Last fall I bought this '62 Impala SS, drove it for two weeks and left for Florida for the winter. I've always loved these cars, had a '62 Sport Sedan a few years ago, and jumped on this one. It had been put together over the last 35 years, hadn't been driven for 15 years. It's got a VERY healthy big block, TH400 and 4.11 posi. That is going away for some 3.31's, but that's another story. When we got home I fired the car up (never mind the puddle of trans fluid from the TH400...) and pulled it outside. I wasn't surprised to see that the little blisters in the paint on the right rear wheel lip had worsened, and there were more of them all along the lip. I was going to get a full quarter panel, but found a local company here in Michigan that had wheel opening patch panels. That seemed like much less work than replacing the whole quarter. The plan was to trim the patch panel to just larger than the wheel lip, use a flanging tool to run a flange around it, trim the quarter to match then shove the patch panel under the original quarter skin with a bead of 3M Panel-Bond on it, and call it good. I didn't realize there'd be no room to get the pneumatic flange tool head on the quarter skin to flange that, but I hadn't thought about how I'd clean up the quarter panel on the inside to do the repair the way I'd planned. Turns out, there isn't a practical way to get the inside clean enough to use the adhesive, and the the wheel house lip is cheesy, so that needs to be repaired as well. So, tomorrow I'll make some patches for the wheel house lip, and (carefully) weld the new lip on, so as not to warp the (otherwise perfect) original sheet metal. I'm really enthused about this car, and don't mind this little bit of body work, as I was planning on slicking the car up with new paint and some detailing anyway. (edit) If you're wondering how long brazing pinholes in 1962 era GM sheet metal will last, or think it's cheating, note that this lasted 30 years. If my repair lasts that long, it'll be longer than I'll be driving the car!
My first thought was to leave it be, but that new panel looks pretty damn sweet, the little car deserves it. Speaking of what it deserves, a 5 speed would slip right behind that big block. And, it would keep you from having the change the gear set, so you are actually saving money.... -Abone.
My first thought was a 700R4, but then I'd have to move trans crossmember and shorten the driveshaft. In the trunk was the original 3.31 ring and pinion, saved after the 4.11 swap, and another buddy of mine GAVE me a complete differential, open, with 3.31's. So, I have options. And, I don't want row a 5 speed. I totally agree that the car deserves a repaint, although initially I was going to leave it alone. My wife HATED the fact that the front fenders don't match, having been repainted after the engine swap 20 years ago. I think that's why the guy I got it from never drove it. The mis-matched paint soured him on the car, and it got shoved to a back corner.
Same colors, ginger metallic, an '89 GM color, and cream roof. The car was originally turquoise, be I don't want to paint the jambs and under the hood and trunk, so it will be what it is. I like the combo anyway.
Up and at 'em! Up early to get out and get the quarter finished up, as soon as the Naproxen kicks in... Man, this aging thing makes it harder to get stuff done.
Nice work. I am watching along. I like the idea of the patch panel. I have yet to start on my '64 ragtop.
I would go ahead do the full lower quarter since you already have it and get one for the other side, in my experience the rust you can see is only a quarter of what’s actually there, seems much easier and less chance of warping than to dick around with pieces
I would have done that, but the left side had the entire quarter replaced before it got painted. This is not going get such an involved build that I never finish it.
When I could finally move this morning I went out and tackled the Impala quarter panel. After studying the cut I'd made to remove the wheel lip, it looked like the panel flanger would indeed fit between the outer skin and wheelhouse, if I got the 1/4" of undercoating off the backside. So, I set to do that. Using a dolly to gently move the outer skin out, I was able to scrape all the undercoating off with a small putty knife. At least enough to get the flanging tool head in. I got a flange all the way around and trimmed the patch a little bit so as to not have it overlap the step. When that was done and patch fitted, I took a hard look at the rusty lip of the inner wheelhouse. It was toast. I then spent all afternoon making a new lip for that with my shrinker/stretcher, and brazed it to the (trimmed) wheelhouse. If I'd planned ahead, I'd have simply bought a new one and trimmed the lip off to make a proper patch, but it worked well enough that it can't be felt from the wheel opening, and I want to get this project done, not make it a full on restoration that, like my T'bird, will end up a garage ornament. I thought the 3M Panel-Bond would arrive today, but it didn't show up, which is good because I'd be still working on it right now.
Weld don’t panel bond. You’ll see imprinting of the seam after out in the sun and then cooled off. Learned that lesson, glue is for models.
SS327 is 100% correct. This will eventually map through the paint. The doubled up material with the glue will expand and contract at a different rate than the surrounding metal and will eventually show through the paint. I have been called many times with complaints about "filler failure" when repairs like this have been performed.
I thought about that, but the possibility of warping this pretty flat panel (not IF it warps, but how badly, for me) for welding vs. gluing it led me to choosing this. I'll consider, but still leaning towards bonding it. I've done similar jobs this way, and never had an issue. Thanks for the input.
Not really a fan of the flange method. Seems like a good way to get moisture trapped in there. Why not but weld the patch panel in? Use a mig & skip around, leaving lots of cooling time in between.
Well, moisture can't penetrate the epoxy adhesive, but as people have pointed out, the seam could show under the paint after a few heat cycles. I'll think on it...
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