I have a 72 cutlass that's straight and pretty solid but am going to end up replacing lower 1/4's. My question is where do you recommend buying the body parts and why? I've heard horror stories about panels not lining up which they never really do 100% but some places are better than others. So for those of you who have actually been down this road, please chime in:
Goodmark
Year One
OPGI
Or ???

 

I deleted your other double post. The Metal panels are hit and miss but usable. Your best bet is to find pieces from actual parts cars when possible.

 

Goodmark supplies almost everything to all the other places. Buy the cheapest ones and use them as patch panels, only replacing what's bad

 

Thanks for the replies

 

I've had good luck with AMD when doing my Chevelle.

 

As I told a friend this weekend ... any mechanic can do 'structural' body work .. but a real body man is an artist. Any panel, even NOS and OEM are only 'close'. Watched an episode of 'How it's made: Dream cars" this weekend. BMWs. Part of the process was passing the car through a barred light inspection and then body working the defects that were there on factory fresh stampings that haven't even had their first coat of paint yet. A good body man can make an average panel repair invisible. A mechanic can make a great part look like junk.

 

I have replaced many a panel. You need to adopt the attitude that a perfect fit will not happen out of the box. These panels are merely a good starting point. You will be lucky if it is not dented in shipping. I have heard that due to patent issues, the parts cannot be a "prefect duplicate". Whether that is true or not, expect to spend days and days trimming, fitting, welding, grinding, hammering, filling and block sanding through many coats and grits. Also, letting the fillers and primers and sealer cure & dry for days, if not weeks will ensure less shrinking. If you have no patience, send it out.

 

The only way to avoid a lot of hand labor to fit repro panels is to get used OEM sheet metal from desert parts cars. It's worth the cost for a car that you care about.