I'm about to replace the entire inner quarter panel****embly on my '57 Chevy, 2 door hardtop. The unit I have purchased is the mini tubbed version from Real Deal Steel. All the info I have found on this repair suggests that the outer quarter panel must be removed first. Has anyone replaced one of these without removing the outer quarter panel? Please note that the entire floor/trunk panels are removed from the body, which should be a big help, and the body is off the frame. Thanks
rodbender57 Based on the available information (or lack thereof) The trifive rear wheel housing/rear quarter/inner quarter area seems to be a mystery on how to disassemble/patch/reassemble especially if you have never seen the inside before. I would suspect at a minimum there would be spotwelds where the inner and outer quarter pieces touch that would need to be separated. It would be worth a call to inquire how to install these pieces based on how much you have disassembled. Real Deal Steel Contact Tel: 407-585-1957 1220 East 30th Street Sanford, FL 32773 Email: info@realdealsteel.com Store Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm EDT The following sounds like a lot of work to avoid removing the outer quarter. But if the top of the existing inner quarter is in good shape, you may consider using a cutwheel to carefully cut the existing inner quarter close to where the two inner and outer pieces join. Then set the new piece in place and scribe where your previous cut matches on the new piece. fit/trim into place and spot weld. My 57 was blown apart and all the parts were stacked in the car when I bought it. Both of the outer quarters had been repaired using 3 or 4 pieces cobbled together on each side and bondoed/primered. It actually looked decent. However when I had the car****essed for painting, they could see in the wheelhousing because the wheelwell extension was not installed yet. They pointed out that the car appeared to have been left outside in the weather, and the inner welding was rusted. They would not guarantee the paint unless they replaced the quarters, so that is what I had them do. I attached some photos of what the car looked like with the quarter removed, so perhaps that will help you visualize your task. The links below are not exactly what you need do do, however, they will give you some views into the area you will need to work in. Trifives are mostly the same****embly in the rear wheel housing and inner trunk. websearch how to replace a inner quarter panel on a 57 chevy How to Replace a Quarter Panel on a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air - The Full Quarter Solving the Tri-Five quarter-panel blues, thanks to Real Deal Steel. http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/pa...place-a-quarter-panel-1955-chevrolet-bel-air/ Building a 56 in the backyard. http://www.trifive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128960 How hard is it to replace this inner quarter? http://www.trifive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91810 1957 chevy belair full quarter panel replacement 1957 Chevy Bel air frame off restoration (Danny)
Do you need to replace all that metal? or do you want to replace it? My philosophy is to replace as little metal as is necessary, and leave as much original metal as possible. If you only need to replace the wheel tub, then only replace the wheel tub. If there is rust in the upper parts of the inner fender, then you probably ought to remove the outer quarter panel, too. You will probably want to replace the outer, as well, right? It's only money.
Willy_P, Thanks for all the great info and pics. Your car looks great. I really like the colors. I have already emailed Joe at Real Deal Steel. His knowledge is basically limited their build process for a complete body. The first subassemblies they set in their jig are the floor/trunk panels and the inner quarter panel****emblies. He didn't think I could install an inner quarter without removing the outer, but I don't have the floor/trunk pans in my way. The inner quarter only contacts the outer at the lip around the trunk opening. The wheelhouse lower flap is spot welded to the outer quarter in one spot. The inner is also attached at the B pillar. The rest is attached at the C pillar and under the package tray. So much of mine is rusted away around the wheelhouse that it would cost nearly as much to buy the front patch, wheelhouse, minitub, rear patch & rear corner patch as it would cost to buy the complete****embly. Also, I don't want a Frankenstein of a pieced together repair, even if it's almost all hidden. I have looked at it long and hard, and I'm pretty sure I can do it without cutting into the outer quarter panel. I will add some pics over the next couple of days. Thanks again!
You should consider some serious cross braceing from every possible angle before cutting out that much structure. The body will twist and it will be difficult to get it all back in alignment. Lots of tack welds and measureing before making it solid.
Here is another article that may interest you. My son bought me a Currie 9- inch diff with stock 57 perches so I chose not to disturb the spring perches for wider tires. This article addresses both wheel tubs and moving spring perches. http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/pa...eeltubs-narrow-tri-five-chevy-spring-perches/
aaggie, this was my brother's car in the 80's. Against our Father's advice, he took the body off the frame without installing ANY bracing in the late 80s. He lost interest in it and the car and frame sat on the ground in our parents back yard until my father built a garage in the mid 90s. At that time, he had the garage builder to scoop the body up with a skidsteer loader and deposit it on the new foundation of the garage. The body is surely completely distorted. At this point I'm holding everything together with sheetmetal screws until I have the inner quarter, floor/trunk, tail pan, doors and deck lid back on and everything bolted to the frame. I know it's going to be a struggle to get everything realigned, but that's where I am. Thanks
Willy_P, I had the chassis together before I ever got the body started. Had a 9" narrowed. Ladder links w/coilovers. Stock front suspension with dropped spindles and lowering springs and disk brake conversion. This is a picture with the mock up 427 tall deck in it.
I wish. I have wondered if there is anybody who could take my body, put it in one of these and weld it together. It sure would simplify things.
Yep, and having everything clamped and located on the interior like that wouldn't guarantee that the exterior panels would align, but it would be a good starting point.
If you watch the YouTube video I posted, that is about as scary as it gets, but Danny and his buddies took it slow, and it came out fine ...a roof and a****le for $500...LOL
I came across that video a couple of weeks ago and it is one of the reasons I wondered if I had to cut the outer quarter panel off to replace the inner quarter panel, as Danny says they did. I was going to send Danny an email, but I noticed that his grandkid posted that Danny had since passed. Very sad.
Just a quick update. I spent the morning finding and drilling out spot welds. I am definitely going to be able to remove and install the inner quarter without removing the outer quarter. I'll post some pics soon. I have it about 1/2 way removed now.
Rodbender, that is a ton of work. When I was restoring mine, the wheelhouses fell out. In the early 90s, the inner panel wasn't readily available so I made my own pieces to hold the wheelwells. Yes, lots of work but WAY LESS than what you are doing. I moved the wells in so they are up against the frame and added a strip in the middle to make up the difference. My own mini tubs. That was my first fabrication on an old car. Still holding up and looking ok after 8 years of driving. Sent from my SM-G900V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
That's sweet. The hard part, I'm afraid, will be getting everything aligned again. I would rather plug weld 100 holes than make 10' of bead welds that have to be ground, filled and smoothed. Those mini tub mods are A LOT of work too, and I don't have the floor /trunk pans in my way.
To all those guys that told me it couldn't be taken out without removing the outer quarter panel, ... PFFFTT! ☺
I'll take a few more pics and post a step by step explanation as to what to expect, in case anyone else is facing this task.
Sure, you didn't have to remove the quarter, you took everything from the other side of the wheelhouse away.
As I stated earlier, I had been told by several experienced sources that I would have to remove the outer quarter panel anyway, including Real Deal Steel.
Yes. What's that saying? "There's more than one way to skin a cat." Outside/in. or Inside/out. You're doing a great job.
Well, there she is. Only took a couple of hours of bending, jacking, pushing, pulling, beating and squeezing to fit it in place. All in all, I'm pretty happy with the fit. Floorpan is coming next.
Very slow. I have the floor in and everything is held together with sheetmetal screws. Been working on the trunk area and getting the door gaps adjusted.
Wow! There wasn't a lot of '57 Chevy left in a couple of those last pictures you posted!!! I love these kind of reads - excellent work!
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