Partial Quarter Patch ... Pics, Overview and some Questions

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 5:04 pm
Replacing the lower driver side area between the door and the fender well. The replacement quarters that were installed on the car (previous to me owning it) were lap welded in place leaving original steel next to the door jamb. That old metal was rusted through near the bottom. I found this partial panel in the catalog and figured it would be better than me trying to cut and piece something to fit the problem area.

This is the area in question. It has been cut out cleaned up and (mostly) made to fit with the patch panel. I sand blasted the area at the bottom where rust damage was apparent and I'll brush on a nice coat or two of epoxy on the bare metal for protection.

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Below is the inner brace. I made sure to remove the old section lip (from the old quarter) sandwiched between the brace and the rocker area without damaging anything. The new panel slips right back in between the brace and rocker.
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There was a spot weld going through the brace down into the lip of the quarter here on the inside
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This is a shot looking back toward the inner fender well housing. It is a good inch away from the exterior quarter panel when installed. This gap had foam (inside the body cavity)and a tough rubbery layer exposed in the wheel well.
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Here is the panel roughly stuck in place. You can easily see that the patch panel is longer than the rocker.
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Questions:

How does this area drain water out? I don't see any specific passages to allow water to easily escape.

Should this new panel be welded to the rocker (plate below it)? The old factory panel was welded to the brace pictured, but the remainder (previously replaced portion) on back to the wheel well was not. Meaning the folded lip would need to be welded from the inside through the rear inside window opening after the panel is installed.

How do I (and what specific products do I use to) refill the 1" gap between the inner fender well housing and the new quarter patch panel? The old stuff was holding the panels together quite strongly.



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PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:24 am
Monstermach

Congratulations on Finding My number one reason for the fight to replace Quarter panels. Its impossible to copy what the factory did at this juncture as the factory GM in this case attached the Rocker panels AND the quarter panels together before welding to the floor and roofs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw9mB9Lf2X4&t=22s
about 8 min into the film you'll see the The rocker assembly and a welded quarter panel being welded to the floor with the fire wall and rear trunk assembly already attatched to the floor later the roof skin in added.

The point being there is Spot welds in the quarter that cant be normally duplicated by the average body shop or the home hobbyist.

The following is of a 78 Trans am quarter I removed from a car I parted out.
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That inner Brace your looking at in your car is actually Part of the quarter panel itself and reinforces the Door Jamb.

I will add to this later I still have these quarters if you would like to see more detailed pictures?
The foam sealer was used to seal the inner fender to the quarter skin on these quarters I dissected.
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.

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