I'd like to replace my quarter panel skins and I've been doing some comparison shopping. Does any one have an opinion on the quality of these pieces? I'd especially like to hear from anyone who has personally installed these skins as to the complications that arise. Also, are there others that are available?

The Paddock #1667384 $120
Sherman Parts #834-50R $100
Autobody Specialties #FB 46 $125
Year One #Q33RH $ 85
Classic Industries #1668036 $140 (includes the sail panel)

Thanks.

 

the skins you get will have to be massaged in,alot of trimming to make them fit well,i've only used yearone,so wouldn't know of others?of course there are originals in good condition available

 

Goodmark has skins as well. Id get an original either used or try to get a NOS from ebay or something. Im in the process of acquiring two used ones from a donor car.

 

Being that they're probably all coming from the same supplier (overseas) it don't much matter. I heard Goodmark had them also but after calling them last month they said it was still "in production".
I've never had a problem with the cheaters not fitting, there actually quite nice though not as thick of a metal as factory. Good Luck!

 

oh oh, good thread

i have lots and lots of questions on this, lol

check my rusted QP out http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ns%20am%20ws7/

 

Randy and I would both like to know more about the replacement quarters.

Is the new sheet metal butted up to the original or over lapped?

If over lapped, do you flange the sheet metal so that it's flush? Which sheet metal, new or old?

If over lapped, is the metal welded, riveted, screwed, brazed, or chemically bonded together or a combination of these?

If welded, how do you prevent rust from forming at the weld?

If welded, do you drill for spot welds before attempting to weld the entire seam or just tack every inch or so, and then fill in the spaces?

What's the best way to weld the new metal on, stick, wire, mig, tig, braze?

Do the metal adhesives actually work? Strong enough to be leaned on?

Anybody have some step by step pictures of renewing their quarters(thanks for the start-CYARS92)?

I probably have a million more questions on this subject but I appreciate all your help!
Thanks!

 

LOL, Easy guys!
Looking back, I wish I had taken more pics of this one so you could see how it was done. I'm no pro, but I've done over a dozen of em.
In essence, here goes:

I got this particular panel from "The Parts Place" in Elburn Il for 89.00.
The panel comes just about the size you see the cut out portion on the car.
Naturally you want to weld/cut on the flattest/narrowest area possible to avoid using too much filler.

I went 1 inch in from the door jamb and 1 inch up from the rocker. No sense in messing up a perfectly good fitting door jamb. On the top I went as high as the patch allowed across the sail panel area and then right down the middle of the top of the quarter being that it is a nice flat area to work with.
The back wraps around in the original position.

I trimmed the panel to the exact size I desired first, then placed it on the old quarter and taped the outline of it with 1" tape. I always BUTT the panels as once you undercoat the inside of a trunk area it's impossible to see a seam.

Once you've double checked every thing, it's just a matter of taking the trusty die grinder and start buzzing off the old quarter. Use the thinnest wheel you can find as it speeds things up considerably. Plasma cutters are great, but I don't have one.

The hardest part is the area in back where it wraps around. Scrape the putty away & grind down just far enough to break the factory spot welds and it will peel right off. The same goes for around the wheelwell itself.

After that it's just a matter trial fitting the panel and trimming any problem areas. If your inner wheel well is trash it's quite a bit more complicated than this but mine was useable. ( though I did try to find an aftermarket one to no avail)

Once you've got it clamped in place, tack it in a couple of places to hold.
My brother does all my welding for me so I can't give you the specifics on the settings he used but it was a wire feed unit. He went about every 4" initially alternating between different ends of the panel to prevent warpage. TAKE YOUR TIME ON THIS AS IT MAKES OR BREAKS THE WHOLE JOB!

When done we had one little warp in the sail panel area which was easily pounded out from the speaker area.

After welding, grind the welds flush with the panels and fill as needed with a quality filler. 90% of what is shown in the pic was sanded off. you should have no more than 1/16" or less of filler in any spot.

As I said, I'm no pro & lots of people will disagree or have different ways of doing it but then that's why were all here, right!

BTW, I've never had an aftermarket panel dent due to someone leaning on it, pushing or whatever. No one should be that close to your car anyway!

I'm starting the paint on mine in a few weeks and will post pics when done .

 

Is it possibly that you upload all the pics you have on a seperate site so we can all see the progress.

 

I've only got the ones shown of the actual quarter panel replacement.
http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q218/lanogr8/

 

Ok thanks

 

I replaced both of my rear quarters with the ones from AutoBody Specialties. They seem to fit good and line up like factory. Although the bodyman said that it would have been much much easier to install a full style "GM quarter" but at the time I didn't feel like spending the money. What i didn't realize was that i probably spent the extra money in paying him to get the new quarters to fit like factory..

 

ok im really confused on where you cut off the old QP along the hatch weatherstripping opening

did you separate the spot welded seam or did you just cut the old skin off before the spot welded seam or ?

i cant tell in the pics very well

also it looks like you didnt separate the spot welds at the wheel tub lip where the inner skin doubles to the outer skin, or at least not all of it

right ?

what about at the very vertical end of the QP ?

im also confusedon how to smooth out such a huge overlap of these skins

that seems like an insane amount of overlap to hide,

hmm.


and that sure looks like a big disaster where the skins all meet up there just above the taillight in the hatch weatherstripping opening on the top corner of the QP there


that really looks scary/messy bad to me,



im gonna re-read above and try to see if i can understand some more things that im hung up on still

im also having a hard time with a few of the pics, trying to understand where they are from exactly

lol

this is fun, but not in such a fun way :P
which skin on this page is the same size panel as the one you got for your camaro?
http://www.thepartsplaceinc.com/ocat...&YearList=1982

i take it that you didnt get the full replacement since it doesnt have the door jamb area

right ?

no i am not very knowledgable on body skins at all lol
if anything goes wrong i have a neighbor who is an old retired bodyman and he does some wild stuff still even though he is retired, has his own little shop in his yard and does stuff i couldnt imagine was possible, so im sure he would help me out and teach me stuff if i help him on stuff

but thats only if i have no other choice
lol


thanks!

 

I ground all the spot welds around the wheel well and where it wraps around the back with a die grinder.

I did not have any overlaps, butt welds are the only way to go.

As I said, I cut mine 1" away from the door jamb, try not to go in there if at all possible!

Look at the pics closely, you can see where I did the top edge.

 

Hey CYAR....(could not find your name I am wondering if you can send me enlarged pictures of what you have here...I am working on my 85 camaro and restoring the same panels, and would like to see a close up of the steps please? It will help me and my welder to get it right Thank you!!!) I can't find ANY info on the web to do this other than your post here. DARN Cheers...a 20 year driver of my great Sport F41 Camaro.

 

Classic Industries has good parts best weve used spend the extra money and get a good fitting part

 

I know old thread, but just received my Sherman PS quarter panel from Amazon. It's going right back because it has 4 dents in it. I think these dents were in the fender before it was packed in the box since it was well packed and I don't see how those dents could get there with the packing and box in fine shape.

Even if it wasn't dented I would not recommend a Sherman panel. It is not formed properly around some edges (rippled metal would be visible after the install), the front corner is folded in such a way as to leave a visible gap at the corner. Bent flanges. Generally poorly fitted together.

My slightly damaged original fender is not looking so bad anymore, plus I get to keep the VIN label on it.

Cheers, Tim