I have been working on hammering out a badly bent and rusted rear lower quarter on my 65 cutlass. After getting it less taco shaped I am now at a point where I am considering just making a patch instead of spending the rest of my life hammering on it. My plan is to use a brake for the lower body line and bottom lip and maybe shrinker stretcher to achieve the curve of the section between the body line and bottom edge. Then using a shrinker stretcher to piece the damaged portion of the wheel arch. Does anyone see any major issues with this approach or have experience to share with a similar approach?

 

Check out Fitzees Fabrication on Youtube...
Warning... You can pass away 6 hours of you day without even realizing it...
I've never welded sheetmetal, but watching him gave me confidence that I could do it.
Owning a Vista Cruiser, I'm going to have to make a lot of patches, as nobody makes them for the rear half of the car.

 

x2 on Fitzees Fabrication

Another article I found helpful
https://www.musclecarrestorations.co...eet-metal.html

 

Why couldn’t you use a pipe as an anvil to create the curved section of the lower rear panel? Then form the curve to a better tighter fit with hammers?

 

That is a really good idea with the pipe as an anvil because I wouldn't have to buy anything. Thanks! Also helpful videos. Thank you for that.

 

Could you rework a patch panel from say Chevelle that is repoped?

 

I have considered it. I've seen that asked online before. It may come down to perfect or close enough. In this case close enough would be way better than it is now and it would save a considerable amount of work I think.

 

A 65 gto looks a bit closer than the chevelle! Might have to roll the dice. If it did both quarters to match it would probably look less out of place.

 

dont forget to put the concave area in the patch. most people just make it flat. i used the lower piece of 64 65 door for my patch,so it had ths concave part