Rocker Panel Stuck / Stripped Screw removal.

OK, I gnarled up the screw head. The bugger is stuck. It's soalking now with penetrating oil. TOmorrow I'll get one of those reverse rotation back it out thinggies. Any other ideas to get the blasted rocker panel covers off the car? They're the originals, car was painted with them installed (overspray on them) so I don't think they've EVER been off the car since Feburary 18, 1970! I'm trying to get my frame cleaned up & painted (as much as I can get to without pulling the body).

Anyone know how to get thebuggers off? I don't want to pull the body, and if I drill them out I can't get to the welded nut on the back side of the birdcage. I don't want to pull the body - I don't have the garage space to do that. ARUGH! I've got less than 3 weeks to get this done and the rear back in the car so I can take it drag racing!

I've had some success in the past with drilling just enough of the head off to get the darn panel off. That has left just enough of the screw to get a vise grips on it to then back it out. Be gentle though. Snap the screw at that point and you are screwed!

Go to Sears and get their "Screw Out" Damaged Screw Remover set. It's amazing how well it works!
Check it out...
got to http://www.Craftsman.com
and enter 00952154000 in the Search Box

Adam! Thanks for the lead! It just so happens that we're working on an old house of the family, and I've got the same problem as Juliet, just not a Vette. :)

I've been meaning to go to sears and get that myself. I have a broken screw in the passenger side headlight surround that is preventing me from putting my bezel on. I'll try and get around to do that this weekend and see how well it works!!

OK, Sears it is then. I was trying real hard not to strip the screws, but I always seem to bugger them up. Does anyone know if someone sells the correct screws for the rocker panels? There appear to have been 3 different types on mine. 2 different in the sides depending on if it's going into the welded nut or the metal catch thing, or a third kind for the screw which goes up onthe front tabs.

I wonder why I didn't get any e-mail notifications on this thread?? Wierd... I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the help. :)

Ecklers has them. Zip Corvettes probably does too.

Thanks. I was just about to order more stuff from Zip. I'll take a poke through their catalog. ~Juliet

Actually all om screwheads were stripped. I had to drill them out and them crawl under the car. I used a chisel and chiseled off the "T" nuts on the backside. I ordered the new mounting kit from ZIP and it worked great. Just a PITA to get the old ones out.

Be careful if you try and use an easy out, I had one snap off
trying to remove a broken rocker screw and it made my life
a living hell.