How to inspect the underside and longs without a lift, - Quarter panel lessons Options

[didenpx]

Fred is an entirely different league. What he’s doing is heroic.

[seanpaulmc]

Ripped the band aid off. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif)

[didenpx]

I can’t make out what’s happening in that second photo. You’re into it now but will be able to fix things properly.

Paul

[seanpaulmc]

I can’t make out what’s happening in that second photo. You’re into it now but will be able to fix things properly.

Paul

It may not show that well in the picture. It’s easier to see on the iPhone.
The second photo shows that there are four layers of metal not the two I was expecting.
It definitely needs some work.

[seanpaulmc]

Continued preparations on the rear corner for fender repair. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) Started cleaning up or rather removing the bad.







I’ll admit to my surprise at how clean this came off. It’s about an inch too long and will be trimmed back more when the fender fit up begins.

Same with the tail panel.





Now that the shock of doing this is over I’ll focus on the repairs to the donor fender.



Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday time.
Best wishes and happy motoring in 2026!

[930cabman]

Lookin good, I have the same repair with one of the cars in the shop. I'm not looking forward to grafting the tail light frame together.

[Montreal914]

Yeah, cutting is scary, but seeing clean straight metal is so encouraging! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sunglasses.gif)



...to us CSOBs anyway... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[930cabman]

Yeah, cutting is scary, but seeing clean straight metal is so encouraging! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sunglasses.gif)



...to us CSOBs anyway... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Most of us are cut from that cloth, sometimes a positive, sometimes not soo much

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[didenpx]

Sean, it is looking like a great decision to bite the bullet and fix this properly. You’ll have a lot of satisfaction and peace of mind once you get it done!

Paul

[seanpaulmc]

Sean, it is looking like a great decision to bite the bullet and fix this properly. You’ll have a lot of satisfaction and peace of mind once you get it done!

Paul

Thanks, Paul. It sure is stretching my skill level.
This started with rear sway bar mounts and needing to replace the trunk pan.

[seanpaulmc]

Donor dissected…



Foreshadowing…



If anyone has advice on how to make these ends meet properly I’d be grateful.

Thanks

[seanpaulmc]

Some more CAD work and a little recycling.





More recycling. The square is from the trunk floor metal of the donor very thick for the impact bumpers. The angle bracket is being reused from the damaged piece.



WIP of the donor piece repairs. Is it considered new metal when using a 75 to repair a 73? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)



Still a little ways to go with this repair panel, but it’s come a long way and is solid again. Having the angle piece installed lets me have the attachment location for the trunk pan. And the holes are ready for the bumper. I’ve made the holes a bit larger to have some potential wiggle room when the bumper goes back.

[friethmiller]

Great job there! It's coming along nicely! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[seanpaulmc]

For anyone wondering how it's going, well, it's complicated...



(IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)
I just like that picture.

[seanpaulmc]

When the first thing you in the day is fix the last thing you did the day before...







Missed it by that much. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

[seanpaulmc]

I really appreciate all the contributions and advice I've received for this repair. No way I'd be this far along without you all.

One piece of advice was to check diagonally for square when offering up the donor piece and another was to make a measuring stick (story pole). I had not thought of that. So, I made a jig (tool).





Made from a metal garden rod with a plastic wall anchor glued in. The screw in the end of it allows for fine adjustment on the length as needed. Turns out I got the length exact after assembling it. Note that at this point there is only one side, the good side, to measure the diagonal dimension on car since I had not thought of doing this before extracting the offending quarter panel. This comes back to bite me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hissyfit.gif)

Next I made a jig/tool for the trunk width measurement which is equal for the length of the trunk.







The PVC is cut so that it fits exactly between the quarter panel recesses where the trunk sits. This is 53.5 inches measured where both quarter panels are still in place. The cut is only half way through the pipe so that it sits on top of the fender and doesn't roll around. It can be taped or held in place easily.

Then I decided to also make the PVC jigs more useful by trimming the ends to also do the diagonal measurement. That way I could use whatever was easiest to reach.





This was several days of on and off and on and off and cut and on and off and cut. The jigs worked as planned and everything seemed square and in the proper place. You get the idea. It took a while.

Here's how it all comes together.



I left it at this and called it a day.
Overnight as I was browsing the pictures I took I realized I had not fitted the trunk floor pan in this mock up. So I decided before I started welding I'd redo the mock up with the floor pan and that's when things got interesting.

With all fit up, on again off again work over several days I had not once checked this with the trunk lid down. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/screwy.gif) I was too focused on square and straight (the tools I made). I didn’t see the forest for the trees, as the idiom goes. Yep. I wound up trimming the donor too short and it did not line up with the trunk lid as you've seen from the earlier post. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

And the public service announcement is to remember these cars are basically handmade, they are not dimensionally the same from side to side, and after 50 plus years may have who knows what damage lurking.

My mantra lately has been 'progress, not perfection'. I've made a ton a progress and learned a ton.

[930cabman]

Lookin great, measure several times, weld once

thanks for posting your progress

[Montreal914]

Looking good!
All about the journey! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[seanpaulmc]

Some retail therapy this week.



Rear sway bar and parts.
And some adjustable spring perches. Don’t know if I need them or will use them but they were a great price and gives options when I eventually get to reassembly.

Best part is I got them LOCALLY!
Met a cool car and a nice guy. Thank you.

[seanpaulmc]

Tacked on the donor quarter panel.
85 and sunny. Holy smokes on the hot work.
I had to drag out a patio table and a beach umbrella.







Long way to go still but initial results line up well.