down between the frame rail, and the sill piece with the notch cut into it. Can you clarify what we are looking at in these pics?

[Douglas M.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

I figured this would require some uh....explanation... The "Yellow" areas are the ceiling in all pics (the car is Milano Maroon). #2 taken with the phone "on the floor" looking up, the front of the car is to the left.
In # 2 the black area at the bottom is the frame. Correct on the bubba notch.The black line is the door gap. You are looking up at the door surface and the blue tape line is the front to rear body peak.
Number 3 Same but rotated 90 deg with the front at the bottom.
Number 1 also front at the bottom.

All the notches are some variation of this. I just don't see how the bracket made it's way from the cage to the rocker area. I'm very aware this car has had some "repairs" in it's life..... but I got it to a 92+ point (regional) state with the "wrong" exhaust on it, so I was hoping to retro it into correctness.

Thanks for your help!!
Doug

[Don H.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

Doug
I still don't quite get the orientation. I dont have the frame at bottom in any pic. It is at right in pic 2 and 3, which look like exactly the same view, just slightly different. In any case, here is a shot of another car with hangers in place. The hangers hang from the wide horizontal part of the birdcage sill piece that is sitting above the frame rail. The hangers drop down just inboard of the vertical outer side of the sill piece, that has a short horizontal edge to it. Factory notches were cut out of that short horizontal edge for N14 cars, somewhat like bubba tried to replicate on yours. See if this shot helps you understand. Just to clarify, the floor is at bottom, door is upper left corner, ugly original right frame rail is main part of pic showing scribbled date remnant.

[Douglas M.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

Don,

This should help. Photo photo is taken lying on my back under the right side of the car, head towards the center of the car (inverted build date appears rightside up from this aspect). White area partly in shadow along the bottom side is the shop ceiling. Nose of the car is to the right side of the photo.

So looking at this, what was the path of a correct bracket from the birdcage to the exterior fastening point of the rocker? That's what I don't understand. Thanks for y'alls patience and help.

Doug

[Don H.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

Doug,
I don't see any image in above post. But, did you see the image in my last post? It shows a complete hanger, including the part over the top of the frame rail, and down outside the frame rail to the fastening point of the rocker molding.

[Douglas M.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

It's coming. Yes. I saw yours- further confused me

[Douglas M.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

[Don H.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

Those two cut off or broken off spot welds just to the left of the left edge of the bubba notch used to hold one of your brackets. There are probably two or 5 other places that also have a pair of cut off spots welds that look like that. The brackets you are missing looked like the one you see in my photo three posts up.
See if these images are any help.

[Douglas M.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

Ah HA! That completely explains it. THANK YOU ALL!

[Douglas M.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

Were the "hanger" brackets spot welded only on the horizontal flats or also on the vertical section. It looks like I see some ground off weld spots on the vertical section as well.

[Don H.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

I'm not sure about that one so will leave it to someone else. And, I started a new thread for you since your discussion here is not directly related to the subject of the other thread.

[Douglas M.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

Thanks... Makes sense.

[Jim D.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

Were the "hanger" brackets spot welded only on the horizontal flats or also on the vertical section. It looks like I see some ground off weld spots on the vertical section as well.

There were 4 spot welds on each bracket. 2 on the horizontal section and 2 on the vertical section.

[Douglas M.]

Re: 1966 rocker panel birdcage brackets; when did it change from 6 to 3 per side?

Excellent. That makes sense based on what I'm seeing. If you don't mind, I have another question, how many holes in total should there be on the bottom flange of a correct O.E. rocker panel?

Thank You