Topic: 1977 T/A Body Resto Help

[TheBig400]

Hello there, I am currently in the process of restoring a 1977 Trans Am. I aquired it after a close family friend passed away. The rear quarter panels are heavily rusted along with the trunk. I was wondering how you would remove the rear quarter panels and install new ones. If the pictures have not been deleted, I will post them so you can what im talking about. But please help!

[RENOVATIONS]

how you would remove the rear quarter panels and install new ones.

Lots of measuring, cutting, measuring, and welding

Depending on the extent of the rust in the quarters, you may get by with cutting and patching vs doing the entire quarter....same goes for the trunk pan.
Pictures of what you are dealing with will help.

[TheBig400]

Pics are posted!

[RENOVATIONS]

Ouch!
Unless you're comfortable with fabricating patches, you'll easily be far ahead by using a full quarter panel for your replacement.
Full quarters aren't available repro so you'd need to find a NOS panel or get a good used one from a donor car.

[jphillips3333]

That's some work ... look at this thread for a comparison;
http://www.78ta.com/smf/index.php?topic=13062.60

[SoonerTA]

OUCH!  I hope you can fix her!  Good luck

[Rick]

Geeze... X3 on the advice given so far... but before I started I'd be asking myself what caused that kind of rust, and whether or not it had affected the structural parts of the underbody.  Of specific interest would be the rear frame rails.  If those are shot, then I'd be giving second thoughts as to the "saveability" of this particular car.  Just a suggestion to save possible grief down the road...

[HOMER]

was thinking the same thing, odds are the rails are prob not solid, would check that out before i proceeded

[HOMER]

what does the rest of the car look like?

[TheBig400]

It did however sit under a non waterproof tarp for 10-15 years.Rest of the car is solid. only other spots of rust are very minimal compared to the rear panels. Mainly where it was in an accident and the fenders are crunched and the corners of the doors, like most cars it's age. Other than that the car is in overall great shape. Will uplaod more pics

[4SPEED]

looks like fun to me. I'd knock that out in a few days.

[eroc022]

looks like fun to me. I'd knock that out in a few days.

X2 on that one, i like challenges, and a little bit of work.......hell i put a 80-81 dash panel on my 79 for just the dual speakers up front

[Rick]

It did however sit under a non waterproof tarp for 10-15 years.

Ah -- that explains that kind of rust then.  I was thinking maybe the car had been exposed to salt air somehow, because that is kind of a peculiar rust pattern.  It would have rusted less if they'd just left it out in the open so the water could drain off it.

[4SPEED]

it will need basted to get the rust out of the pits for sure.  DP it and spray feather fill over the hole quarter , and get out the file board.

feather fill is a spray on filler. used for low spots , waves and pits . I love the stuff its a time saver

[TheBig400]

Instead of opening a new thread, I was wondering if any of you guys have had to had your car completly repained and how much it cost. The engine work is basically done, going to start body soon, and need to paint afterwords. But I need an estimate on how many thousands of dollars its  going to cost. *cry*