Hi Guys,

On 70-72 A-body cars what's going on at the seam between the rear quarter panel and the rocker panel? I'm talking the area of the rear quarter between the door jam and the rear wheel opening. Looking at a bunch of original cars it looks like there was something put in that seam at the factory, but I've never had a quarter panel off so I don't know exactly what is going on. Maybe it's lead? It's obvious the gap between the quarter and rocker is filled in with something....anybody know what?

Another question. When you install a replacement quarter how does that lower section I'm talking about above attach? I mean is it spot welded to the rocker from quarter panel access in the back seat area....or is there no connection between the lower quarter and the rocker?

thanks,
bob

 

There's a lip along the bottom that goes inwards...as you mention....and yes, it's spot welded to the top of the rocker (access from inside the car as you stated).

As far as filling the gap - after it's installed and hopefully some good epoxy primer is sprayed over the seam you should use a autobody quality urethane chaulk to "fill" the gap. As you can see, it's not filled in to the point of trying hide the gap. Something as simple as your finger can be used to squeegee the chaulk down in there once it's applied.

 

A little trick to do when applying the caulk in that seam is to run a piece of masking tape parallel to the seam just slightly above and below that seam. Apply the caulk, run you finger over it, remove the tape and run your finger over it again to smooth out the edges where the tape was. Do this quickly so the caulk doesn't start to dry and get a "skin" to it. It will give a nice neat appearance. The key is to not fill the seam to the point that it's flush with the panel but rather put caulk in there to seal it. The caulk should sit slightly lower than the surrounding metal. So go easy when you apply the caulk.

 

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the replies.....it all makes sense now. I also found a pic of the back side of a quarter panel on Ebay and I can see the holes where it will be welded to the rocker panel. I hear ya on applying the caulk.....I guess the intent of the caulk is not to fill the entire cavity between the quarter and the rocker, just a bead to keep all the crap out. You guys are great........thanks!!

regards,
bob