Last month in part one ("Quarter Surgery,") and part two ("Wheelhouse Resto"), we showed you the proper procedure for removing bad sheetmetal from your B-Body in anticipation of replacement. As shown in the stories, removing a rotten quarterpanel is more involved than just cutting out the bad metal and dressing the edges in preparation for putting on the fresh quarter. The wheelhouse replacement article dealt with removing and installing a new outer wheelhouse.
Last month we showed that...
Last month we showed that the rear frame crossmember was bad on the edges. It needed to be replaced, because this is the foundation of the whole back end of the car.
Mike Paremsky, owner of Michael's Autobody in Winter Haven, Florida, is performing the restification on The Paddock-sponsored '69 Charger R/T. Last month he gave us tips on the proper way to remove a quarterpanel, what and where to take measurements from, and how to prep the car for installation of the new sheetmetal. The biggest factors to a successful quarterpanel replacement are careful measuring, leaving the doors on the car for character line and gap alignment, and patience. This month we follow along as Mike hangs the new quarterpanel, as well as replaces the lower valance, rear crossmember, trunk floor extensions, and quarterpanel end caps we determined were bad during the removal of the old quarter. That's the other tip Mike gave us-expect the amount of work needed to snowball. It's rare that a car needs a single piece of sheetmetal replaced to repair a rusted or damaged section, even if that's all it initially looked like it would need.
We also should point out that while these photos are laid out in a step-by-step format, in truth everything needs to come together at the same time. For instance, to put the lower valance in place, the end caps need to be mocked up to check alignment. But to do that, the quarterpanels need to be mocked up so the end caps are in the right place. However, the quarterpanels are the last things to be welded in place, because everything else needs to be right so that when the quarters are installed, the door gaps and body lines on the quarterpanel are in the right place. Remember the Rubix Cube? It's the same thing.