Quarter area paint cracking

[AdamInChains]

I have a 65 coupe. With my coupe and many others i've seen....the paint is cracking on both sides right at the back corner by the quarter window/quarter panel. Wish i had pics to show but i dont. Does anyone know any tricks to prevent this from happening after i repaint? Thanks !!

 

[302 coupe]

mine is cracked right there too. They say subframe connectors help, but I can't personally vouch for that. When I get mine painted, I'm just gonna clean out the leaded seam and weld it back up, maybe it will hold.

 

[fasttback]

Common stress point on early coupes due to flexing. A solution is to buy sub-frame connectors, torque boxes, etc. to stiffen up the unibody.

 

[AdamInChains]

they make torque boxes for a 65?

 

[AdamInChains]

mine is cracked right there too. They say subframe connectors help, but I can't personally vouch for that. When I get mine painted, I'm just gonna clean out the leaded seam and weld it back up, maybe it will hold.

so that area is all filled with lead?

 

[Jester67]

they make torque boxes for a 65?

Yes the one for a 68 will fit 68 and below with no problem both front and rear.

 

[AdamInChains]

Yes the one for a 68 will fit 68 and below with no problem both front and rear.

Sorry for the dumb questions i just havn't heard much about these torque boxes? What kind of work is required to get these install? Do you need to modify the floor plan at all?

 

[dennis112]

I drilled a small hole at the end of the crack to relieve stress, drove the crack lower than the contour of the body, and then mig'ed the crack together. A little body putty and it was good to go.

That repair as held up wonderfully (on both sides) for 20 years with a street 351w and 4 speed in a 65'.

I've just recently added the subframes and will probably do the torque boxes this winter.

 

[302 coupe]

so that area is all filled with lead?

yeah, the roof pillar to quarter panel seam is lead filled. The stress crack area is at the very end of the seam.

 

[Jester67]

the 65 and 66 coupe and fast backs had rear torque boxes but not front in 67 the drivers side font was added and in 68 the right side front was added. THey are not to hard to install i made a small cut where the toe board contacts the rocker and inserted the torque box flange through it and welded it in place.