Finally Taking The Plunge

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71_bronze_gtx
GTX (RS)
Posts: 268
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:32 pm
My Cars: 71 GTX
72 cuda repli-mod
Location: S. E. Michigan

Finally Taking The Plunge

Post by 71_bronze_gtx » Wed Nov 23, 2016 12:47 pm

I bought this numbers-matching, no-fender-tag-or-build-sheets 71 GTX in late 2012, knowing it was going to be a project even though it was drivable and running (poorly). It had very visible blistering of painted bondo between the wheel wells on the quarters, rockers, doors, and the left fender. A friend had said he would do the body work before I decided to buy it, but I could never get him to do it. After 4 years of other tweaks and repairs, etc. I decided to attempt to do the sheet metal patching or replacement myself. Naturally, things are worse than they appeared to be before I started grinding away paint and bondo around the blisters.

I had been hoping to stay below the body line, which would make not-quite-matching paint not so visible.

It's looking like I may be replacing both quarters instead of using lower patch panels.

Some time ago I had bought rocker skins - I think from Roseville - and left them in the box until recently. They don't really fit and the outer surface is flat rather than curved. WTF. I might be able to cut them at the sill and bend them close to the correct shape, then slather on the mud.

The patch panels for the fender lower rears and quarter lower fronts seem to fit well. They came from Classic, and might be made by AMD.

A previous "restorer" tac-welded in some half-assed patched and continuous welded some others. I found bondo nearly 5/16" thick, where the metal was caved in, either from welding warp or physical damage.

If anyone knows where I can salvage fenders and a rockers in good shape not too far from SE Michigan, let me know.
Attachments
left fender before.jpg
left fender before
left quarter before.jpg
left quarter before
left fender.jpg
left fender stripped
left quarter.jpg
left quarter partially stripped
right quarter.jpg
right quarter partially stripped

moparite
GTX (RS)
Posts: 238
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:27 am
My Cars: 1971 Road Runner 4speed FJ6 air grabber car. And yes i have the
build sheet to prove it. NO IT'S NOT FOR SALE!
Location: South Jersey

Re: Finally Taking The Plunge

Post by moparite » Thu Nov 24, 2016 11:23 am

I know the rockers are available but they are not listed at AMD. Check out the link below(part # 304-00L 304-00R). Sherman has a lot stuff and some that others do not.

https://www.shermanparts.com/ecat/base/ ... &year=1971

71_bronze_gtx
GTX (RS)
Posts: 268
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:32 pm
My Cars: 71 GTX
72 cuda repli-mod
Location: S. E. Michigan

Re: Finally Taking The Plunge

Post by 71_bronze_gtx » Thu Nov 24, 2016 1:17 pm

Thanks for the reference. I wasn't aware of this outfit. The pic they show looks like they are missing the bottom section and flange, but some of these outfits use a "typical" pic instead of actual. Note that they don't actually have any on hand. I guess I'll call them and ask for better info.

As it turns out, I got mine from Year One

https://www.yearone.com/Product/chrysle ... js6003lhrh

moparite
GTX (RS)
Posts: 238
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:27 am
My Cars: 1971 Road Runner 4speed FJ6 air grabber car. And yes i have the
build sheet to prove it. NO IT'S NOT FOR SALE!
Location: South Jersey

Re: Finally Taking The Plunge

Post by moparite » Fri Nov 25, 2016 12:20 pm

Someone has the die that makes the panels. I remember when AMD first was going to make quarters for our cars nobody had them. All you could get at that time was a poorly stamped one that had to be "fitted" to make it work. After AMD started making them everybody then had them available. It all depends who has the hardware to stamp them. I look on the Sherman site then research it more to find out who else is selling it. Seems to be a gray area where the panels come from. I know a lot are made overseas.

71_bronze_gtx
GTX (RS)
Posts: 268
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:32 pm
My Cars: 71 GTX
72 cuda repli-mod
Location: S. E. Michigan

Re: Finally Taking The Plunge

Post by 71_bronze_gtx » Mon Dec 05, 2016 6:42 pm

After a little more examination of the work previously done, I decided to go ahead and do a full quarter panel replacement on both sides. The quarters a re supposed to be delivered this Friday, so I imagine it won't be long after I start to remove the old ones. Pics to follow.b

I did a fair amount of searching for a source for the quarters, including Classic Industries, Year One, Goodmark, Sherman's, AMD, and ebay.

AMD is the "official" Mopar Restoration Product, and I decided to go with their panels.

Here's some of what I learned along the way.

Year One does not sell AMD, but they "thought" theirs came from the same outfit that makes them for AMD and that they "should" be identical for all intents. blah, blah, blah.

Classic Industries sells AMD, but for reasons not disclosed to me, they call them "Restorer's Choice". They also sell no-brand panels, less expensive, but may or may not fit as well.

AMD will sell direct to consumers, but you can get their products for less money from elsewhere.

In my case, elsewhere turned out to be an ebay vendor - Tamraz's - who had the best overall delivered price. I wound up ordering over the phone.

More to follow............

71_bronze_gtx
GTX (RS)
Posts: 268
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:32 pm
My Cars: 71 GTX
72 cuda repli-mod
Location: S. E. Michigan

Re: Finally Taking The Plunge

Post by 71_bronze_gtx » Wed Dec 21, 2016 9:44 am

Work has begun in earnest to prepare to replace the passenger side quarter panel and rocker panel, and make a repair to the door frame.

I've been accumulating tools and knowledge on how to get his thing apart. Recently completed an Applied Auto Body Welding class at the local community college. Between the instructors there and my body-man pal, I have access to lots of knowledge about the best methods and products. Just not much actual hands-on help.

The first thing to do was remove the rear glass exterior moldings, the rear glass, the quarter window felts, and the quarter window belt moldings.

The rear glass moldings are held in by a clip that is installed onto studs around the reveal. These studs look like the top 1/8 inch of a 4 penny common nail. Some were missing, and the clips were screwed on instead. I couldn't get the screws out with a screwdriver. Note that the new AMD quarters don't have these studs, so unless I want to try to make studs and weld them in from behind, I'll have to use screws anyway.

There are tools available to release the moldings from the clips, and I watched some youtube video, then decided to try to use a right-angled pick scribe, which is hardened tool steel. With a little fiddling around, you get the point in behind the clip at the upper end, pull it away from the reveal, and the molding pops up.

The belt molding is actually two pieces crimped together with a splice piece in between. They don't readily separate. The forward piece is held down by two plastic clips that fit into the channel of the molding and can slide back and forth. They clip onto studs the same as the rear glass moldings. The rear portion is held by a screw down low and a pretzel spring clip up high. I broke the one plastic clip on the passenger side because I though the whole thing used the pretzels, and just tried to pry it up. Oddly, the other one came off without breaking. On the drivers side I tried to reach under and slide the clips forward to release them, but broke one anyway. It may not matter, because unless I'm going to try to make studs for the new quarter, I'll have to find another way to attach them.

The window felts, or cat whiskers, have upside-down u-clips, that fit into slots cut into the quarter - 7 in total. I used and .020" feeler gage in between the felt and the sheet metal to locate the clips. Since I intend to replace them, I didn't care if I saved them. I just grabbed it next to the clip with pliers and yanked up. A few were rusted in. Destroyed them. They were dry-rotted anyway.

The experts told me to have the car sitting on it's suspension before cutting it apart. I have to get the fuel blines away from the rocker, then get it on stands under the axle and a-arms and I'll be ready to start cutting.
Attachments
20161218_141332.jpg
window molding clips
20161218_141354.jpg
stud
20161218_141425.jpg
belt moldings - weird angle
20161220_084627.jpg
belt molding drilling for clip and screw
20161220_084638.jpg
belt molding plastic clip

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