Quarter panel fabrication (1 Viewer)

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steffan

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Dec 17, 2009
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Location
Tucson, AZ
i figured i'd post this because i've taken so much away from this site over the period of my never ending build. maybe something here can help someone. same old story: rusty '72, although not as bad as some, i decided it would be easier to replace the rockers and quarters as apposed to patching them. with that in mind i got a sheet of 16g hot rolled and started making some paper templates. fortunately, in spite of the pile of body filler and overlaps, the body wasn't too molested.

Tub - Quarter Fab - Final 11.jpg


Tub - Quarter Fab - Final 12.jpg


Tub - Quarter Fab - Final 13.jpg
 
i'll back up a little: the rear sill was toast so i made one from 2"x2" 11g tubing (i posted that earlier). since i was tearing the quarters apart, i decided i might as well make a set up uprights out of the same material so everything would be square and solid. the cutouts are for the hinge bolts which will probably be capped later

Tub - Rear Upright - Final 1.jpg


Tub - Rear Upright - Final 2.jpg
 
here is where i should have taken more time or did something different. i know there are some good write-ups on how to make a roller/ form to get a nice smooth bend around the back side but i got in a hurry etc... next time i'll do it right: at first i tried securing it to the sides of the vehicle and contouring it around the rear sill etc but it wasn't having it - not enough support in the middle. the 16g was just too stiff. next i tried to roll it on some pipe but again, i just couldn't get a secure enough form to keep it supported and it ended up kinking. again, maybe i should've tried heating it or just spent the extra time to make a very secure form in which to bend it on. as we all learn: pay now or pay later and i paid later with a hammer and dolly working out the kinks and sanding the body filler. next time.....

Tub - Quarter Fab - Final 17.jpg


Tub - Quarter Fab - Final 18.jpg
 
Looks like a good start. I wouldn't make those relief cuts or as many of them, you can bend the metal using a hammer and shape it. You need to make a form to go on the inside of the quarter, cut it out of 3/4" ply. Using a heck of a lot of clamps, clamp the ply in place and start bending that metal over. The steel will want to pop up and you need to make sure you have good pressure on the backing ply.

good thread where i learned a few things

Making Rear Quarters: If a fabricator can do it, how hard can it be?
 
thanks! Curt, yes, that is one of the threads i was referring to, a very good demonstration. i should have taken more time to do it up but i got in a hurry. before i made my relief cuts i took some scrap and tried manipulating it with a hammer and dolly but just couldn't get it done. i don't know if its my inexperience in metal/ body work or what but that steel was stiff. again, maybe if i added a little heat it would have worked better but not having anyone to give me pointers, i went with what i knew i could do.
 
here it is with the the relief cuts done, welded and ground down. i might have made the lip a little bigger than it should be but i figured it would be easier to cut it back later if needed.

Tub - Quarter Fab - Final 19.jpg


Tub - Quarter Fab - Final 20.jpg


Tub - Quarter Fab - Final 21.jpg


Tub - Quarter Fab - Final 22.jpg
 
since i was replacing everything else and the b-pillar braces were a little rough, i made some up out of 1" 1/8" angle

Tub - B-Pillar Brace - Final 1.jpg


Tub - B-Pillar Brace - Final 3.jpg


Tub - B-Pillar Brace - Final 2.jpg


Tub - B-Pillar Brace - Final 4.jpg
 
here it is all welded up and ready for primer. i was hoping that after both quarters i would have my technique down enough to have a perfect welded seam which would require little if any filler but aside from a a few areas it wasn't happening. again, i'm sure my inexperience played a part but also have to wonder if it had to do with the inconsistency of the parent material etc. the next one will be better

Tub - Quarter Attach - Final 6.jpg
 
That is some good work!
Hind sight being 20/20: A way to make that curve easily even with 16ga, without building any jigs, and without the kinks, is a simple ratchet strap used to pull the metal slowly into place while tack welding it. Here is how I did it:
The 2x2 was used to keep the metal straight as the strap wanted to bend it in the middle. Once the clamps hit the upright support I removed the 2x2, and finished with a 2x4 pressed against the edge while I continued to tack it into place...

P8250005.jpg
 
Sucker is going to be stout too!
 
you know, i tried synching the panel around the corner like you did but it didn't want to form a nice even roll... it kept wanting to kink. i'm gonna have to try and figure out what kind of steel they sold me
 
heres a couple more of the final and then with some filler - paying for my sins. that being said, after some hammer work and the sanding there really wasn't that much filler

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