changing and modifying rear quarter panel + repairing the inner wheel housing. Help!

[Ripper]

I need to repair and modify my rear wheel housings on my Firebird -74. 35 years of Swedish climate has left its marks in the body. Since I'm going for the really low stance, but don't want to end up with the wheels sitting three inches inside the body. Therefore the housings also need some slight modifying too...


Just to make clear what I'm looking for...
I want to avoid wheels sittin like this;
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

And I'm more into this;
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

But to do that, I need to minimize the "lip" where the outer wheel housing and the quarter panel is spot welded together. That lip is appr. 1" today. The question is - how do I weld the panels together if I remove that lip?
Someone else has probably done this already and I guess there's a common method for doing it... Right?


The next mod is that the housing needs to become a little bit tighter in front and behind the wheel since my wheels are quite low profiled 18". I would say that it's about 1,5-2". I guess the question here is where to start - modifying the quarter panel or the wheel housing when the quarter is removed?

The opening and how it looks right now
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/07/ADSCF0139600x337-1.jpg

My extreme super ultra photoshop skillz showing what I'm trying to explain... Slightly tighter in front and in rear of the wheel...
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif


So, how did you other guys do it?

[Rick D]

I know for me I would look into different size wheel and tire combo, from the looks of that picture you posted the rear wheel looks bigger but it is a picture so who knows. The issue you have if change the opening for the rear wheel opening you have to do the same for the front or it will look to different from front to back. As far as how to do it i wounldn't try it with the qtr off of the car, get the new qtr all fit up and sitting correct on the car (not welded though) and then start your cuts to bring down the wheel opening lip. Once you have the shape you want for the out side and have everything tack welded for the wheel opening then remove and do the same for the outter wheel house and match it up to your new qtr opening. But I still would look into either a different tire profile or change them both ou wheel and tire. Of coruse you are from Sweden and that may not be as easy as it is here states. Hope some of my rambling helps.

[Ripper]

Rick,
It's a 18x11" wheel and the tire is a 295x35x18 which is a common size today. I prefer sizes that are popular on other cars since it's easier to find good deals on tires. There are of course larger (diameter) sizes, but not in R-rated tires.

I didn't write it, but I'm going to do the same operation in the front of course. It's easier there though, since there's no inner housing (I'll have to make my own anyway...). It's not much that is needed, just 1,5" or so to make it look more matched.


Starting with the quarter panel makes sense to me too. I actually didn't think of tack welding it and then remove it to work with the inner parts. I'll probably start test modifying the rusty quarter panels that are on the body right now. That way I'll have an extra chance before I start cutting the fresh ones. I'll post pics here when I start so people can comment what I'm doing wrong, haha!

[rayshake]

Curious which way you're going to do it. So many ways..

[Ripper]

I had to start in the rear section before cutting of the quarters. It was in quite bad shape behind the bumper...
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/07/ADSCF0132600x289-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/07/ADSCF0137600x450-1.jpg

I'll try to update here when I start with the fenders though :)

[Ripper]

48599

Anyone know where I can get the green and yellow marked sheet metal? They are the narrow lists that creates the "ditch" for the deck lid list.
There are not much left of the ones I got...

[dstransam1]

I think I saw this part in my Ames catalog, its the "trunk gutter", although mine is a 73 Trans am surely they will have it for camaro, they always have more camaro parts.

[Ripper]

This is a 74 Firebird, so it'll probably be the same detail. I don't think GM changed anything around the trunk during the second gen was produced.

Googling trunk gutter seems to give some result! :)
Here are the sides; http://secure.classichq.com/70-81-TRUNK-GUTTER-SET-2-PIECES-P1326.aspx

However, I can't find the upper and lower (green ones) though. Are they called anything else?

[amargari]

The bottom green part comes as part of the tail panel.

[kawaden]

what type pf tyres are those?

[Ripper]

R-tyres. The right one is a Toyo R888 and the left one is a Michelin Pilot Sport Cup...
Both are worn out, just for rolling the car around in the garage.

Ouch. I bought my tail panel "used" (new - he sold the car before he had time to replace it) but without that list.
Guess I'll have to try make my own then...

[NightDiver]

Actually I think they all come as part of the metal they attached to... the yellow as part of a quarter, the lower green as part of the tail light panel, and the upper as part of the filler panel...
Not as familiar with the 2nd gen's, but its possible...

[Ripper]

Ok, I started planning for the fender modification. Since the left side of the body was in OK shape, I've been practicing a little on it before I'll replace it.

To ensure that left and right side is identical (or as near as possible) I made a template in wood.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/08/gAPho-1.jpg

And here's the stock housing before I start
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/08/QP1b8-1.jpg

During work. Problem is that the wheel housing interferes with the new shape of the quarter panel. I'll probably end up with cutting away more than I thought (not really sure how I'm gonna make that from scratch since I don't have any advanced sheet metal tools)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/08/QMWeD-1.jpg

and "finished"... I won't put a lot of time into this temporary mod, however I'll probably have to think a little bit more of what to do with the inner housing. Any ideas how to build it?
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/08/7l1v4-1.jpg

[Ripper]

I know it's a little bit hard to see what the result looks like due to the crack in the quarter panel, but any feed back on the new shape would be greatly appreciated!

Perhaps someone with photoshop skills better than me can cover that up a little?

[badbu68]

Sorry I can't help you out with the photoshop, but I love what I see!

[tazzz25906112]

Here is a quick cleanup for you
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/08/orange1-1.jpg

[Ripper]

Albert,
Thank you very much for the help with PS! Much easier to imagine what it'll look like now!

Anyway, I guess I'm not doing it totally wrong since at least someone would start screaming in the thread... lol.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/08/EmxFm-1.jpg
Ok, I started doing the right side for real now. Since this side was in worst shape I felt it was best to start with the worst first...
So, the old qp is cut away on the pic and the new one is attached with sheet metal screws.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/08/gUtLr-1.jpg
I located the new qp so it would site nice and tight to the bumper (well, as tight as possible.. I'll have to fine tune it later since the panel and bumper had different radius on the bends)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/08/TF6uJ-1.jpg
And in the front, it was located in the same height as the old body line. I also cut the new qp appr. 1 inch behind the door opening. The stock metal was in good shape around the door and I would guess it's a lot harder to start cutting in the door opening...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/08/dcCAj-1.jpg
I guess the next step is to start building the inner structure? The old one was too rusty to stay so I'll make my own instead. (pic below)
New inner structure and then bolt the qp to it so it's rigid before wheel housing modification...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/08/1TWTp-1.jpg

Feel free to comment!