Rear Quarter Panels (continued)
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The passenger side inner fender shows many rust holes. A
solid patch panel will be put in.
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Before the rust was cut out, the replacement panel was formed, complete
with the bead roller channels for added strength.
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Then the rust was cut out to match the replacement panel.
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Close up of the rusted out corner inside the fender.
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That corner was fabricated up and set into place.
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Kurt decided to leave a frame for the replacement panels
to help retain the original body lines.
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One more piece of the puzzle being fabricated. This is the
replacement metal for that rusted out inner corner.
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All the pieces were trial fitted together prior to any
welding.
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The repaired passenger side inner fender. The welds are
mostly inside the fender, but we will grind down the few
showing here.
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On to the outer fender. For the passenger side, we
didn't even start with the full fender replacement panel.
We simply made our own and used an English wheel to add
what we hoped was the proper curvature. Since the
original had been crumpled, straightened incorrectly, and
possibly crumpled again, we guessed, following the lines
of the other panels.
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The back side of the clips holding the replacement
panel in place.
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We did have to add more curve in one small area to get
a good blend. Almost ready for welding.
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While working on the rear quarter panel, we noticed that
the body line had a wave to it. Between that and the wave
in the driver's side, we devised a solution. A steel
1/2" bar stock was mounted inside both side, almost
completely from rear to door. Once the panel bond dried
the body line was straight.
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Tack welded into place. The bottom and front edges of
the "frame" have also been replaced. Until the mangled
corner is in we will not complete the final welds.
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Finally calm, we are ready to try again on the driver's
side. Recall this major wave in the panel?
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Sighting down the line, most of the wave is centered
where we had to join the two patch panels.
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We reopened that seam using a saw.
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Then we removed enough to make an opening and ordered an
airbag tool. The thought was to insert the airbag and
inflate it to move the metal out.
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A replacement patch was made for the hole.
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The replacement was tacked into place and the alignment
was checked. Everything looked ok, so it was welded up.
And the wave came back. More choice words and this was
set aside again to finish the passenger side.
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After the success with fabricating our own replacement
panel for the passenger side, we decided to remove
the patch made out of the full fender replacement panel
and fabricate our own patch panel.
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However, after thorough examination, we decided that part
of the wave was due to the upper panel being distorted at
the gas cap. We suspect this is from the gas pump handle
being left in the filler neck over the years on a very
unsupported metal panel. We used the airbags to adjust
the metal out. Once that was done, we panel bonded in
the 1/2" bar stock, using the airbag to hold the proper
alignment and clamps to hold everything in place.
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The airbag and the bar inside the fender. The airbag is
inside the plastic bag to protect it from being glued
in by the panel bond.
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With the bar in place and the airbag holding the line,
we used a straight edge to check. So far so good.
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The new fabricated replacement panel. It is deliberately
larger than the cut out panel so that we can trim this
to fit the hole exactly.
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One trimmed replacement panel.
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Replacement panel tack welded. Again the alignment was
checked.
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Finally welded in solid. There is a minor wave that we
could not get out just below the bar, but nothing like
we had after the first panel. Success at last!
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Frame Repair
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One area of concern was the rusted out section of frame
on the passenger side, under the fabricated
storage boxes.
Time to repair that. The bad metal was removed.
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This is what it should look like from the driver's side.
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I apologize for the poor quality image, but this is the
bad metal that was removed. Seems that the worker forgot
to take a picture prior to starting. I found this in the
background of another shot.
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Part of the replacement metal, waiting to be welded in. This is
out of heavier 12 gage steel.
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The patch held in place.
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And now welded in.
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The original emergeny brake cable guides had rusted away.
With the new transmission setup, we had to move them anyway.
These are the replacement fabricated brackets using the
original cable guides welded new metal mount plates.
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Rear Cross Member
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While underneath working on something else, our son
happened to notice one panel that had not yet received
any attention, the rear frame cross member under the bed.
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Time to clean this area up.
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Oh to be young again and have the strength to fight rust
while braced between the garage door and the bar for the
lift.
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