body work

[Jarrett]

about how much would a shop charge me to fix this up? how hard would it be to re skin it? how do you get the skin off? i was thinking of takinging a straight edge and cut a horizontal line across the top line of the window and maybe drill or grind off those indented looking welds holding the skin on. i think i might have enough skill to do it. i dont know if its fixable without reskining, and i dont know how a body shop would go about fixing it, if they bondo'd it up id be worried about stress cracks in the paint as i plan on making my car do wheelies some day

sorry for crappy cellphone pics

 

[MAC'n89Blckstng]

sweet avatar maaaan

 

[94GTCoupe]

cost for a body shop,prolly $1000+
welding in a patch is pretty hard to do,without warping it.
i replaced the entire 1/4 panel on my 94GT.
not sure on the fox body 1/4 panels.

heres a link to my install to give you an example of a 1/4 panel replacement.

http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/789191-passenger-side-1-4-panel-repair.html

 

[Jarrett]

well... if i took it to a shop and they just slap some bondo on it will it crack? is there any kind of stress on that part of the body?

 

[94GTCoupe]

cant tell,from the quality of those pics.

will bondo crack?
i think it depends on how it's mixed,and how thick it is?

why not take it for an estimate?
i'm sure a good body shop will give you a free estimate.

 

[MAC'n89Blckstng]

It could be fixed, but its all about the metal work and working it out right. That could become a disaster. You're bext bet is to jsut replace the quarter with a nice solid one.

 

[corey5988]

Finally I can contribute. I used to work under another guy at his body shop and now do work part time at my own.

That can be fixed. Good body guy should be able to straighten it out and use a thin enough coat of filler. If you can get a new OEM skin (skin, not a quarter clip), it would be best to go that route. For a body shop you're looking at atleast $1200 done right.

If you get a skin and decide to do it yourself let me know and I'll help you out with some more info. You'll need a spot weld drill, mig welder (with gas, not flux core), a grinder and several vise grips.

 

[Jarrett]

i think i might try re skinning it myself, theres a 4 cyl coupe sitting at my local junkyard. my only concern is cuting out the skin and making the same cut to weld on the good one. i do have a gas set up on my hobart mig, i never welded body panels, just exhuast, i assume i just slowly tack weld it together

and about getting the same cut i was thinking of taking a ruler across the top of the window trim on the back quarter window (notchback) and just draw my line and cut with a grinder?

and after you drill out all the spot welds are they still hard to get off and put back on? i tend to rough stuff up like a ignorant gorilla

 

[MAC'n89Blckstng]

Get your old quarter off, and cut it about 3-4 inches down where you want to do the section. (Going at the factory seam would be the best tho.) Get your new panel prepped and ready to go and test fit it and gap the trunk and door gaps. Mark a line on the c pillar where the new quarter ends. Remove the new quarter and cut at said scribed line. Then make a backing plate that is about 3-4 inches long and insert behind the skins at the section cut and drill holes in the old quarter and weld in the insert. Drill holes in the new quarter and set up quarter again and get your gaps right. Make sure all your weld flanges are cleaned to bare metal and then coated in weld through primer. Weld the backing plate to the new skin and then weld the butt weld going slowly to avoid warpage.

Its a long and tedious job that can easily be butchered! So take your time and be patient. The more fit up work and cleaning up of the new panel the better off you will be. Just pay attention to the factory weld seams and how it went on at the factory and try as best you can to replicate those weld seams. Good luck!