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| Right Quarter Replacement - 68 Firebird - Page 1 |
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| The factory right quarter had front, top and behind well patch panels brazed on 15 years ago. Tired of fighting emerging bad spots I wanted to do a quarter panel replacement |
| New stamped quarter from NPD. This new stamping appears to offer a cost effective quality job. Previously, lower quality skins and full quarters were available. NOS Firebird quarters were VERY expensive, if found. And using '67 Camaro NOS were possible but also relativly expensive and required significant modification. There was a waiting list to get the part, shipping is very expensive (I went to pick it up.), and convertible Q's are planned but not yet available. |
| The restoration shop (McCabe Automotive Restoration) chose to join the original door jam just inside. That also solved an issue with the new coupe quarter having a vent in the door jam area. My '68 convert does not. A small indented area (flaw) just above the right top chevron was still visable but planned for correction when I took these pictures. |
| Not needing the coupe sail panel area, the shop chose the optimum place to meet the new and original. In the above picture the weld was made near the top of the panel. On the picture to the left, you can see the joining spot. The bodyman told me, the contour could allow coming off the trunk opening right at the corner. |
| Using the wheel well chrome for a guide, the shop had to somewhat turn up the lip on the very top of the well opening. The stamping did not have it sufficiently perpendicular so the chrome piece would not fit. |
| Possibly the biggest issue with the fit was at the rear tail area. The new panel was just a shade short of the tail. (Whether an issue with the panel or the 35 year old car I don't know. The shop was able to "work" the panel back a bit to perfectely join the two. He repaired a couple bad spots on the lower part of the tail as he worked it. He had just finished this area when I took the pictures. |
| The shop measured the factory original and stamped and reported the chevron area to be perfect. The rocker meet and the indent contour above the rocker is very good. The shop was going to flow some braising into the gap between the rocker and quarter. |
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