skylark convertible quarter panel question

danp76

danp76

Oldtimer
I'm thinking about replacing the quarters on a skylark convertible. The car is solid, except for rot on the quarter panel wheel arches and outer wheelhouses. The door openings are braced, do you guys think it's ok to replace the quarter skins while it's on a rotisserie? Would you replace the entire quarter panel, or just weld in around the wheel arch area? I would have to buy a coupe quarter panel and section it to fit a convertible. Convertible quarters are not available for this car. Thank you.
 
When I was doing this '65 Buick Special Convertible I couldn't find any reproduction panels. Ended up finding a used panel via online salvage yards.
Installed and adjusted gaps on doors, welded in braces to keep the door openings from moving, then leveled the car using jack stands.
Convertibles are especially vulnerable to flexing if not braced and supported.
Quarter Skin Fit check.JPG

Quarter in Epoxy Primer LH.JPG

The used panel was a bit rough so I used polyester primer to get everything smoothed out.
LH Quarter - Poly Primer.JPG


By the way, this was the original quarter panel that had been sculpted from bondo:
Deep Bondo.JPG
 
Like Don and '68 have said, definitely would not do it on a rotisserie. Body will sag a lot while on it. I would brace it first, get it solid. Ideally you want the suspension and engine/trans assembly in it still as well. Especially for a flexy convertible such as that. If not, you want to be sure that you have the doors opening and closing nicely, along with good fit of the trunk lid to the 1/4 panels before you start . Leave it together. Then weld in braces. X configuration works well along with cross pieces from one 1/4 to the other, and from one hinge pillar to another. Make it as stiff as you can. Level it, then start with removal and replacement.
 
Hi guys, I have it on the rotisserie now. The car is solid and door openings are braced. I have rot on the wheel arches and outer wheel houses. I was not going to replace the entire quarter, just the "face" of the quarter or the outer skin. I would leave door jam area and top of quarter panel in place. Floors and inner wheel house is solid. Do you guys think I should replace the entire quarter or just cut what I need around wheel arch and outer wheel house? Thank you
 
You will need access to the back side for planishing to help stretch the weld seam. Can you install the outer wheel house if the quarter is installed? This would give you plenty of access to back side, but I have a feeling the outer won't go past the fender lip. May have to remove inner wheelhouse, install outer, then inner. Otherwise a seam should be left high enough you can get to it for planishing/metal bumping to address any distortion.
 
HI MP@C this would be extremely difficult to access that and accomplish. The outer wheel house has to be installed, and then outer quarter panel. It's next to impossible to reach around the back of the quarter with one arm and hammer or dolly on the opposite side. I would need arms a foot longer.
 
That's why I suggested you may need to remove the inner wheel house as well, for access to the quarter to planish and dress both sides of the weld, add epoxy to all inside surfaces to keep it from happening again. Then fit the outer and inner, align and weld both of them. Your project, ultimately your choice.

If that does not seem an option, I would lean toward a more full quarter where you could locate weld seam for better access. Remove quarter, fix outer wheel house, epoxy everything in sight. Prep and trim new quarter, epoxy back side, then install.
 
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MP&C that's why I'm thinking an entire quarter might be better? I could weld a seam much higher on the quarter that may be more accessible. I don't think there is enough room to remove inner wheel houses with quarter panel in place. I would have to dismantle several braces and components to planish the welds. With a straight edge and pulling pins, I can get it within a 1/16" or so. I just don't think it makes sense to dismantle several supports and braces to planish the entire weld.
 
I would lean toward a full quarter as well provided the replacement isn't total junk. One question did you brace it while it was still together on the ground? Hopefully so. Just want to make sure you didn't brace after you already had on the rotisserie. These cars from that era are so flexible, that is my concern.
Not exactly 1-1 but this illustrates my concern, I can remember when the IROC-Z's were new. I remember cruising around one night and stopping to talk to some guys in a new IROC T-Top. He had pulled the car into a spot where one front wheel was a little higher than the other three. Spot where the sidewalk met the pavement of the parking lot. Probably 6 inches higher. They were hanging out and had the driver door open for quite some time so they could hear the radio better. When he went to close the door it wouldn't close. It was a couple of inches out of alignment. Had to pull the wheel off the curbing and wait quite a while for the car to straighten itself out before he could close the door. It was a known issue with those cars even then. Having a car on a rotisserie does essentially the same thing. Car will sag in the middle or sag on both ends.
 
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Keep in mind my suggestions are more of a metalshaper's approach with the intent to limit the amount of filler required, and also to be able to finish the inside of the panel as much as practical such that rust preventive measures (epoxy primer) can be applied inside the panels. So to reach that end goal, I would choose the easier of removing an inner wheel house, or installing a more full quarter.. Given you are on a rotisserie, the next consideration is do you wait until 4 wheels are on the ground...

Side note.... saw a guy put a convertible 55 Chevy on a two post lift once, completed car on the frame. The top of the gap at the back of the door opened up an additional 1/4" :oops: If you do leave it on the rotisserie, perhaps some additional braces from A-pillar to structural members behind the rear seat would add some peace of mind...
 
MP&C said:
Sorry, gotta ask….. is all that light blue GLAZE?
Click to expand...
The owner thought that I could just do a paint job on this car and pointed to a little crack in that quarter panel. Said someone already tried to fix it.
Quarter Left.JPG

I started with a DA trying to find the bottom of the scratch, ended up switching to a 4" angle grinder and the dust began to fly.
They had scabbed a portion of a quarter panel on this side, used sheet metal screws to hold it and then beat the side in with a hammer and applied filler and then a gallon or two of glaze. The old "cave and pave" method of repair.

The floor pans and supports were rotted as well.
Floor pan patches 3.JPG

Floor Rust through 1.JPG


The trunk floor had some sort of tar applied and cloth laid over it. When I pulled it off there wasn't much metal under it.
Trunk Floor Left Front.JPG


Car should have been trashed but he wanted it fixed:
Floor Pans in Epoxy Primer.JPG

Trunk Floor Pans.JPG

65 Buick Done Front.JPG

65 Buick Done Interior.JPG

65 Buick Done Right Rear.JPG
 
I’ve been down this road. Trust me, do not replace quarters on a rotisserie. Get it on the ground and properly supported. It’s going to buckle on a rotisserie. Especially since this car has a full frame.

Rotisseries are great for detailing the underside and painting but they really shouldn’t be used for major panel replacement imho.

I did full quarters on a 71 Cutlass convertible. It was on the frame sitting on the ground.

Don
 
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Hi Don, I suppose I can paint the floors and put the car back onto the frame. My rot is isolated to just the wheel arches. I may just weld in new wheel arches on both sides, and not replace the entire quarter panel.
 
danp76 said:
Hi Don, I suppose I can paint the floors and put the car back onto the frame. My rot is isolated to just the wheel arches. I may just weld in new wheel arches on both sides, and not replace the entire quarter panel.
Click to expand...
Sometimes I take a car off the rotisserie to do some work and then put it back on. Once it’s set up it really doesn’t take a whole lot of time.

Don
 
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