Im not going to lie, I'm pretty adventurous when I take on projects, but my rear tail panel is so beat up and bent it looks like replacing it may be easier than straightening and refinishing the existing. Here is what looks like is involved someone tell me if i Missing something or if I am crazy Removing tank separating panel from trunk channel separating seam from both rear fenders and then it looks like there may be some inner structural support attached to it?
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
Im giving this a bump hoping it gets noticed. I almost got the floor pans complete. I am planning to do this tail panel. I think I need to drop the tank, then I am going to replace trunk floor, tail panel and inner tail panel, but I have no idea what to expect or how to go about getting the old panel off. Any advice would be appreciated
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
I replaced that panel on my car. Not much fun at all.
Where is is beat up?
I would suggest that if you don't have to replace the whole thing, just splice out the bottom portion and hid the seam at the bumper line.
I spent hours along the bumper line drilling spot welds. There must have over 100 along there. The pinch weld at the bottom is not as bad. There is the pinch weld inside the 1/4 panel that has several spot welds and also some along the trunk channel.
Well I'm thinking it got hit in the rear and someone attempted to straighten it. Poorly. They may have tried to do it without removing the tank which could be why it looks so rough. I'm thinking of dropping the tank and tying a BFH. Then if that ain't work because the edges by the quarter panels look straight may be just cut out the face and trim the repair panel And weld it in.
What you think
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
Ok so I got the tail panel off with no damagd drilled 90% of the spot welds out. the damage looks mostly to the outside panel as the inner brace looks good, dont really want to remove as it hold the springs I have a replacement floor pan as near the gas filler it is buckled badly, my question is the roll up on the replacement panel is not as high the original and that roll up was where alot off the tail panel was attached. was that part an additional support or was the orignal trunk pan longer
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
The trunk pans I have replaced were all short along the tail panel edge and needed work to extend them with the correct lip to the tail panel.
Originals we definitely longer. The repop companies do not seem to care to take the time to re-tool for the correct length.
I think this was your question, but I'm not 100% sure.
I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure. I feel like I am diagonally parked in a parallel universe. 1968 400 convertible (Scarlet) 1976 T/A - 455 LE (No Burt) 1976 T/A New baby, starting full restoration. 1968 350 - 4 speed 'vert - 400 clone (the Beast!) 1968 350 convertible - Wife's car now- 400 clone (Aleutian Blue) (Blue Angel) 2008 Durango - DD 2008 GXP - New one from NH is AWESOME! 2017 Durango Citadel - Modern is nice! HEMI is amazing! 1998 Silverado Z71 - Father-daughter project 1968 400 coupe - R/A clone (Blue Pearl) (sold) 1967 326 convertible - Sold 1980 T/A SE Bandit - Sold
It was and you are correct the replacement trunk pan does not extend as far, what I did find out if you buy a full trunk replacement it includes the extra material to make that back support, only problem is it costs about $250 more.. I am going to try and save the buckled part by beating with a hammer but because it is welded to that inner support it may not want to flatten out forcing me to buy another panel. may be the easiest solution as I have the entire tail panel removed
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
I've decided to post pics of what Im doing maybe will help. Plus people can comment on my progress and mostly on how im doing it wrong, but thats ok I'd rather do it myself and say I built it than say I bought the car like this:
How deep I got into it:
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
Oh and from another thread here is where I got with the floors:
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
and the reason why I replaced the tail panel...a little smashed up
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
and how it looks after removal. not too bad very little damage after drill out welds:
I will take some more pics this weekend to show the buckling I am dealing with
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
Does look great, I did the same took a while. Don't get frustrated if the rounded edges don't line up great on the corners. Keep working with them and if you noticed there was quite allot of dum dum sealing them too. careful not to rip the quarters lips. Do. the best you can. I did use both a squeeze spot welder and mig on the lips inside...
69 RA III T/A Auto 69 Sprint vert 3speed ( sold to a new home) 69 350 coupe ( new home in Denver) 69 350 HO 4spd
thanks for the advice, what i did figure out is that the roll up on the trunk pan that spot welds to the tail panel is part of the FULL replacement truck pan. So I ordered one of those I think that will give me a better finish back there as it would be mostly guess work with out it trying to bend it back without knowing how much
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
Never got a pic of how rolled up the trunk pan was but after I drilled the welds out the inner tail brace bounced back in place. I need to do a little straightening of the panel but it is close
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
Ok so I got somewhere yesterday, just followed my plan and installed new floor pan and bent and welded inner tail brace in to match, then fit and tested and fit and tested new tail panel and .....well see below
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure. I feel like I am diagonally parked in a parallel universe. 1968 400 convertible (Scarlet) 1976 T/A - 455 LE (No Burt) 1976 T/A New baby, starting full restoration. 1968 350 - 4 speed 'vert - 400 clone (the Beast!) 1968 350 convertible - Wife's car now- 400 clone (Aleutian Blue) (Blue Angel) 2008 Durango - DD 2008 GXP - New one from NH is AWESOME! 2017 Durango Citadel - Modern is nice! HEMI is amazing! 1998 Silverado Z71 - Father-daughter project 1968 400 coupe - R/A clone (Blue Pearl) (sold) 1967 326 convertible - Sold 1980 T/A SE Bandit - Sold
Cant wait for summer... 68HO4004spvert Sleddog Iowa
God Bless the men and women past and present that have served this country. Thank you. Support D.A.V. - it helps gives a life back to those who gave so much for us.....
I have some updated photos from this tail panel replacement.
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
Bodywork...success Paintwork...I have a few runs to work out and some sanding and polishing, but did it all myself so I'm happy with it. Next step will be putting back in the original 4sp that was taken out and replaced with the 400 auto. Going to enjoy summer and get back to this in the fall
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
Cant wait for summer... 68HO4004spvert Sleddog Iowa
God Bless the men and women past and present that have served this country. Thank you. Support D.A.V. - it helps gives a life back to those who gave so much for us.....
I’m slowly piecing the car together. Transplanting the new rear tail panel has gone well
Restored by me. Not a professional. Restaurant worker by trade. YouTube forums and some trial and error built this beauty. Sheet metal replacement. Body work. Paint. Rear gears. Interior. And engine. ALL ME. Toot toot
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