quarter panels...
 

have a 73 cuda im putting quarters on. ive heard some good things about the adhesive that is used to join repair panels instead of welding. im going to go this route for the majority of the resto i think. my questions are...has anyone on here used the adhesive before? if so, is it a good choice? im not sure what panels i want to put on it yet, as far as full o.e. or just skins. im fairly new to body work and i feel i have a good plan on how to tackle the quarters but i just need some feedback from experienced body guys on how its done and which quarters to go with. i asked this same question on another forum and it blew up into a bunch of people arguing over welding/adhesives, and pretty much left me with no answers. thanks!!

This surprises me very little. I work at a place that restores high value cars (Bentleys, RR, Duesenberg, etc. www.ddclassic.com) and we would NEVER use anything other than welding and glazing putty at the absolute minimum. we are doing a 1957 ferrari right now and all those panels are going to be able to be painted essentially right over the metal. Using adhesives, and tons of putty just isnt the right way to do it.

That being said, I have two quick stories. First is my 73 charger. It was restored (not by me) doing the method you were talking about. it looks OK at best from the outside, but you can tell its not right and it is starting to rust again. I have the fenders off now and am restoring them properly by welding in new metal. That is ideal, and with the ammount of time you are going to be putting into this you need to decide if its worth your time to weld it and smooth it out, or if you want to glue it on.

as far as the metal, it would be ideal to get a donor car, but considering your excelent choice of vehicle you prolly will have not much choice but to make the panels yourself (which is easier than it sounds) or use skins.

Whatever you choose, I would suggest going to this website http://www.69hemi.com

and keep us up to date on your stuff :cool:

i figured if i were to flange the area where the panels would meet so that they lay perfectly flush and smooth it would allow me to use very minimal filler after the adhesive has dried. im sure if all metal was coated with rust preventative it wouldnt rust out on me any time in the future. either way though, i really appreciate anyones opinions or tips. thanks!!

and I think even with the adhesive you need to use all metal filler around the joints.

oh, now that i didnt know. that sux cuz ive never used metal fillers before. this may end up being more of a pain than welding...im not sure. guess this is what i get for trying to tackle a project head first just to see if i can! haha

I mean this stuff

http://autobodystore.net/Merchant2/g...01/US14060.jpg

Its used for metal joints and stuff like that. Its made to go on bare metal and is used where there are welds and joints in particular. Its similar to bondo/body putty, but its MUCH harder to sand. Although I dont do body work at the shop, I believe you can even use glazing compound overtop of the allmetal.

and Tackling a project headfirst is a great idea I do it all the time;)

A good idea is get a couple pieces of metal and test it. try the adhesives, try with body putty, with all metal, welding (if you have access to one). It will cost you a little bit to get the stuff (maybe upwards of $100) but you will have a lot better understanding of how the components work together to get you what you need.

This also makes for good practice so you dont mess up the read deal as mistakes can sometimes be expensive.

oh ok, thanks for your help, i learned a thing or two already. ill def practice with scrap stuff before i go and dig into the body of my precious cuda! haha