Pics of quarter panel replacement
05-21-2007, 05:30 AM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Pics of quarter panel replacement
I want to dedicate this picture to all those who said "only a skilled bodyman can change a quarter panel." You probably read that line in your owner's manual that says "...you are special and unique because you bought a Porsche" over and over again. And sadly, you believe it.
I'd like to dedicate this next photo to the people who think that bodywork is some kind of black magic that takes years to master. I've got news, auto body repair is one of the primary vocations taught in prisons, to people who spent their childhood sniffing glue and eating lead paint. And before anyone says anything, I know I have to finish cleaning up the welds.
This picture is for the guys who claim to have restored a car, when all they really did was write checks to other people to do it.
I would normally have pictures detailing the steps but this was an incredibly tedious process that spanned most of last week. Believe it or not, removing the old quarter panel from the car, and removing the new quarter from the donor car took more time then it did to get the new panel trimmed, fitted, and welded in. It's imperative that you use welding primer wherever you will be welding. Unfortunately the welding machine doesn't like the stuff and as it gets burned away, it pops and spits back at you leaving countless little burns all over your body. Where the factory had used resistance spot welds, I just did plug welds to fill the holes. In the future I'll plug weld the holes closed before I install and then maybe buy a cheap resistance type spot welder and do it like the factory.
Maybe I'll get to NC next year.
I'd like to dedicate this next photo to the people who think that bodywork is some kind of black magic that takes years to master. I've got news, auto body repair is one of the primary vocations taught in prisons, to people who spent their childhood sniffing glue and eating lead paint. And before anyone says anything, I know I have to finish cleaning up the welds.
This picture is for the guys who claim to have restored a car, when all they really did was write checks to other people to do it.
I would normally have pictures detailing the steps but this was an incredibly tedious process that spanned most of last week. Believe it or not, removing the old quarter panel from the car, and removing the new quarter from the donor car took more time then it did to get the new panel trimmed, fitted, and welded in. It's imperative that you use welding primer wherever you will be welding. Unfortunately the welding machine doesn't like the stuff and as it gets burned away, it pops and spits back at you leaving countless little burns all over your body. Where the factory had used resistance spot welds, I just did plug welds to fill the holes. In the future I'll plug weld the holes closed before I install and then maybe buy a cheap resistance type spot welder and do it like the factory.
Maybe I'll get to NC next year.
05-21-2007, 10:27 AM
#3
Administrator - "Tyson"
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Wow, you make body work look so easy, I might as well take my 928 to Maaco.
I must have missed a previous post - what happend to your car?
I must have missed a previous post - what happend to your car?
05-21-2007, 03:14 PM
#4
Drifting
Thread Starter
Previous owners happened to my car. It had sustained damage along both sides at various points in time. The passenger side quarter panel had been repaired so all I did with that was grind out the old filler and replace with fresh new filler. The driver's side quarter was damaged enough that it had over 1/4" of filler in some places so when I removed all of the old filler there wasn't much to work with. I decided to replace the quarter. The rocker panel was damaged and had holes through all 3 layers of steel. That took the most time to repair. I had to fit all 3 layers separately, and then I started by welding in the middle layer, then the inner and finally the outer. Unfortunately, I still have to replace a small section of floor on both sides which is really going to suck. I also have to repair some rust holes in both a-pillars that are from sunroof drain tubes either not being present, or simply clogged.
Once the rust repair is completed, I have to finish stripping and filling which won't take too long and then get it coated in epoxy. I've got 4 fenders and I need to pick the best two and prep them. The factory paint on these cars is a nightmare to remove. That's good and it's bad. Good because that usually means it will stand up to the test of time, which it has done quite well. But it's bad when you're trying to remove it because it takes forever. I really need to get my *** in gear with it because I'd like to paint it before the really hot days of summer set in.
Other then the body stuff, all it needs at this point are motor mounts, oil pan gasket, tie rods, a power steering hose or two, and I've got to get some level of function in the rear brakes. Hopefully it will be back on the road before the summer ends.
Basically I bought the car with the attitude of "at least it runs and most of the electrical stuff works." It was in a horribly neglected state of affairs and hadn't been driven in two years. Unfortunately, it had been left to sit outside which destroyed EVERYTHING inside from either sunlight, or water. Looking back in retrospect, this thing has been a money pit of epic proportions and I'll never even come close to getting a return on what I've put into it. But since I'm past that point of no return the only option is to press on or else I might as well have flushed a lot more money down the drain.
Here's a "before" pic of the rocker.
Once the rust repair is completed, I have to finish stripping and filling which won't take too long and then get it coated in epoxy. I've got 4 fenders and I need to pick the best two and prep them. The factory paint on these cars is a nightmare to remove. That's good and it's bad. Good because that usually means it will stand up to the test of time, which it has done quite well. But it's bad when you're trying to remove it because it takes forever. I really need to get my *** in gear with it because I'd like to paint it before the really hot days of summer set in.
Other then the body stuff, all it needs at this point are motor mounts, oil pan gasket, tie rods, a power steering hose or two, and I've got to get some level of function in the rear brakes. Hopefully it will be back on the road before the summer ends.
Basically I bought the car with the attitude of "at least it runs and most of the electrical stuff works." It was in a horribly neglected state of affairs and hadn't been driven in two years. Unfortunately, it had been left to sit outside which destroyed EVERYTHING inside from either sunlight, or water. Looking back in retrospect, this thing has been a money pit of epic proportions and I'll never even come close to getting a return on what I've put into it. But since I'm past that point of no return the only option is to press on or else I might as well have flushed a lot more money down the drain.
Here's a "before" pic of the rocker.
05-21-2007, 04:12 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
I guess you didn't read all those posts warning you about the money pit 
, but you persevered. And that's a good thing b/c otherwise she would have died and there would be one less of these around. At least you didn't put a Chevy in her. 
"Not that there's anything wrong with that."
, but you persevered. And that's a good thing b/c otherwise she would have died and there would be one less of these around. At least you didn't put a Chevy in her. "Not that there's anything wrong with that."
