Okay, I finally figured out why the passenger side quarter panel doesn't match the driver's side one on my 87. It's made of that rubber stuff that GM uses on the bumper covers! Not only that, but it wasn't installed any where near properly and had five pounds (give or take a couple pounds) of Alabama dirt and Bondo at the bottom to fill in the bad install job's leftover holes and cracks! So, needless to say, I am going to be getting into the market for a quarter panel soon. Are the Classic Industries ones any good, especially those that are repros of the originals?

Also, anyone ever heard of a company called Colonel's Firebird parts, Inc., based in either Kentucky or Illinois? I have yet to figure out why BOTH of my bumper covers were made by this company instead of GM, but they were. And I am willing to bet the same place is where the rubber quarter panel was made...

Would I be better off searching local junkyards for the parts I need? I know I can get a black set of bumper covers for cheap, but I doubt I can get a quarter panel...

 

My first question would be what are you referring to as a "quarter panel". The quarter panel is the whole rear section of the car basically up to the roof line.

Are you talking about the gfx?

Mathius

 

I know what a quarter panel is and that IS what I am talking about.

Only GFX I have is the front air dam, if that can be considered GFX, but if it isn't, then I don't have any.

 

You're gonna replace the entire subframe?!?

In all seriousness, you're gonna need some welding skills to do this yourself, in case you don't already know. There's no easy way to replace a thirdgen quarterpanel... you could easily spend as much on body work doing it as you could buying a rolling chassis in better shape. With all those rubber parts on your car, I'd be suspicious of either a previous accident or a previous race car; neither of which equals a good subframe unless there's some reinforcement involved.

 

I know how to weld, thanks. I can see the seam where the DPO installed the panel, thanks to shoddy body filler work, and it will be pretty easy to just strip the paint and body filler off and pull the rubber panel off.

Let's see. In terms of rubber panels, I have ONE that I am NOT supposed to have- the damn quarter panel. The others are the bumpers, and I know I am supposed to have rubber bumpers, right?

I checked with CarFAX when I bought the car, and the title/registration is clean. And who the heck would race a V6, especially completely BONE STOCK? And if they did replace the drivertrain, why would anyone go to the trouble of reinstalling the original V6 engine and transmission just to sell the car? The car sits perfectly, every panel lines up the way it is supposed to (except the driver's door due to bad hinge pins and weatherstripping), and I have found no evidence of the frame having been pulled, except maybe in this one corner where the panel in question is...

Although, with all the rest of the stuff that I have found in every nook and cranny around the car, I do fervently believe that it was set in a field or someone's driveway too long without a hood or something, because I have found a bunch of stuff which I know wouldn't be inside of a carefully stored vehicle, or even one not so well stored. I also know that the car was used to tow a trailer of some sort, being that I have already removed a 4-wire trailer harness, and the replacement bumper has been cut to fit the hitch. I am almost certain that the original panel had rusted out and had to be replaced, due tot he fact that the ONLY rust on the car, other than the single spot in the passenger compartment, is right in this corner.

 

I used a repro half quater on my chevelle.Would never use one again they are really hard to weld.Well i think it was because the cars metal was alot thicker than the new quater.But it did line up good.Around here there are alot of camaros in the yards.I would get one from there.I did a roof skin on my last camaro.Got it for 50 bucks.And i have never heard of that comp.One ques not being a smart a** but when u say rubber quater what do u mean.Like did someone fill holes and dends with some differnt kind of bondo..

 

I mean some a$$ replaced the whole panel with a rubber one. That's what I mean when I say rubber quarter panel.
I know I can get some from local junkyards but I would look before I paid to make sure there is little or no rust and it is straight, etc.

 

wow a rubber quater thats the first time i have heard of that.U have any pics? Yeah some times u can get lucky at the yards.I found right after the first nice day after winter u can find pretty much what ever u need.

 

I'll take pics tomorrow for non-believers. I am not sh!tting anyone. The whole thing is rubber, just like the bumper it is holding on. If I tap on the original (left side) panel, then the bumper, then the panel, I can tell for sure that the panel is rubber.

I'll even get a pic with a magnet held up against it to show it isn't metal.

Maybe my local junkyard that I always go to will let me trade in my non original parts for some that are original GM... I don't like the way the front bumper cover looks because it is sagging, and the rear has to go because it has been trimmed for the hitch.

 

Talk to LFN AT U he had a quater don't know what side.I don't know how u would ship that and would prob cost alot

 

I want pics of said 1/4 with you pushing it in and distorting like the urathane bumpers do.


-Derth

 

I would, except that it's a little stiff because it is held solid around all the edges and has the spare tire bracket in the middle, although I might be able to distort it enough to crack the paint if I REALLY try at it...