Beob

Does anybody know where I can find a pair of convertable quarters for a 68-69 442. My welder said he can make ht quarters work, but I was curious if any were available? Also, Im looking for the molding that runs along the side of the car from bumper to bumper along fender door and quarter. Thanks

rcorrigan5

From what I recall, they don't make replacement quarters for the 68-69 convertibles. And, unless you get lucky, they are pretty hard to find on an original. I had to replace the driver side quarter on my '68. What the body shop did is exactly what your welder said to you; they bought a replacement quarter for a hardtop and altered it to fit a convertible. They took out everything about 3" below the top of the rear quarter and fit the re-pop in its place. It took some time but the body shop did a great job; they showed me their progress along the way; and I think it turned out real nice. As far as the moldings go, you should be able to find the fender and door moldings fairly easily. Finding that long piece on each side for convertibles will take some time and a lot of money! The quarter moldings are scarce. Good luck on your project. Randy C.

joe_padavano

They don't make replacement quarters for 68-69 hardtops either, just the Chinesium partial quarters.

Note that 68 and 69 quarters are different due to the taillights. The partial quarters only go to the peak of the fender and thus fit both, however "fit" is being generous. You'll be miles ahead if you can find good rust-free OEM fenders.

kaz442

If you need a set of quarters I have a pair. I picked then up in a package deal so I have no idea whos make they are.


Only thing I notice is theres no hole for the rear marker light??
If your interested let me know. I'll sell them cheap.
Jkaz

Beob

Thanks Randy, Thats what I figured but I thought Id ask anyway. Id love to find those quarter moldings, I guess thats why Ive been seeing several restos lately without those moldings. Thanks, Rob

Beob

Hey JKaz, If I cant find them locally I will let you know. Thanks, Rob

rcorrigan5

Ditto Joe's comments on the Chinesium partial quarters - that's what I got. The Chinese metal certainly isn't of the highest in quality and fit. We didn't find anything original in our search for the real stuff, though, and time was starting to become a factor. I was fortunate that the body shop I used has some real good people and they did a great job with what they had. Now, if you have your old moldings but they are just bent, they can be straightened by a good stainless steel person. I understand that, even if they are broken or split, they can be welded and made to look like new. One thing I found out about the moldings is that they are stainless steel and flash-chromed (I polished right through the flash chrome to the stainless on my passenger side quarter molding). I had to take that piece to a chromer to have the flash chrome removed, and then to a stainless steel polisher (cost $108 just to do that one piece) and then back to the chromer to get it flash-chromed again. I guess patience is the key factor in keeping a restoration going the way you want it to go. And lots of money doesn't hurt, either. I'm hoping those quarters that kaz442 has will do the job for you - they look like the real deal! Randy C.

lil_no

I just brought quarters from a company called Tabco. Here's their website www.tabcobodyparts.com.

Their quarters are the same thickness as the original metal and have a galvanzied coating on them instead of the black e-coat. They are also produced in the USA. The ones stamped in taiwan are made of a lighter gauge sheetmetal.

Just a thought and my two cents.

P.S. The quarters kaz442 has for sale appear to be the exact or similar to the ones produced by tabco.

Beob

kaz, im interested in quarters

awningman67

I have seen original quater panels for sale in Hemmings Motor News for big bucks. I'm not sure what the going hourly rate for a decent body man would be in your neck of the woods but I would definitely compare the cost of modifying the new panels with welding in originals.