Author Topic: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda (Read 8106 times)

miketyler · « **on:** September 23, 2004 - 09:02:36 PM »

My new 72 Cuda has had a major hack job done in the trunk. I need to replace the main trunk floor panel and possibly the trunk extensions to make it presentable again.
Has anyone bought panels from this guy?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2490660334

I am new to E-body sheet metal; can you get a one piece panel in without having to cut and splice?

Street_Challenged73 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 23, 2004 - 09:11:25 PM »

Hmm, I've never had to deal with anything wiith floor pans, but I do know reproduction quarters take quite a bit of work to get them to fit and look nicely. I know the trunk extensions are decent, but you'll have to wait for a reply about the trunk pan's fit.

heminut · « **Reply #2 on:** September 24, 2004 - 09:09:35 AM »

The reason the trunk floor pans are sold in 2 pieces is because the only way you can replace a full trunk floor is if you have one of the quarter panels off. You would never be able to get a full floor through the trunk opening or through the frame rails from the bottom.

HemiDog · « **Reply #3 on:** September 24, 2004 - 09:39:21 AM »

To put a one piece trunk pan in, you would have to remove a quarter panel.

I bought my trunk pans from www.1aautomotive.com on eBay. I was happy with them, but you do have to work with them a little to get the seam to line up right. I am pretty confident to say that would be the case with all the repro 2 piece pans.

They had a couple other interesting things on their website too. I ended up getting the shop manuals on CD and it seems like a pretty good source for info. Especially for a newbie to mopars like me.

miketyler · « **Reply #4 on:** September 24, 2004 - 12:53:57 PM »

Quote

You would never be able to get a full floor through the trunk opening or through the frame rails from the bottom.

not even if you removed the tank and slid it up between the springs huh? I guess that single piece pan is a pretty large part

HemiDog · « **Reply #5 on:** September 24, 2004 - 01:42:16 PM »

Not only is it a large part, but the only one piece trunk pans I have seen are NOS parts (not cheap) or from a donor car.
The pan is just too wide. You dont have enough room between the quarter panel and the frame rail to push it in far enough to get past the other rail. If you had one of the frame rails, you might be able to do it from the bottom.

Steve · « **Reply #6 on:** September 25, 2004 - 10:26:32 AM »

I'm in the process of doing mine. I picked up my pieces from the guy in Conneticut. I can't recall the name for the life of me. He had the best prices. I believe that there are only one or two makers of this type metal for the E-body. When it comes to trunk pans, there's no such thing as good or bad fit. When you take the car apart, you will notice just how poorly the original pieces fitted! It's amazing what seam sealer can do. They used a lot of that from the factory. The biggest bummer about the repop trunk pans and floor pans are that they do not have the drain holes punched in them. The pieces I have bought do have the proper recesses and such, but no holes. Goodmark does go through the trouble of putting those holes in there, but they don't make trunk or floor pans for the ebodies.

One thing that you will find is that the length of the trunk pans is such that you do not have enough metal to come all the way back to the tail panel. In fact, the pans stop about two inches short. So, if that strip of metal adjacent to the tail panel is rotted (which it probably is, if you doubt it, remove the seam sealer between the tail panel and the trunk pan), you'll have to fabricated extensions for the trunk pan. Sounds easy until you notice that there is a dip in the trunk pan in the center 18" or so of the trunk. Looking from the rear at the tail panel, you will see that the tail panel comes down a bit in the center. My plan is to build my extension in two pieces so that mathcing up the bend is easier. Once you get the pans in the trunk, butt weld the pans together at the center and blend the welds by grinding. Use DynaGlass to finish.

The first pic is a shot of the tail panel from the inside of the trunk. Notice the rot that was hiding behind the seam sealer.
The second pic shows the tail panel with all the other metal peeled off. You'll notice on the left side of the tail panel the change in the tail panel proifle. The trunk pans come around to the outside of the tail panel, fold upward, and are spot welded to the outside of the tail panel.

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miketyler · « **Reply #7 on:** September 25, 2004 - 10:07:47 PM »

Excellent information and pics - my trunk has been spliced and it looks like a lap type repair. I dont think the patch panel picked up the frame rails. I am going to try and start pulling it out tomorrow. I emailed the guy in Ohio with the one-piece trunk pans and asked him about the length. I would bet they are not long enough to make the turned up break but they surely would extend back far enough to the base of the tail panel. Maybe I will swap out the tail panel too while I am into this.�hehe

�

miketyler · « **Reply #8 on:** September 29, 2004 - 07:10:52 AM »

Ok, got it all out - was a little bit of work but all done.

Does anyone have pics of a nice original trunk floor in a 70-74 Cuda?? I would like to see what I am trying to replicate. Also, my previous trunkspace was painted black with some sound deadener on the quarters. I plan to paint the inside the same color as the outside of the car. Is that how they came from the factory? My engine bed is flat black and I had planned to paint it Plum Crazy as well. Any ideas or opinions regarding painting these areas? I would like to retain as much of the original scheme as possible.

RUSTY Cuda · « **Reply #9 on:** September 30, 2004 - 09:48:08 PM »

One place in conn is autobody specialties, got my parts there, same prob with my trunk replacement, had to fab up the the part that welds to the tail panel, it does dip & the angle changes as it goes out to the quarters(or my car was hit there too??)
Geeze I had my quarters off, but never did see any one piece pans back when I was lookin! but I changed the tail panel too so at least I had easy access for weldin & grinding that area, good luck with it.Rich.

RUSTY Cuda · « **Reply #10 on:** October 01, 2004 - 07:31:13 PM »

Peek a boo cuda!

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MEK-Dangerfield · « **Reply #11 on:** October 01, 2004 - 10:37:19 PM »

Hey RUSTY cuda,
You crack me up

But I'll bet you are learning alot more than some of us. Just stay with it

Mike

Steve · « **Reply #12 on:** October 02, 2004 - 07:13:31 AM »

Hey Rusty,
What are you doing with my car in your yard?

Just checked, my car is still in the garage.

Steve · « **Reply #13 on:** October 02, 2004 - 08:03:13 AM »

On the question about the original setup of the trunk...here goes...

As best I can tell, the bodies were assembled and the trunk components were welded in as appropriate. The body was then run through a primer dip. From the primer line on my car, it looks like the body was dipped up to about half way on the rear wheel wells. It looks like body seam sealer was put into every nook and cranny (make sure to consume alchohol before and during the seam sealer application process in order to replicate the factory look). the more sealer you use, the more factory like the appearance. In some areas, you should have 2" of sealer. The undercoating was then applied to the inside of the quarters. Color was then applied to the trunk area. I think there was some variance in the coverage across cars. For example, little color made it to the underside of my package tray, while other cars may have gotten more. They tried to spray into the forward sections of the quarters and so forth. I don't have access to a nice, original Cuda, but I do have a buddy with a very, very original, 35K mile '73 Charger. It's a nice reference for general restoration principles.

Now, the original cars were painted with single-stage acrylic enamel. I'm debating whether or not to use a single stage paint for the trunk, interior and engine compartment. it would probably be more durable than the dual-stage paints and certainly easier and more forgiving to apply.

Hope this helps. Feel free to make corrections. I'll try to get pics of my friend's Charger to document the paint over the undercoating and seam sealer.

miketyler · « **Reply #14 on:** October 04, 2004 - 08:08:12 AM »

I found this pic of a 72 model - and it does look like they slopped a lot of sealer in the seams

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Author Topic: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda (Read 8106 times)

miketyler

restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

Street_Challenged73

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

heminut

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

HemiDog

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

miketyler

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

HemiDog

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

Steve

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

miketyler

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

miketyler

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

RUSTY Cuda

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

RUSTY Cuda

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

MEK-Dangerfield

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

Steve

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

Steve

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda

miketyler

Re: restoring the trunk in a 72 Cuda