The '70 Vista Pro Tour Project

[ent72olds]

Well, as you can see, the whole bottom inner and outer of the qtr is still missing! Before I could do the inner, I needed to solve the outer! I took some measurements from the other side and clamped on the NOS wheel opening molding for guidance! I then needed to transfer the cut line on the qtr to the patch panel! I couldn't just sneak the panel behind as I did before because the inner qtr wouldn't allow me access. So my bro and I came up with the idea of making a paper transfer. We traced the cut of the patch panel onto the paper, then cut with scissors.....we taped it to the qtr, then let it hang past the cut on the qtr. We used a pen to crease the paper over the cut on the qtr. Do not try to use your finger if you ever feel the need to do this at home! Very sharp!!! We then removed the paper, and cut along the crease with scissors.....transferred the template we just made back to the patch panel, taped it tight, and used a "sharpie" to "color in " the cut line we last made....

[ent72olds]

...then removed the paper and revealed the "cut line" that is also on the qtr! To highlight and to give me a cutting guide, I applied tape along the line!

[ent72olds]

.....then cut with the air saw.....perfect seam every time! This will also be butt welded.....now it's starting to look like a qtr again!

[ent72olds]

Today, I need to figure how to do the corners where the outer qtr meets the inner qtr. I started by welding together the outer wheel well and bottom of qtr. Then once clamped back on the car, carefully trimmed the rear part of the patch to make it useable. I made a flanged piece with the correct curve by shaping it on the other qtr, therefore making it symetrical. Clamped it up and spot welded and shaped with a hammer, the end until it started folding like an envelope. Works well when the metal is hot! Welded up the seam and had that complete....

[ent72olds]

...I then need to make the front corner of the inner wheel house so did that. In one pic, you can see the lower qtr I cut out of there. Had been "patched" over before, although not too well! Next step is the inner panel itself, then I can start to button this qtr up...

[SparkyRnD]

nice looking build, and I love to see the vista coming along (sucks for all the metal work though)

[ent72olds]

Thanks Sparky!

[ent72olds]

Went back to work on the inner qtr today! Made up a cardboard template of the lower panel I needed to fab up....had no real idea as to what it should look like so I guessed! There wasn't much left of the original. I got it welded in and now need to grind and clean up seam! This is up behind the gas tank, so it won't be noticed unless it gets pulled out Allan....don't worry, I'll still make it "presentable"!......

[ent72olds]

After welding in the panel, I clamped up the "outer panel" to make sure everything was still where it needed to be! I flanged the bottom of the inner panel, and will trim the flange on the outer panel to mate the two. I'll spot weld along the flange to hopefully replicate a factory look!

[ent72olds]

OK....Got the inner lower qtr all welded in and ground down! Protected the metal with primer, and installed outer panel for the final time! Got it all spot welded permanently.....now this weekend I need to concentrate on completely welding and grinding it all down. I know some of these pics seem repetitive, but I'm just trying to demonstrate how much work goes into this kind of job. The shows on SPEED and SPIKE, and the mags make it seem 1-2-3! Trust me, that's Hollywood!

[ent72olds]

The inside of the lower qtr...ground down....

[ent72olds]

I didn't get quite as far as I wanted this weekend, but getting close! I managed to weld up and grind the dogleg, and do all the spotwelds around the wheelwell lip and on the lower pinchweld/flange. Also got that ground down. Then realized that a couple of brackets that hold on the stoneguard for the gas tank were MIA, so I made a couple of those and welded them in! The guard fit like a glove. No more sheetmetal screws to hold it in, screwed into the inner panels. Back to the way it was when born. I installed it to see how it fit and "got lucky", as I rebuilt the inner and outer lower qtr, without checking fitament of this as I was going along.....here are pics showing how it fit!

[ent72olds]

I did manage to also get the lower part of the qtr welded and ground. Just the radius of the wheelwell left, then I can move on to stripping the rest of the panel and do bodywork. Here are a couple of pics showing how the flange turned out....

[csouth]

Excellent work Erik! To bad no one thinks Olds are worth enough to repop some thing like wheel arches and stuff because I think one of mine has a small issue. Definitely following this thread...

[ent72olds]

Thanks Chris! Let me know if you need the arch, I can hook you up with someone with good dry used sheetmetal....

[ent72olds]

Was out of town last weekend, so I didn't get to work on this much, and am leaving town again tomorrow morning, so I did what I could today! My brother stripped the qtr. During that process, we discovered more rot(surprising) under the gas door! Proceeded to weld that up, then circled all the dents that needed pick and filing, did that, and finally, I'm ready for bodywork!

[ent72olds]

While my bro stripprd the qtr, I did some bdywk on the inner wheelwell around the seam on the right side....that is now ready for primer!

[ent72olds]

Yes it's true....the qtr is done! Been traveling a lot, a little sick and some family obligations have slowed the project down....back on track now!
Finished the bodywork today, and got it primed.....was more work than expected, as the thing was riddled with dents and dings. The first pic is the fiberglass over the weld, had to do 2 passes with plastic and 1 with polyester. Overall, I'm very satisfied with finished product.....

[ent72olds]

I also finally primed up the rt wheelwell......next stop will be the rear tub....

[ent72olds]

Working on the rear cargo pan....started by having my bro prep the flange for welding, then I cut out and filed the plugs in the new pan....this was also the optimum time to wire wheel everything we could get to with the pan out! Inside frame rails etc....also coated those with POR-15...as you will see later, that was all a waste of time, as the project took a sharp turn later on down the line.....Did some test fitting, and it fit well on three sides! The front of the pan wasn't close as evidenced by the pics! About 1 inch short....I will have to make pie cuts in the corners, and carefully bend the pan to reach the crossmember that the seatbelts for the third seat bolt to! Also coated everything with weld through/corrosion protection primer as it was much easier with the pan out of the car.....