Lmc truck

[TxnGreg]

I have come across some photos online of people unhappy with the quality of body panels purchased from lmc truck. Does anyone have experience with the company and could you recommend whether or not their 60-66 parts are worth using or would it be better to seek alternatives or fabricate my own patch panels.

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[ilvracn]

i have used lmc parts for a couple trucks. front fenders are usable. the doors i got were bad, not the right shape. bought doors from another vender, came in the same boxes and did not fit any better. you would have to cut and weld to make work. lmc doesnt make doors, they all come from china.

[AZKen]

Not sure if you mean patch panels or full fenders/hoods/etc. As ilvracn said, chances are, all are from the same "The Beijing Peoples Republic Parts Factory". Same parts, different USA vendor. Will need tweaked now and then. It's part of the "hobby" to learn how to make it fit. Patch panel repair technique is a large conversation.

Every vendor who sells 40's-60's sheet metal will have complaints about "their" parts. The parts are getting better. The truck gets tweaked/twisted by the road and by previous repairs, the parts get tweaked buy tight packing across the ocean on a ship, then "handled" by many wholesalers, suppliers and vendors hands and we have to re-tweak or untweak them. It's fun. Kind of.

[GMCNUT]

Originally Posted by TxnGreg

I have come across some photos online of people unhappy with the quality of body panels purchased from lmc truck. Does anyone have experience with the company and could you recommend whether or not their 60-66 parts are worth using or would it be better to seek alternatives or fabricate my own patch panels.

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Its exceedingly difficult to separate the various brands to determine who actually makes a sheetmetal part and who they compete with. Dynacorn and Woodall, AMD, and others like Goodmark all make competing designed parts but they are marketed and sold through individual catalog companies like LMC who are only distributing those designs so its really really hard without literally buying one of ever manufacturers things to say what does and doesn't fit. I have two reproduced front fenders that fit great but have no markings - came to me on trucks. LMC has done a great job of marketing its brand and sending every man woman and child in America its catalog, so they are super well known but none of their parts are the higher cost better quality variety. Call the guys at Southern Kentucky classics or CPI Truck in roanoke AL and ask them what they have learned and why they only sell certain manufacturers parts (so they can stand behind the sale better and not get blasted for fitment issues and have irritated customers calling wanting their money back) these guys have reasonably good parts and I have had good luck with everything I have bought from them.

[lizziemeister'sV6]

Not here to blast any or all reproduction parts that are offered to us - just wanted to mention what road I turn to when I'm in need of sheet metal. I try to save the original as much as I can - yes - It's messy and very time consuming - and NOT at all cost effective if you figure your time spent but very rewarding after it's finished and the holes match and the body lines are somewhat close.

[AZKen]

Originally Posted by lizziemeister'sV6

Not here to blast any or all reproduction parts that are offered to us - just wanted to mention what road I turn to when I'm in need of sheet metal. I try to save the original as much as I can - yes - It's messy and very time consuming - and NOT at all cost effective if you figure your time spent but very rewarding after it's finished and the holes match and the body lines are somewhat close.

Exactly right. If a person buys a patch panel, only use what is necessary to fix the rust/damage. Or make your own panel.
The aftermarket patch panel will give a good start especially with odd shapes.

Donor pieces are the best.

[BillT]

I agree, use and or seek any original sheet metal you can find. But when absolutely needing sheet metal, I have learned that Key is good quality.

I too had heard of LMC having inferior sheet metal and when I was looking for some, I called them and asked what brand is the one they carry. I was told that "they didn't know". I asked again if they could find out and was still told no, they couldn't tell.

[AZKen]

It's all the same Chinese parts. All vendors have complaints. The panels come stacked and jammed in a cargo ship. Some get tweaked. We can't blame any one vendor. Not enough demand for US makers with US salaries. We live with it and make them fit. Cut them, bang on them, bend them, force them, weld them.

[BillT]

I've been told that there is a big difference with Key parts. Not sure if Key is the brand or the vendor, but have heard from body men about the quality of them.

Edit: A quick search produced this:

https://www.carparts.com/key-parts

Check out the statements and guarantees in the link.

The is also a Key warehouse near me, which is one of the reasons why I have learned about them.

[BillT]

Here is a more specific link for our '60-'66 trucks, 14 pages of parts including a good selection of sheet metal:

https://www.keypartsonline.com/1960-...eatured&page=1

Another interesting link:

https://www.keypartsonline.com/about-us/