Cutting the quarters off?? Need a little help

[ambitions2]

Ok so now I am at the steps of cutting off the quarters.  I have laid a template out (I'm only opening them up a little bit so I can get them media blasted inside) and have borrowed a panel cutter tip for the air chisel from my dad's buddys body shop.  My question is what is the next step I should take?  Will I have to be careful not to cut through the wheelwell or anything?  Thanks and oh yeah SHE IS ON THE ROTERISSE!!! 

[72hemi]

Do  not use the air chisel. When I used it on the one side of my 'cuda it hella mangled the sheet metal. Use a metal cutoff wheel using an air grinder. That is the best thing that I have found.

[MyMopar]

2 things that I have been told, and confirmed with some others so I'll pass iton and you can take it for what it is worth.

1.  I was told not to cut any panels off the car when it is on a rotisserie, I was told best to do it with the car on its suspension becuase the car can flex on a rotisserie differetn from benig on its suspension and make alignment a real problem.  Makes sense I guess so I won't be taking any chances.

2. I would align the new panel over the old and secure the two together.  Then using a very thin cut off wheel, slice the two panels.  This way you are doing 2 things.  First you are guaranteeing a near close alignment with your old panels and two, the thickness of the cut-off wheel (I think it is a .80) is the perfect thickness for butt welding.

Hope you understand, if not I can try to help explain it better.

[Steve]

Check this link...

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=18031.0

[bigblock4speedman]

I'm no artist, as you can see, but made a rough drawing to show to run tape line along top, behind door and in front of the angled body line at the back of car, this will help very much in aligning body lines, if you cut all the way to the rear corner it's much harder. Cut inside tape line with die grinder and thin cutoff wheel, along wheel well and door jamb piece, cut spot welds and peel off pieces, new quarter should have these.   Borrow a metal crimping/flanging tool that crimps the cut edges in so new panel lays in when cut fo fit, after cutting to fit and makeing holes for spot welds, align body lines, secure with screws and clamps, tripple check to make sure it's right and make many spot welds!  And do this with tires and suspension in, and on the ground, not on the rotissarie.  This is one of many ways, works for me, just remember to leave the piece at rear corner.  Here's a rough diagram, good luck!

[moper]

Wow are you no artist    (jk )

That's also how I do it. A few hints..NO AIR CHISELS or AIR HAMMER ALLOWED. If at all possible, leave the factory spot welds on the door jambs and tail panel, and leave the side marker area from the originals. This gives you a great original body line ot match, and keeps the seams looking like the car never had skins. Definately do it on it's wheels, and I like to keep the door in place, so i have an idea how it will look. When you reach the point of flanging, dont make them deep. Just enough to slip under the factory panel. I always flange the patch, so the new skin or patch is the low point. Be verycareful fitting the skin, not only to the 1/4, but also to the out wheelhouses. Also remember, when you redo the "spot" welds on the wheelhouses, that you keep the skin and wheelhouse thight to each other. This helps seal out debris, and also allows you to trim the excess skin from the wheel lip area. I use a die grinder and cutoff wheel, and I use tape and marker to make alignment marks at various points as I'm fitting things. Tin snips, nibblers, and chisels distort as they cut. Wheels dont.

[ambitions2]

Ok sorry fellas, I guess I was not clear about where I was cutting.  What I meant to say I was only cutting a little portion out of the quarter.  Here is what I am talking about:


Here was the templated laid out to cut (before cutting):


Now what my goal is here is cut out a little section in order enable the media blaster to clean out the outer proportion of the wheel-wells (because I have to replace the quarters anyways).  So below is what I cut out on the driver's side....


Front part of quarter:


Middle Lip of quarter:


Rear part of quarter:




Now in the back of my mind, I would probably like to cut the whole area out in order to get the media blaster more room to move around.  After I get it backed I am going to get rid strip the primer and fix the problem areas in the wheelwells, but then I want to hit it with POR15 to ensure it will be ok.  What do you guys think?  Comments or Suggestions? 

P.S. When I was cutting out the quarter panel a old tire gauge fell out of the quarter, so if anyone needs one um yeah I have one? 

[HemiDog]

No matter what material you decide to cut out, keep the old piece to use as a template.  If you don't you will have to use cardboard or paper to get the correct shape.