Yeah okay then. I think it's about time for the O/P to grab a flashlight and look inside the 1/4's and try to figure out what went on there , and how to fix it, instead of worrying about bear claws right now.. ;-)
Been out of town for work, just got back. Sorry for the late reply. So here is the picture of the inside of the quarter, I didn't see anything that makes it look like it was replaced. I'll be in town for a few more days before I go out again so let me know if another picture is needed or a angle
First thing I do in a situation like this is remove the lid from the hinges entirely (can you take the hinges out, or can you at least remove the springs? Not sure on a shoebox Ford but the idea is to take the hinges completely out of the equation) and then drop the lid down in the hole. With no hinge attachment whatsoever, can the lid be positioned in the hole with good gaps? If it can, it's a hinge/adjustment issue. If it can't, either the trunk is deformed, or the opening it fits into is. At that point you either need to start tweaking the trunk lid to fit the opening or tweaking the opening to fit the hole. Likely it's not the lid but you could make a paper pattern of the shape of the right hand side and transfer it to the left side to see if it matches. Just trace the shape of the side of the lid onto a big piece of cardboard and flip it over to the other side. If it matches, the lid is likely not the issue. This body is very fixable, it does not need a whole rear clip. The fit is poor, and it certainly needs work, but I don't think it's nearly as bad as others are making it out to be, I've fixed way worse **** than that with good results.
Post your results, I'm curious. Once you know where the issue is, it should be pretty straight forward to help you figure out how to correct it.
So with just setting the deck lid on the back. It comes pretty close to lining up. If you look at the trunk bracket the driver side looks bent out compared to the other side.
This is helpful. Next thing I would do is, get the front edge of the trunk lid lined up real nice, using paint sticks as shims or whatever you can, duct tape, I don't care, just so that the lid has the best possible gaps especially along the top (just behind the rear window) and also on the p***enger side where it already fits decently. Once you have that mocked up, see if you can bend the trunk hinges into place so they line up nicely with the holes in the lid. A little tweaking can go a long way. Once you have them lined up, bolt them up from underneath and remove your tape or shims or whatever you used. Now the hinges are no longer an issue. At that point, any other mis-alignment will be from the shape of the trunk lid, or the shape of the opening. Take a big piece of cardboard and make a profile outline of the p***enger side of the lid, then flip it over to the driver's side and see if it matches. If it's the same, then it's the quarter panel that needs to be bent back into shape. If it's different, it's the trunk lid. What you've done is a good first step. Keep working the issue and I'm sure you can get acceptable gaps out of this car.
Before I do that I'm going to try and brace up the back seat area. When they chopped the car I guess they didn't finish welding the area under the gl***. I think that could also be a reason it won't line up. What do you think?
That's a huge part of your issue, which I was unaware of until now. Definitely need to have that area solid before any hinge maneuvering can go on. Probably best to cut that rear window out to do the welding, easier access and you won't ruin the gl***. The gasket appears to be shot anyway. I probably would not put the gl*** back in until you have the rear quarter and trunk lid fitting up properly, since more cutting/welding and/or bending/straightening may have to take place to get everything aligned happily.
I just noticed something on post # 15, pic 1. Does it look like the lower left quarter, behind the wheel is bowed out? A cardboard pattern could be made to fit the right side and flipped to check the left. From what I see, anything is possible here. I still think the problem is in the 1/4. Yes, the package tray and hinges are an issue but I can't imagine the deck lid could be twisted and distorted that much. The would be hard to do , and even harder to straighten.
sounds like a plan, im going to tape some carbord under the cut area and then outline the cuts to make a template. i think its 16g steel there
not yet, had a series of things happen with life, BUT will be back to the car hopefully soon. i have done some little things to the car. taken apart gauges/cleaned 12v-6v reducers. sanded down dash and painted. picked up a few parts. im going to do a build thread here soon to help me keep everything straight
The deck lid certainly can be twisted/distorted and not fit the fender curvature... Mine was.. but it's a '49..
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