How best to remove a quarter?

[Pakrat]

Well, I need to go visit my parts car this weekend and try to cut out the quarter and bring the hood home for another stanger and I was wondering if anyone can offer me some advice? Keep in mind it's a vert so it's a little easier than a hard top for sure.

For example, what's the best tool? A cutting wheel on the compressor or a sawzall or what? I can see spot welds around the door jams that need to be drilled and an obvious seam between the top and the trunk lid but what about where it meets the trunk? Should I always try to cut on seams? Any advice appreciated before I move on common sense alone.

 

[66 BLAKE 96]

Hey Pak, unfortunately, I haven't a clue. Good to hear about progress though.

 

[1320stang]

I would sawzall beyond what you need and drill out spot welds in the comfort of your own garage.

I'd probably cut it inside of where the tank goes and get the rear of the frame rail while your at it, cut across into the inner wheel well, then down along the outside of the frame rail past the quarter then out thru the rocker panel. You can always take more off, but you have to weld to put it back on. Better to take more than you need than not enough, plus it'll help you to see if yours is buckled behind the quarter or not.

 

[1320stang]

BTW, in college, we just drank the glass and spit the quarter out.

 

[Pakrat]

BTW, in college, we just drank the glass and spit the quarter out.

Hmmm, I don't really recall having to drink that much, you must have stunk at it.


OK, I got ya on the comments, thanks. I like the idea of drilling out the welds at my leisure, the only catch though is I may need to use the rocker as well so I'll either have to be a little more selctive when cutting that section or try to remove it with the quarter as a unit I guess and cut through half the floor.

So sawzall is the ticket then eh? Cool, a lot easier to transport than my compressor that's for sure.

 

[6Stang7]

the BEST way would be to drill out the spot welds of course, but use a plasma cutter to cut the panel off.

 

[65fsbkhipo]

Pak...call me tomorrow before your really hose this up with this novice advice. Remember, I do restorations, and NEVER NEVER NERVER EVER cut on a body line or crease!

George

 

['69Mach1Chick]

plasma cutter works but the best tool is the air nibbler if you have one. the panel will come off in less than 5 minutes and it is a clean cut. Also, there is no worry about the heat from the plasma cutter. It leaves a clean cut so you can easily weld the new 1/4 on too.

 

[65fsbkhipo]

[QUOTE='69Mach1Chick]plasma cutter works but the best tool is the air nibbler if you have one. the panel will come off in less than 5 minutes and it is a clean cut. Also, there is no worry about the heat from the plasma cutter. It leaves a clean cut so you can easily weld the new 1/4 on too.[/QUOTE]

The nibbler is a good tool IF you can't afford the best tool which is the plasma cutter. PC's cut without any warpage. You guys are killing me! For crying out loud, an air chisel can do a good job if you know how to cut with it.

 

[6Stang7]

Pak...call me tomorrow before your really hose this up with this novice advice. Remember, I do restorations, and NEVER NEVER NERVER EVER cut on a body line or crease!

George

yup. look what my novice advice got me.

 

[1320stang]

Pak...call me tomorrow before your really hose this up with this novice advice. Remember, I do restorations, and NEVER NEVER NERVER EVER cut on a body line or crease!

George

Now, I'm taking a little bit of offense to this if your implying my advice George.

The last I knew, this parts car was out in the sticks, not in someone's shop with every tool known to man at Pak's beck and call. I specifically bought a 18v Dewalt drill / recip saw combo just so I'd have a cordless saw to take to the salvage yard or someplace out in the country to be able to remove a quarter or a cowl where you can either use that or a smoke wrench and I don't like the idea of catching a field on fire. My buddy had a '67 Fairlane 390 XL that had a bad cowl and firewall. I found a good cowl on a '67 station wagon that I cut behind the shock towers, across the floor and windshield posts in a salvage yard. They wanted $250 for the whole car and we paid $75 for the firewall/cowl and we didn't need a trailer, loaded it into the back of his shortbed. His dad took it and used an air chisel and drilled out spotwelds to take it apart to get the parts he needed, put it back together and you couldn't tell Ford didn't do it. This man has done several '57 Chevy 'verts that have sold at close to 6 figure range at places like B-J in Scottsdale.

That said, I said to take out way more than you need, so you can cut off what you don't while the new quarter is within sight of the old one. Having not seeing current pictures of both Pak's car and his parts car (like pics are that great to give 100% advice to, no body shop worth it's salt will give you an estimate off internet pics), I stand by my advice.

 

[Pakrat]

Well, I think if nothing less you guys have convinced me to delay things another couple of weeks until I get the car up here and just let the body shop cut it up. I'm getting anxious obviously but I need to breath deep and do it right I guess. I have one shot at saving myself the cost of a 1k NOS coupe quarter that requires heavy modification to fit, so I'll leave this step to the experts.

BTW 6stang7, nice before and after pics, that really makes me feel like I have hope of my car not looking like it was repaired in the end.

BTW 1320, I do have pics of the parts car on the last page of my website if you need to see exactly what we are talking about.

George, will do. You get my list OK yesterday?

 

[68rustang]

BTW 1320, I do have pics of the parts car on the last page of my website if you need to see exactly what we are talking about.

Who is your webhost for 69stang.com? I see they use Mambo CMS.

 

[Pakrat]

Who is your webhost for 69stang.com? I see they use Mambo CMS.

Heh, I meant my cardomain site. 69stang isn't mine, I'm just a client. I plug it in my sig to get more 69er's there, that's it. The guy you want is bswor, or bnickel and streetgrande69 are mods there and might be able to answer that also.