I would like an opinion from you guys on my car. I have attached pictures of the only rust thru spots on my car. The rust on both sides is the same as the side in the pictures. The restoration shop that has completed the chassis and is about to start on the body says that it would be cheaper to buy and install new quarter panels, than to cut out all the rusted areas and fabricate new sheet metal to be welded in place. I am apposed to removing the original quarter panels and having replacement quarter panels installed...if I could find them. I passed on a pair last month that would have cost $1,400 with shipping, plus the cost of removing mine. In my mind $1,400 would buy 23 hours of fabricating and welding time on patch panels plus a VERY thin coat of filler or lead and the sheet metal work would be finished. If the quarter panels were rotted out to the top of the wheel openings I wouldn't question it. What do you guys think?

 

It will certainly be a better quality job to replace the quarters at the factory seams - ASSUMING the work is done to factory quality standards and ASSUMING you could get full quarters. I would doubt that this would be less expensive that patching the very minor rust you show. I would get a second opinion on the patch panels.

 

Im no body expert but have done my share of welding up rot and forming patch panels.....from the pictures the rot looks minimal as already said. I would not replace the quarters...seems like the shop is looking for some extra work/hours....its a lot of work cutting spot welds and removing a quarter then welding on a replacement.

 

The shop is worried about the rust coming back and you coming back to them. This looks like a 62 Starfire, meaning NOS full quarters are nearly unobtainium, and you've found out what the desert guys want for rust free used.

No more than that, and if you're sure there's nothing hiding in the outer wheelhouse-to-quarter joint, I'd cut it out and patch.

 

there's no way in hades I would replace a quarter panel for that amount of damage(unless I just couldn't talk the customer out of it and they are willing to shell out big $$) especially with a used part, even it it was "rust free". I say patch it. The rust is gone, if done properly, you shouldn't even have to give second thought to the idea of that rust coming back.

 

Its hard to tell what the inside metal looks like, but based on what your picture shows. I would patch.

 

Thanks guys, the entire underside of the body has been blasted and looks like the bare metal in the pictures. I feel very comfortable that all the rust has been blasted or will be cut out back to solid metal. I told the resto shop today that there will be no new quarter panels.
Thanks again for all the feedback.

 

i wish i had that much rust on my quarter panels