Technical 31 coupe 1/4 panel ..can I graft a roadster repop 1/4??

Question to the hotrod knowledge base. Has anyone used a 31 roadster 1/4 panel on a 31 coupe with success? Thinking if I cut along the red line and graft on my coupe this could work??? See pic below for stupid idea…i realize the inner fender is different but what about the fitment ?

 

Don’t shoot me if I’m wrong.
I think the coupe QTR is taller. But they share the same deck lid.
I’d say yes. But maybe will have to add a little.height

but I’m going off memory. Been a few years since I mess with an A
I’ve seen 32 and 33/4 coupes using the roadster wheel house area. Looks good.

 

First an FYI, whatever vendor you are shopping at can't tell a 30-31 from a 28-29.

Next, they are not a direct fit on your cut line. As Anthony alluded, the height is different. If you could save all your coupe beltline, and make the cut an inch or two below, the swap should probably be doable.

 

no sir, the beadwork top to bottom along the trunk opening is different... as is the thickness of the beltline...
your pix are 28-29 i think they could be used coupe to roadster, but not 30-31...

 

Thanks guys! Looking for an original 1/4 then or farm out the handwork as I don’t have the English wheels etc. heres what i’m up against. It’s salvageable but was hoping for an easier way out.

 

I may be missing something, but what you have looks pretty good to me. I’d work with that

correction- now I see it. I’d still consider fiberglass

keep and eye out here and other places. They occasionally show up, or at least parts.

 

Try to build it.
Ya might learn something.
It can be done without an English wheel

 

Never sand or grind on damaged areas like that, you'll just end up thinning the metal even more. To remover paint/filler you should use a propane torch with a "fishtail" tip, once the paint/filler starts to melt, scrub the area clean with a wire brush.

 

I did it. Its a lot of work, but very happy with the outcome.

 

EXCELLENT!

 

Wow that’s some great sheetmetal work. I assume the notch was cut to transition the two panel beads?

 

The bodyline of the roadster quarter panel heads uphill quite a bit more than the stock coupe profile, i cut out a section of the roadster panel and realigned it a touch to line up properly with the coupe body line. The body lines are significantly different widths (roadster being about 1.25" wide and the coupe being more like 7/8" or so). I basically just terminated the roadster body line and made a round end for it where it met... It ends up looking almost factory. The Bottom body line of the roadster panel is also much wider than the stock coupe door profile, but unless you get down on your knees, its un-noticeable.

The roaster quarters are also much wider, it gives the back of the car more of a 32' coupe profile. Most noticeable if you compare the wheel wells depths of the coupe quarter versus a stock coupe.

Now that I've been through it and mine is done, i prefer the look 100x over the stock coupe quarters that dive inwards heavily behind the quarter window.

 

Considering I have wheelwells and and 2 quarter patches to weld in this looks like less work for me actually. Thanks so much for taking time to post this information!

 

It looks like you put a lot of thought into the project before you started. You did it well.

 

Hotrod31A : I needed the same piece for my A coupe and couldnt find one. So , limited to just hand tools ,I made a hammerform. Using 1/4"CR flat bar stock. Took some fanigaling and a few cuss-words ,but it turned out OK. Had to borrow a shrink/stretcher . Only wish I had made it full length ,instead of the filler section I needed to replace.
Stan

 

Wow tons of talent here!! Looking at this option as well as entertaining repurposing current patch panels available. The lower cowl patch available has a similar body line width and shape. I have a shrinker stretcher and basic tools to try and pull it off. Researching as much as I can before jumping off that cliff…

 

Hey Telecaster_6, did you consider cutting along the top of the bead line and completely replacing the original bead? Will this work?

 

Hey !

I am curious to know more about the hammer form, in particular the width of the flat stock and dimensions of the plate it’s welded to. I would like to make one up myself.

I know someone with a 30 Roadster with the beads missing along the flange, it was cutdown into a pickup so the inner flanges were cut away to accomodate a bed.

He wants me to make up the missing sections, as I have all the equipment needed to do it, the only thing stopping me is getting correct width of the bead.

The area I need to fabricate is highlighted below.

 

Unfortunately that body line was also not even close to being the same between the roadster and coupe panels. Amazing how different they were being the same year.

 

Update.. decided to invest in some tools and try my hand at panel fab.
English wheel ,planishing hammer and bead roller. As usual I went overboard full send, don’t know any other way lol.
First try using a bought panel ended up looking like a hersheys kiss wadded up wrapper lol.
Second try was a little better just freehanded a bead from 18 gauge and went to work with the shrinker to make it fit. Wasn’t trying for a perfect bead just trying to see if I could make the compound curve.
My head hurts from all the learnin haha.
Next try will be for keeps..