I'm a newbie and this is my first post, I didn't see an answer in the forums so thought I would ask. I am replacing my 69 firebird trunk pan and the right shock towers is bad along with the right frame rail. I bought a new shock tower and frame rail but haven't bought the Full trunk pan yet. After looking at it my question is do I need the shock tower patch panel? The full trunk pan says it has all the braces and "shock cutouts". The shock tower doesn't have any holes cut for shock mounting.
Thanks for any help you can give me this is my first car project and I'm 57 lol

Did I explain myself correctly or am I just so far out of my league with this question that I shouldn't even be trying this. I thought someone might have an opinion. Everybody has to start somewhere

I know I lack the expertise/experience to answer your question. That's likely the case for many others here.

Thanks for responding anyway. I have always wanted this car and got it for 1000.00 needs lots of tlc but I'm trying, replaced floor pans and have new frame rail to install previous owner blew the original motor but replaced it with a 400 crate and he says only about 10,000 miles on motor. Just looking for all the advice I can get.

Hi, I would never wish to discourage anyone from digging into a project like this and like wovenweb says no one is judging you or your abilities. If this is your first attempt at welded panel replacement then I would recommend that you start with an easier project like maybe the bottoms of your fenders or inner fenders under your battery.
The full trunk floor will include the shock mount, you may have to save a reinforcement off of the old one to install on the new panel. The trunk floor replacement usually requires tailpanel removal and often is done in conjunction with quarter panel replacement as well as both trunk dropoff panels. With replacing a frame rail at the same time you may be able to get the panel in from underneath. One of the keys to success on this project will be how you support the rest of the body during this time when you will have very little strength in the back end. I would remove the interior, 1/4 glass, back glass and anything else with any weight in the back of the car and either remove or protect anything that may be damaged by sparks or welding. Large pieces of cardboard work well for this. The body should be supported under the rocker panels and under the front subframe so that the remaining weight in the front of the car is neither hanging down or lifting in the firewall area. Remember its a unibody and uses the combination of all of its pieces to give it its strength. A brace across the door opening from the top of the quarter to the lower door hinge area is also a good idea.
Although this is a big project for a newbie, if you have some mechanical skills and some welding skills and lots of time you should be ok. Please do not try to do this with structural adhesive. save those products for minor non structural patchwork. good luck . Neill

Thank you Neil, I appreciate your help very much. I have all the glass out, all the interior out, the motor, Transmission and front clip are also off.
I will take your advice and use the bracing and support the frame under the rocker panels. I am learning as I go and have some friends that are good at welding so hopefully I will be ok.

I did a shock tower replacement, one frame rail and full truck floor. It's doable but a pretty big job. Lots of cutting and fitting. A good experienced welder would have made it much easier. I got it done and after grinding looks ok. Good luck.

Thanks Larry, I knew this car was going to be a big project when I bought it but it's been a dream of mine to have one so it's worth it. I have to replace one full quarter and and a quarter skin too had a vinyl top and want to take it off, would also like to make it a 4 speed but that might come after I have it up and running. I have heard the trans and rear ends are hard to find and expensive.

Im in the midst of my restoration as well..have done the rear frame rails, shock towers, immer and outer wheelhouses, inner and outer tail panel, drop offs and extensions as well as both full quarters..welding in bracing and taking measurements are extremely important..there are conflicting rear frame rail measurements floating around, so getting them while the originals are still in is important. As far as the shock towers go, there are two sections, the structural mount and the pan section itself. My mounting sections were still good (still have the replacement sections I bought that I dont need) and my truck was in decent shape, so I just cut out the pan sections and but welded them in place. They come with no holes in them so placement is easier, and then you just drill out the holes from underneath using the structural tower holes as a template..makes proper placement of them a cinch.
As for frame rail replacement, like I said measure, measure, measure, the must be placed right or your rear will be all out of whack. As for welding them, unless you are en experienced welder with the proper tools I would ask a pro to do the actual welding or be sure to practice a lot before attempting it...they are a critical amd structural part of the entire rear of the vehicle. Need any help/pointers feel free to email me.

Thanks Captngeetch I am going to NPD this Saturday to pick up my trunk pan. They told me I didn't need the shock tower panels if I were buying the Full trunk pan. I am taking it from you post I will need them and I have already bought both sides anyway, I wasn't sure how they fit on without the holes pre drilled in them. So the patch panels go under the full trunk pan? I can't really find a good picture of how these mount together.