Along with the car came partial quarter panel skins. I would have bought full panels, but as I had these they would be the ones to be used. First I test fit the quarters alone to decide how much modification they would need. It appeared that these Taiwanese replacement panels needed some. The panel looks good but it is not perfect. The flanges facing the door post and rocker panel needed some bending as well as the area to meet the rear edge by the rear lamps. The biggest error was although that the ridge on the lower part did not at all meet it's counterpart in the door. It was kind of too high. This can be treated by lowering it but it will have the same effect on the upper ridge which would not align correctly. The importance of having the door in place is obvious. Should it not have been there I would later have had BIG trouble. Now we are talking about compromises. You need to split the error and accept what you got. So after many times of test fitting and bending I was able to proceed to fit the fender with the outer wheel well.
 |
| Checking the overall fit using clamps |
The Taiwanese outer wheel well was neither a perfect fit. Once I was enough certified that it would match the inner well and the fender I finally was encouraged to weld it in.
 |
| Outer wheel well finally welded |
I bought a pneumatic tool to punch the edge so that the new sheet metal can overlap the old. Then some primer was spread over the areas which are hard to enter later.
 |
| Overlap has been punched on the upper edge |
 |
| Acid primer was applied |
I used clamps and screws for holding the fender in correct position then little by little welded the seam trying to avoid over heating the sheet metal. The quarter end tip was used to guide the shape while welding the rear to the tail panel and to the trunk drop off.
 |
| Self -tapping screws help attaching the panel |
The process was repeated on the passenger side with the exception that it had already been replaced before. This caused more trouble as the overlap had been screwed, welded and patched with brass, so it was a nightmare to remove all the unwanted material and still have some left to attached the new sheet metal to. Despite the rougher ground to start with I ended up with slightly better result on the passenger side. On both sides the wheel flares need to be massaged to make a correct angle and fit.
After the major panels were attached it was time for a summer break with this build. I prepared the car for some 2k epoxy primer and had it hauled to my other garage at my parents' basement.
 |
| The tail lamp panel may need to be replaced later |
I took one winter to reach this first big milestone of this project. Surely it will require a lot of welding during the next winter as well. But now it was time for summer and cleaning up the workshop for Destiny's arrival.
