Removing Tail Panel

[Steve]

Does anyone have experience removing the tail panel? I plan to replace mine, but it looks as if the tail panel is spot welded to the quarters at the sides. The problem is that those spot welds aren't exactly accessible without basically disassembling the rest of the sheet metal on the tail panel itself. Or, do you have to remove the quarter panels to get out the tail panel?

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Steve,
  What year, and what car are you talking about? If it's a 70 Challenger, I can help you.

  Mike

[Steve]

I have a '72 Cuda, but my guess is that the various cars used the same construction technique.

[360 'CUDA]

Trying to do it with a drill takes all day but it can be done

I think the Plazma Cutter is the way to go in this case but what ever you use the outside edges are
gonna get mucked up a bit and don't forget to get all the stock body putty out of the corners first

If your gonna replace the quarters anyway you might cut the tail out 2 or 3 inches away near the
sidemarkers if you have a replacement part with the quarter panel edges still on

[Steve]

I have the quarter skins, which as many of you know, only goes over towards the trunk about 1" or so. What that means is that I have to cut out the tail panel without cutting into the quarter, or at least on the part of the quarter between the trunk gutter and the vertical lip of the quarter. Any ideas?

[torredcuda]

You just need to drill out a lot of spot welds!Rough cutting it out might make getting to some areas a little easier.I`ll try and dig up some pics of mine.

[71'cuda340]

Are you making a clone?  Only reason I can think of to remove the tail panel.  If so, what? 

[Steve]

Nope, there's enough rot on the panel that I want to replace it. I found a nice panel to put in there. The factory used a LOT of seam sealer back there that ended up trapping water leading to rot. I guess the seam sealer works well until it hardens, expands, cracks, and lets water seep in.

I'll be back at it today, drilling out every spot weld I can find.

[71'cuda340]

It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.   

[360 'CUDA]

bring lotsa bits

[Steve]

I have the trunk floor and PS extension out. I have my new tail panel on the way. It's suppose to have part of the quarters attached. I have the rear lower metal off. The tough part is going to be removing the welds between the tail panel and the quarter flanges on each end of the tail piece. There's just no good way to get to it!

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Steve,
  It sounds like quite an ordeal If you could post any pictures of your progress, maybe the rest of us can learn from your pain. Sorry, I didn't know it was going to be so difficult 

   Mike

[360 'CUDA]

Pics Pics

Love those round tail light projects

[Steve]

OK. Here are the pics. The first pic shows the state of the trunk. The PS quarter is partly removed as well as the trunk floor. The second pic illustrates my dilema. The quarter panel has a flange that is welded to the tail piece. There's just not good way to get at that piece to drill out the welds. I have another tail panel on the way. Sure, I could cut out the old piece, but I want to try to take it out in a very clean way.

One solution is to remove the additional sheet metal on the rear tail panel. This metal holds the tail light lenses in place. If I remove those panels, I might be able to get at that seam. 

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[360 'CUDA]

Any chance of borrowing the plazma cutter from someone?

if not wait until you get that other tail panel and see if you can replace the whole thing
as one unit right behind the side markers

I have a tail panel like that with the back of the quarters still stuck on it just waiting
for the right car to bring back to life with