Or is anything bent? These are from the passenger side of my 79, seems solid and the doors line up right but this cant be right can it? I know the black goo does not belong there(nor do the 2 bolts he put through the panels) but is that gap right?

I realize i may post some silly stuff but this is a pretty serious one and i hope someone has seen this before (unless its really bad problem, then i hope i am the only one with it but... no i don't want to be alone).

That cracky looking rusty split is peeling paint, solid under it... but as long as Im in there maybe i should see why it peeled....

 

Maybe somebody was using a jack, underneath the frame, and the jack slipped, and caught the body??

 

Could be. Its one of the things i have been avoiding for fear of what it may lead to but i guess the time has come to find out whats going on there.

 

It is hard to comment because I am wondering why the rocker panel is so far out. And NOT flush and against the panel. WHO KNOWS....I have seen numerous repairs that make no sense....not 'saying' that this is one of them...but as we know...this is not right.

The rocker needs to be removed or good photos of what is behind the end of the rocker panel where the bottom screw is located.

DUB

 

I'm just loving the gigantic lag bolt holding the rocker panel on...very industrial. Going for the steampunk look one screw at a time.

 

DUB is right . You can't tell anything until you remove the rocker panel and see what is behind it at the rear. It looks to me like someone at some point put another quarter panel on and didn't get it in flush at the front. You probably have to cut that portion out and rebuild it in flush and take that goo out . There is probably a hole behind it that needs repaired. Probably been hit in that area at some point. Doesn't look like a serious problem it's just been butchered.

 

I'm going to put that on the to-do list for this week so hopefully ill have some pictures with the rocker panel off. I have to jack it up to take the pipes off and do the brakes anyways so while I am down there a few more bolts shouldn't matter.

Oh and if you loved the lag bolts you really would have loved the toggle switch sticking out through the quarter panel on that side.

 

Looks more like an appearance issue than a safety one...hopefully that giant bolt is not into the frame...Good Luck!

 

Welp... here goes.



Mr Kitty was not amused with what I was trying to do here and wanted nothing to do with any of this.









So... I think it has a piece of a quarter panel grafted over the factory quarter panel.

 

It's still hard to tell with those pictures but it looks like the bonding just came loose. If it was me I would continue to remove the panel and clean ( grind ) the surfaces and re-install the panel if it is worth saving.

 

Ahhhh A driver! My 79 is an unrestored driver with a blemish here and there as well. I like it that way!

 

IF when the panel is pushed back in place....the FLAT SURFACE where the rocker panel rests against ON THE QUARTER PANEL END....THIS flat surface of the quarter panel has to be flush with the rocker panel mounting surface UNDER the door.

IF it is...then there may be an issue with the rocker panel itself.

As for bonding this panel that has separated. IF you can pull it back slightly to get some sandpaper in there to scuff it up and see that it is as clean as possible....I would do that and then put some correct adhesive in this bonding area. WHY do it that way?? Because unless you remove the entire panel.,..there will ALWAYS be an area where the panel is still attached that will not allow you to easily prep the open up bonding seam area. SO...if that is the case...then why not keep it as small of a repair as possible....Does this make sense??? OBVIOUSLY you can do it how you wish.

I do not feel that someone grafted a panel OVER an existing factory quarter.

DUB

 

It makes sense and I appreciate the input. I know its hard to tell from the pictures but that top bolt had the quarter cinched in as tight as it could against the surface beneath it so I assumed that surface was the original quarter. That gap in the rocker trim is as small as it could be without breaking or removing something.

My scientific testing method (pun intended) for this was:

- Removed both bolts (the one on the rocker trim was short and fastened to the tab on the bottom of the quarter panel).

- Scraped off black goo until I hit (what i assume was) the original quarter panel. The black goo appears to be short strand fiberglass with bad hardener.

- Took picture of Mr Kitty leaving the area in disgust.

- Pulled at bottom tab on quarter panel and experienced massive panic attack as panel seperated from car.

- Cleaned out any dirt or obstructions behind the panel (not much there).

- Put my knee against the panel and leaned into it (went right back to where it was in the first pictures, no further). This part of the test may not seem like much but I love my fast food so the panel had considerable weight thrust upon it at this stage.

This weekend ill try sanding in behind it again on both sides and with a little luck that may help.

I appreciate all the input on this and apologize for the quality of the pictures. I do "own" a good camera but its at the bottom of a bucket of engine degreaser and I think its best it stay there.