Using lead for body work

[rockdogz]

What do you think about using lead for body work? I have a pretty bad quarter to fix, and someone remarked to me that although it is a hard skill to learn, using lead to repair something like this would give the best results. My prior plan was to weld up as much material as I could with the MIG and shape. I've never tried lead before, and have no idea how to do it, although I see at Eastwood they have the materials, how-to video, etc.

[68protouring454]

whether you lead that or weld evrything up solid you are gonna have way more time fixing the messed up 1/4 then putting a new one on, not sure if you have mini tubbed yet, but its very easy to do with the 1/4 off, i would really go for a goodmark full 1/4, or at least a 80%, it will really pay off in the long run, you won't have any spots with alot of filler on there that can lead to problems let alone the holes in the 1/4 that if they do not get sealed up, they will bubble with some time, any size hole will make it bubble, pin hole to one you can't see, goodluck
jake

[Happyfunballs]

I'm with him.....quarter it, and minitub it while your at it.

[Piet]

It looks like you have all the rust removed?
Can you get at it from the back (behind the panel)?

[rockdogz]

I've already mini-tubbed, and replaced the trunk floor too, so I had my chance to remove the whole quarter. I decided to repair - too many people saying that a replacement quarter won't fit well - and won't look as good when you're done doing a repair. What do I know though...

[Piet]

I would work the lead from the back... through the holes... sand from the front.

[rockdogz]

There really isn't any rust. Those holes are all repair holes I guess. I think it was hit a few times in the rear quarters...

[Matt]

Lead body work is pricey, and not too many people do it, it's a bit of a dying art. I don't know anyone in socal that can do it personally, and I've only met one guy that does it.

[Andrew McBride]

I had a post awhile back about trying to learn this. After a little research I found out that the body fillers out there have advanced a lot since the old school days, so lead work isn't needed. keep us posted

Andrew

[rockdogz]

Hey Andrew,
Yeah I searched and found your post, which is how I found out about Eastwood. So basically if you do it right, body fillers now days are of good enough quality to avoid the shrinkage/cracking problems after several years? Hmm, I guess they have to be around for several years before we will know... Part of my concern is that I really need to cut out and replace metal here, but because of where the holes are, that doesn't look too easy to do on a curved surface. Maybe I should use a metal-based filler first, then proceed as normal after the area is built up...

[BRIAN]

Lead work requires Oxy set up and you also need the skills to reverse some of the heat warp associated with it. That is a rough panel but looking at it it needs quite a bit more metal bumping before I would even attempt to put anything on it. Work the last in approach and get out all those deep grooves first. Be slow with your hammer work and check progress often. Use Long strand glass filler as base it is easier to use than the so called metal stuff and is very tough stuff. Sands hard so be as smooth as possible if that is possible with that stuff. Good luck. Never heard of filling holes with lead from behind but??

[Ralph LoGrasso]

Have you thought about just replacing the lower quarter? I've got some bondo and a a patch on my passenger side lower quarter, and I'm planning on just replacing the lower quarter. I believe goodmark sells 'em. Lead body work is pretty hazardous. I'd just replace that lower quarter, and use conventional methods for the upper quarter.

[MuscleRodz]

When you had the trunk and tubs out, you should have gone crazy with a hammer and dolly while you could get to alot of it. I would only use lead when a panel is not replaceable and to costly to reproduce. Neither is the problem with a Camaro. I agree with the others, get an 80% quarter and repair the bad area. A whole lot faster than trying to reprofile a quarter that looks like it has been in a wreck.

Mike

[PT Dave]

Bumping out the major dents, hammer and dolly and then using the Shrinking Disc worked great for me. Took some time but very little body filler.

http://sunchasertools.com/

[68protouring454]

do not use lead
and if you do hammer and dolly the panel out, make sure the smallest of holes is welded up, do not cover any hole up with any type of fiberglass bondo or whatever, it will bubble, on top of that 1,000s of 67-68s have 1/4s on them and it is not that big of an isue, just gotta triple check before welding it up, there is just way to good of a chance of the repair coming back out in time
i would not worry about bondo cracking after shirnkage, the new bondos are way better then in the 70's and 80's, you will not have issues with cracking unles there is 3/8 of an inch on a panel and someone bumps into it, goodluck, i would 80% it, but you could buy a 80& and cut only what you need for the back off it, then flange the original, and the patch and weld it up.
jake

[Jagarang]

Why not patch panel it if you don't want to do the whole 1/4? I'm not a body man but a clean cut and patch panel seems like the next best alternative to a full or 80% 1/4. If you had or can find an original 1/4 with damage to the front/wheel well, or rusted wheel well you could make your own patch from it. This way you could "orient" the patch edges/seams in the best way to make them disappear into the final product. It's harder to explain than I thought it would be. Am I even making sense? I mean on a 69 rear quarter, you could terminate the upper seem just below the "beltline" that comes of the flattened rear wheel well. This way the seam would seem, to hide under/in the natural body detail, especially from a standing vantage point. Good body guy in most cases, with careful bodywork and patience, can make even a cross panel seam disappear in the final product right?
Your's not being a 69, perhaps the area covered by the bumper when it comes around the corner, then maybe use the marker light hole, which would also give positional references for placement, etc etc. I'm not sure that takes care of all the problem areas, but the lower most section with the rounded profile would certainly be taken care of. Then perhaps you could work the rest with conventional materials.
Am I a raving lunatic?

[rockdogz]

How about a panel skin, like this - is this what you mean? Think this would be easier than the whole quarter? Looks like you don't have to mess with the door jamb or trunk opening.

[Jagarang]

I think thats what everybodies refering to as an 80% quarter.

[68protouring454]

yes that is a skin, but the goodmark one goes up into the window sash and back along the bottom of the sail panel, doen into trunk jamb. the facotry 1/4 goes inside door jamb, inside ttrunk jamb, to 1/4 rear panel seam, this way you have no major body work to to, some on sail panel and some at tail panel, where as the 80% you have to weld below upper body line all the way to trunk, which you have a great chance at warping it to hell, but iwoudl rather see an 80% go on then mess with the mess you have.
have the 1/4s ever been repalced??
jake

[rockdogz]

I'm not sure if they have been replaced, I would say not but just repaired. There does look to be some repair/welding on the rear window channel and around the trunk opening though. I just don't think the quarters were totally replaced because of their condition and plus when I replaced the trunk side panels, about 35 years of dirt was stuck in there absorbing moisture and starting to rust the quarters from the inside.