Jay D

I am replacing both, the lower quarter panels and the wheelhouse patch panels. Which should I replace first. I am also replacing the trunk drop off due to rust. I am going to flange the panels and install under the good rear fender metal. Right now if I cut out for the wheelhouse panel I don't have a really good outer wheel well lip to attach to and there are none for a '67 Cutlass convertible that I can find. (Side question - will a '67 Chevelle or GTO work?) I am thinking that the best approach is to install the new trunk drop off, then the lower quarter panel, and lastly the wheelhouse patch panel. Looking for input. Thanks.

Pics to follow.

ent72olds

Jay, remove all three. Then, if you have enough vice grips or some other method of being able to attach the pieces without making them permanent, fit and trim, fit and trim again until everything fits perfectly. Once all three are trimmed and test fitted to where you want them, then begin welding. Do the wheel house first. Then test fit the two remaining panels. After verifying everything still fits, proceed to the drop down. I believe the forward part of that is welded to the back of the wheelhouse. Once that is in, proceed to the out panel. Don't forget, just spot weld until completely sure.

Run to Rund

I have some rust free sheet metal in Nevada but getting it to you might make it too costly, depending on the value of your project car.

Jay D

Eric, thanks for the info. That is the reverse of what I had in mind but I can see where you want the wheelhouse to have a solid base to weld to. I know it is time consuming but patience is what gives a good product. Years ago I worked in the aerospace industry building Navy A4s. A lot of sheet metal work doing that but it was aluminum and everything was mostly pre-cut; just a lot of trimming.

Do you thing the lap weld will be OK? I have seen a couple of videos online and they used the lap weld method instead of a butt weld. I know that I will still have to run tack welds and fill those in by moving around the patch panel.


Run to Rund, thanks for the offer but I have already purchased the patch panels. I would have rather had good rust free original but there are none to be had around Missouri. How about outer wheelhouses? Have a right and left? Those shouldn't be too bad on shipping.

Run to Rund

I don't have wheelhouses separate; that would require destroying the quarter panel, etc. to get.

ent72olds

Jay, the lap weld will be fine if you aren't concerned with how the inside of the trunk looks. You have plenty to work with there. Just takes much more use of plastic filler to get the panel proper IMO. If you have any welding experience, practice with some scrap doing butt welds. If I knew how to use this I Pad better, I would attach a link to my thread in the Major Builds section. I do plenty of welding on this car, and have plenty of detailed pics. Check it out, and see if they can help....'70 Vista Cruiser Project.......LOL, actually, the link is below my sig.....good luck and keep us updated!

Jay D

Erik,
Great thread! Kept me busy all afternoon and I learned quite a bit about "fabrication, fitting, and trimming".

dancutlass

Are those the Sherman wheelhouse patch panels? If so, I would highly recommend not to use them! I put them on my 66 cutlass, and the fit and quality was very bad!
Check out my build thread (link is in my signature) and you can see what I mean!

Jay D

Dan, No, they are Year One panels. I have mocked them up and so far the fit is pretty close. I will look at the thread.

What are you doing in Germany? Spent 6.5 years in Germany, Fulda and Illesheim AAF, and really loved it.

Just looked through your build thread. Great job. You have something to be really proud of.

dancutlass

Seems like you had more luck then! fingers crossed how does the wheel opening look, compared to the fender for example?

I'm currently studying in Munich, and I've spent my entire life here
Do you speak a little german then, too?
Glad that you liked it here!
I have to admit I've neither been to Fulda, nor to Illesheim, but I'm sure Illesheim was beautiful, because it's in Bavaria

Jay D

The outer wheelhouse is toast. If I cannot find a repop or an original I will have to fabricate the wheelhouse lip. The panel lines up well with the current body lines.

I speak enough German to get by in the local gasthouse so I would not starve or die of thirst.

Jay D

OK, I have the driver's side wheelhouse panel cut out and decided to start on the trunk floor drop off and the wheelhouse repair. Drilled the spot welds on the drop off and pitched it to the side. Grabbed the new repop and wouldn't you know it, wrong one. Checked the Goodmark part number on Goodmarks website and they say it is for both 66-67 Chevelle and 66-67 Cutlass. Wrong! Not even close. I called Rapid Auto Parts, who I bought if from, and they told me not to put too much faith in the Goodmark parts interchange listings. Rapid is trying to find me the correct drop offs but until then I guess I will see what I can salvage from what I removed. Luckily I didn't take a cutoff wheel to it.

FYI, the Goodmark parts numbers are GMK403173566L/GMK403173566R. This is the website: http://www.goodmarkindustries.com/Ol...1-735-66l.aspx

Anyone have a source for '67 Cutlass trunk floor drop offs?

Jay D

So I cleaned up the original drop off and tacked it back in. Needed something so I could lay out the lower quarter panel for marking and cutting.

What is the difference between a "trunk filler extension" and a "trunk floor drop off"? I found reference to both on different repop websites today when looking for the "trunk floor drop off". The picture for the "trunk filler extension" looks just like the "trunk floor drop off" but was not clear enough and could not enlarge enough to match it to what mine looks like. Inquiring minds want to know.