Quarter Panel Replacement - Car Restoration - Part 1
603Here is an introduction on How To Replace A Quarter Panel On An Old Car such as a 1967 Chevy Camaro. Quarter Panel Replacement is a common situation when doing Car Restoration.
Follow My Friend Pete and DIY AUTOMOTIVE SCHOOL as he teach's us How To Do It RIGHT and gives us Inside Tech Tips and Helpful Hints to get the JOB DONE!!
On the surface, it’s a simple job: cut the old quarter-panel off and weld a new one on. Like all things in life, however, it’s not quite so easy. Because you’re welding the new panel on, undoing a poorly done install can be a major pain in the butt. Fenders, doors, and hoods bolt onto the car, and their position can be fine-tuned with shims and slotted bolt holes. Get the alignment of a quarter-panel wrong and you’ll be grinding the welds off and starting over.
Quarter panels are spot welded in place. Drilling through these spot welds is one method of removal. A plasma cutter or cutoff wheel can also be used. Remember the corporate warning on the use of heat in performing body repair work. Another removal tool is the air chisel.
Properly preparing the rear quarter panel before installation is essential. All new body panels are coated with electrocoat primer. This coating must be removed ¾” high along the mating edges of the panel in order to properly weld bond it into place. Failure to do this will prevent the proper adhesion of adhesive and effect flow of weld current, resulting in an insufficient weld.
With the panel in place and the adhesive applied, resistance spot-weld the panel to secure it. Then, use a MIG welder to do the final butt welding. Remove the self-tapping screws. Grind down the welds and fill in any surface imperfections with body filler to complete the job. Seam seal the area before painting.
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