|
Re: E body convertible Quarters...
[Re: jeff968]
#1610115
04/24/14 11:29 AM
04/24/14 11:29 AM
|
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 15,995
RI Deep in the rust belt
chargervert
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 15,995
RI Deep in the rust belt
|
Quote:
Quote:
I did mine that way, but with the way convertibles flex, you would be better off without a weld seam. If the seam cracks, you would be wishing you had spent the extra 1800 dollars. 
The seam won't crack if the repair is done correctly, you'll have the $1800 to use elsewhere, and you'll know those factory top moldings will fit perfect on the edge because that part is still factory.
Convertibles have extra stresses in the well and upper rear quarterpanels that hardtops usually do not. If you look at most e body convertibles, you will see stress cracking at the Dutchman panel, where the factory did the lead joints. Convertibles flex a lot more than hardtops do. Just pick one up with a two post lift, and you will see the door gaps open up enough to stick your fingers in the gap. This constant flexing that they do, will cause issues with a welded and filler blended seam over time. Before Ken came out with his modified AMD panels there were very few alternatives. NOS panels were rare as hen's teeth, and extremely expensive to aquire, and clean convertible cutoffs are made of unobtainimum. NOS Challenger convertible quarters sell between 3 to 5 grand each, and Cuda convertible quarterpanels sell between 10 and 15 grand each, thats ten times what Ken gets for his converted panels.
70 Charger R/T SE 472 Hemi
70 Charger R/T convertible
70 Charger R/T V Code Sixpack
69 Charger R/T SE Sunroofcar
68 Charger 383
68 Charger 318
71 Charger R/T
70 Challenger convertible
71 Challenger convertible
71 Cuda 340
09 Challenger R/T Classic
|
|
|
Re: E body convertible Quarters...
[Re: jeff968]
#1610118
04/24/14 05:47 PM
04/24/14 05:47 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 15,995
RI Deep in the rust belt
chargervert
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 15,995
RI Deep in the rust belt
|
Quote:
Quote:
If you look at most e body convertibles, you will see stress cracking at the Dutchman panel, where the factory did the lead joints. Convertibles flex a lot more than hardtops do. Just pick one up with a two post lift, and you will see the door gaps open up enough to stick your fingers in the gap.
These issues will happen with the $3000 quarter panels as well. Nature of the beast. I would still save the $1,800 and do the seam repair myself. I'm sure the salvaged original upper section will be better fit then the repo and I still have that $1,800. IMHO.
They are a lot more likely to crack at a welded and filler blended seam than a one peice stamped panel. I looked at a Challenger convertible the other day, that was painted last year, and I could see the whole weld seam, because the filler had shrunk. The car looked great from fifteen feet away, but when I got right up to it, I could see where the panels had been seamed. That will not happen with a full panel. To me paint jobs cost more than the 1800 dollars that would be saved.
70 Charger R/T SE 472 Hemi
70 Charger R/T convertible
70 Charger R/T V Code Sixpack
69 Charger R/T SE Sunroofcar
68 Charger 383
68 Charger 318
71 Charger R/T
70 Challenger convertible
71 Challenger convertible
71 Cuda 340
09 Challenger R/T Classic
|
|
|
|
|
