Topic: Quarter Skin

[78FreeBird]

Picked up my new quarter skin at yearone this weekend.  It looks pretty good.  Any tips on the install?

[RENOVATIONS]

Lots of measuring, patience, butt weld it (using alternating tack welds to prevent warping the panel and surrounding metal) instead of a lap weld...and lots more patience 

[78ta]

Ok. I've been wondering this for a while and it goes along with freebird's question so I'll ask so he can beefit from the answer as well.

 I've seen pics of various patches welded into or onto cars and several of them were just spot welded every couple inches. Surely, you don't just leave it that way. You have to spot weld until there's a continuous bead, right?

[RENOVATIONS]

Which is why you alternate the tack welds: tack a weld...skip 3" or so and tack another...allow an adequate gap and tack another weld and so forth.

 Moving around the seam of the work spreads out the heat generated from the welding, preventing warping from excess heat. You continue the pattern till all of the tacks are joined, forming what appears to be a continuous bead.

Very necessary on body sheet metal (18-20 gauge)...not needed on thicker gauge metal, which is less likely to warp.

[4SPEED]

 make sure the door has good pins in it so you get a good body line. and the rear bumper is on to assure a good fit there.  and like every body is saying tack----- tack------------ tack ---------------  . I even had a wet rag to put on the tack to cool it quicker.

[4SPEED]

make sure your marker light fits good. mine didn't.  and didn't find this out until I was putting them in after it was painted.

[jphillips3333]

Yep - I've always seen people just space it out.  Keeps the metal from overheating which leads to warping of the metal.  Just come back and fill in in the same manner.

[78ta]

You continue the pattern till all of the tacks are joined, forming what appears to be a continuous bead.

That's what I thought.

Good points on the door hinge pins and rear bumper as well.

[4SPEED]

I tig welded mine with s/s wire. so a little more heat was needed. that's what the wet rag was for. but it'll never rust.

[bobg]

Shop air through a blow gun also works well to help cool tack welds. Also make sure you use a short strand fiberglass filler for a little extra insurance on the grinded welds and finish over it with regular filler. As stated above be sure to check your marker light. I got one from goodmark and it needed modification to get the bezel to fit.