[6x400gmc]

I would like to know how to proceed with my project. My car as it sits now ( 1975 Trans AM, 73 nose ) runs and drives better than anything I've ever owned before. I just finished an auto to manual conversion, installed new carpet, and was in the process of installing new door seals. I started finding rust on the drivers side quarter, and now I'm not sure how to proceed. What turned out to be a "little rust" ended up being holes you could put your fist in. Needless to say, when I bought the car two years ago none of this was evident when I went to look at it.

Here are some pictures.



Pretty self explanatory - A rust hole in the roof, a rather large hole in the jamb area - right where the window seal mounts. That was filled in with a ball of paper covered with bondo. I didn't know that hole was there until I pulled the old window seal off, and the bondo/paper wad came with it.



I pulled the rear wheel spoiler off and found this jewel. There was a large gob of bondo in there. Also, some small rust holes in the lower jamb. The rocker looks okay though.



Still a big wad of bondo that's stuck in the hole. It won't come out.



Close up of the roof hole.



The back glass. No rust on the passenger side, but this side has several holes. You just can't see them because I re-glued the back glass in with liberal amounts of clear silicone. Just to keep the rain out.



I don't know for sure, but it looks like the quarter has moved over relative to the trunk lid. The lid has the correct gap on the passenger side.



Typical lower rear quarter damage. Inside panel has bondo/fiberglass packed on. Rust is starting to bubble out.


I have a 1979 Firebird body sitting next to this one that has been hit in the passenger lower cowl/rocker panel area. The floors are trashed but the rear quarters are in good shape. Should I cut patches out of the 79 to repair the holes, or should I just try and cut out the entire quarter and it replace it that way?

Thanks.

Britt

[pontiacstogo]

Originally Posted by 6x400gmc

I have a 1979 Firebird body sitting next to this one that has been hit in the passenger lower cowl/rocker panel area. The floors are trashed but the rear quarters are in good shape. Should I cut patches out of the 79 to repair the holes, or should I just try and cut out the entire quarter and it replace it that way?

If you have quarters available, I'd go with replacing them fully. That way you can get access to the outer wheelhouses, trunk extensions and door pillars to see what needs patched.

[3tas4me]

With an almost non-existant gap between the quarter panel and trunk lid on the drivers side, if the passenger side is normal, the car may have been hit on the drivers side in the rear just hard enough to tweak the rear rail towards the center. You may want to get the specs and do a little bit of measuring back there.