Getting ready to dive in to panel replacement on my 59 Elky. I have all the panels to replace both sides. Will be replacing the rockers and the rear quarters from the spear line down all the way back. The rear quarter panels are two piece. and will join up somewhere near the center of the wheel well. Looking for input from you metal guys about the best way to go about removing the existing panels and lining up the new ones to be sure I don't screw up. I'm sure I can figure it out as I go but helpful tips would be great.
Are these original type replacement Panels? Will they go back on like the Og ones? If so what I like to do to get rid off the old spot welds is use a Die Grinder with a half worn Cut Off Wheel ( smaller dia, less Metal removed...) And just grind down the part off the Spotweld thats in the Top Panel. Every other way I've tried to remove the old spot welds leaves a mess that has to be repaired before the new Panel can go on...
These are original type replacement panels. They will replace the entire existing panels. I've made and installed small patch panels before on the 41 but nothing that actually removed all of the existing panels. Is there any order in which it woudl be easier to go? I plan on making the horizontal seem where it will be under the spear when it is re-installed. But I'm wondering If I should go one panel at a time, remove the rocker, put the new one on, then cut the front half of the rear quarter off, put that one on, then cut the rear half of the rear quarter and replace that one. Doe sthis make sense? I'm also using the curved parts of a four door roof to replace the forward parts of the inner wheel well that are eaten up... I plan on cutting the damage out and using that as an access hole to the backs of the panels, then filling that part back in afterwards.
Yeah, the car will tell you in which order the Panels need to go on. There are always overlapping seams, and the Top Panel goes on last. If you are concerned about loosing too many measurements ( or strength ), just cut enough off the Top Panel away so you can do the Lower one. Then cut away the rest, once the Lower Panel is replaced. Even Brand New NOS Panels need a little bit of adjusting to get them to fit right. Repro Panels usually need a little more... If you make a new ( non original ) seam under a piece of trim, you are not off the hook as far as warp goes. Cause if there is any, the Trim will make it visible...
With the exception of the rear edge of the rocker panels, there are no flanged seems... Should I flange where the rear quarters will meet each other vertically or just butt weld them? I have the super sexxxy butt weld clamps. Warpage ill be an issue. I've been reading the thread about it to try and educate myself but I will be mig welding.
I've done a couple of '57 rear lowers...and I started at the door and worked back...I, too, hid the seam under the chrome trim...and I, too, had to put the two pieces together at the wheel well... By starting at the door and going backward, it eliminates the guesswork when you're trying to fit the rearmost panel to the (in your case) rear pan... Remember, measure ten times, hold the panel up to the original panel to make sure the trim holes line up (if they are in your panel, otherwise put them in to go by) and cut ONLY once...weld sparingly...spot weld it in several inches apart...do the top, then the bottom, alternate them...weld slowly with the mig...it builds heat rapidly...go slow...you're in no hurry... R-
Always Butt Weld. I dont like to overlap the metal where it wasn't overlapped before. You create a moisture trap, and you have double thickness of the metal where you dont need it. That ( and the Weld ) will make it harder to work if you need to. I do a long Butt weld with a Mig this way. I try to get it to fit as nice as possible. And very carefully I try to get a row of Tack Welds 2 or 3" apart. with a gap of about 1/32" Then I count out 32 Tacks, 16, 8, 4, 2. , putting a new Tack inbetween the 2 or 3" distance. Cooling it right away with compressed air. Untill all the Tacks touch and form one Bead. That all sounds a bit compulsive, and I've had other Fab guys laugh at me for doing it that way. But my reasoning is that doing it that way the welds will pull evenly over the whole length of the Weld. And the Heat is an even distance away at all times. ( Compare it to the Torque sequence when you replace a Head Gasket...)
Yeah, I will be doing one side and then the other. I'm starting with the passenger side, just because It is the worst, I'm only replacing these parts because of rust, no dents. I like your method Alex, just anal enough for a guy like me to "get behind" it. Do you find yourself "bumping" it back out as you go?
Rashy Aren't there some panels inside of panels in the back I've seen some wagons that have a pretty complex network of support round the wheel arches and tail gate Please be sure you have everything ready to support the outside skin Been a long time since I have seen a 59 apart memory's not too good You got some magnets? Nice to hang everything and stand back to look
Too bad you didn't go to the Gene Winfield class with us, you could gas weld and hammer the welds flat. No warp at all. I think you're going to end up with some HUGE custom fins to cover the warpage.... Really though, Go slow like Alex said and plan on having to pound it out some. with that much realestate to weld the panel WILL sink with the heat no matter how slow you go. Maybe you could make some cardboard templates e so you know how much it moves, just compare it to the Biscayne and don't be affraid of it. If all else fails call Rev Jake, he went to the Winfield Class with us. When are you starting, maybe I'll take a vacation between jobs.
Starting Saturday morn... I'll still have the OG panels I cut off to look back at also, Tracy's car and the remains of the more door... I was out in the shop and it just dawned on me that my Mig welder will never reach. Gotta build an extension cable....
Hey Rashy, How's the door and tail gate alignment now? Good, I hope! You'll wanna have both of these installed prior to hanging any sheetmetal. All of these have to fit with good gaps. It's far easier to move those gaps before any welding goes down than during or after. Is it possible to weld this from the inside out? Weld the rockers to the quarters( after numerious fit- checks, of course) than weld the whole assembly to the fin and door jam? This way will yield better quality of welds and make for easier final welds at the splices & pinch welds? No? Use every fancy-dan clamp and zip screw ya got to hold the panels in "jus' tits" alignment and space those tacks and welds far apart to control heat damage. Swankey Devils C.C.
Metalshapes and PimpinPaint have said most of it and I would do it the way that they mention, every situation or person doing it will very slightly. One thing that was not mentioned that I would do is make sure that the car is setting on its wheels and tires and not on jack stands even though the 59 Elky has a full frame, if it is on jack stands it could cause you problems with the frame sagging or being a little tweaked. good luck and would like to see some pics of before and after.
The front wheels will be on ramps and the rear axle will be on jack stands. Should distributethe weight the same as on wheels. I need the wheels and tires out of the way in the back....
i know this is an old thread, but i just recently replaced all quarter panels front and rear, rockers, and alot of the inner structure on my 59' Elky...the rockers weren't too bad except for a few spots...i was on the fence on replacing them because the original panels seemed thicker than 16 ga. & the repopped panels were 18ga...i used 16 ga. for the inner structure.the 1st pic shows the inner structure completed...the pics ain't so good...its a camera phone..the 2nd pic shows the inner structure of the front quarter finished also the inner wheel well...i took off about 6" off the bottom and replaced it w/ new metal...on the inner wheel well i only took off about 2" or 3"...only the spots that were rusted through...the 3rd pic is the inner structure of the rear quarter....i made it out of 2 pieces...i lap welded the big piece..the next pic is the rear quarter intalled and tacked...the next 1 is the front quarter installed...a pic of the complete quarter installed and tacked...i would recommed to make sum type of contour gauge...theres alot of curves on that panel...also try not to take out too much metal to avoid gettin in the body lines...the rest of the pics are after it was primed and painted...this is the first time i've done this...its a novice job, but it worked out for me...i know i did a better job than the previous repair...it had about an 1/2 in. of bondo..i did get sum warpage, and its hard to get in there to hammer it out w/ all the inner panels...thats how i did it.. hope it helps out sum 1..
i had it on jack stands front and back...didnt sag...i used the door jamb as a reference, but i worked from the rear forward...goin the other way would have made more sense,but oh well its done...also, i wouldn't go all the way to the side molding line...it seems like alot to take out...and mine wasnt too rusty up there...although its a cali car..and i shaved it also...so i couldnt hide the weld line...
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