Need Help> 68fb Installing Quarters And Tail Panel

[68 Fstbck]

I need some help.

I have spent the winter aligning both quarter panels and tail panel (Dynacorn) on my 68FB. There is one last alignment that I am having trouble with, any help would be appreciated.

Does the Dynacorn Tail Panel "tension" the quarter panels?

I could not get the quarters to snug up at the bottom of the rear window and had a huge side to side gap at the top of the trunk. The bottom of the trunk (at the tail pan) fit fine.
...so I trimmed the tail panel on each end...
Amazing how well the quarters and trunk lid now fit at the bottom of the rear window. However, now the quarters "toe in" as they go to the tail pan and the trunk lid hits on both sides at the back of the car.

Best I can figure:
1. I need to weld the quarters at the bottom of the window/top of the trunk lid without the tail panel in place.
2. Insert a new (non-trimmed) tail panel (allow it to tension the whole assembly)

Can anyone confirm this? (or point me to what I may be missing in the fitment?)

 

[horse sence]

the last two cars i have done fit fairly easily. check the flange at the quarter where it meets the lower window panel ,is it bent outward? if it is bend it in so it will set flat against the rear window panel . if you have already welded to the wheel tubs it may be hard to pull the gap tight.i usualy start at the door to quarter and the quarter to rocker then do the top at the roof and back window panel and the tail panel at he same time. i have had to wrap a ratchet strap around the quarters over the body to pull them up snug before just dont crank it down so tight you bend somthing. check the trunk lid fit before you weld any thing in the back. when you get the gaps you want you can use a few sheet metal screws to hold things together then weld in the screw holes later. i lost all my pics again due to my computer crashing again but check out my thread 68 coupe -fastback conversion, i replaced every thing.

 

[68 Fstbck]

Does the ratchet strap wrap around behind the wheel well and up over the back of the trunk?

Thanks for the sequence for welding, I will reference it.

Yes, I found those flanges and 'fixed' them a while back. I enjoyed your fastback conversion, that is pretty cool...kinda makes my problems trivial. I did buy a tailpan with the shelby cutouts based on seeing one in your thread!

One more question. On my Passenger side I had to 'roll' the quarter panel at the drip rail so the quarter panel would slide far enough forward to match at the top of the trunk. There is now a bit of an overhang where the door matches up (worse at the bottom of the door). Have you had any problems like this with the Dynacorn sheetmetal? (-or- is there an excellent chance my B pillar is a 1/4"-3/8" in the wrong place? )

My fix is to cut along the quarter panel overhang at the door portion of the B pillar and re-weld immediately (just move the flange the distance of the kerf). Any thoughts?

 

[horse sence]

Does the ratchet strap wrap around behind the wheel well and up over the back of the trunk?

Thanks for the sequence for welding, I will reference it.

Yes, I found those flanges and 'fixed' them a while back. I enjoyed your fastback conversion, that is pretty cool...kinda makes my problems trivial. I did buy a tailpan with the shelby cutouts based on seeing one in your thread!

One more question. On my Passenger side I had to 'roll' the quarter panel at the drip rail so the quarter panel would slide far enough forward to match at the top of the trunk. There is now a bit of an overhang where the door matches up (worse at the bottom of the door). Have you had any problems like this with the Dynacorn sheetmetal? (-or- is there an excellent chance my B pillar is a 1/4"-3/8" in the wrong place? )

My fix is to cut along the quarter panel overhang at the door portion of the B pillar and re-weld immediately (just move the flange the distance of the kerf). Any thoughts?

i only had to use a ratchet strap on one car i went behind the wheel opening and all the way over and under the car i only needed to move it about 1/8 inch but it didnt want to stay put long enough for me to clamp it in place . do you have any pics of the drip rail area and door area problem?is the rain gutter bent back a little?

 

[68 Fstbck]

I was figuring I would use the straps to move the quarters in and tack them. This is the reverse of what I proposed in my initial email...weld it down then spread the quarters at the back to get the gaps (probably easier your way).
I can get some close up pictures tomorrow, had to travel to Austin tonight.

I will post pics tomorrow. Thanks for your time!

 

[68 Fstbck]

First picture shows how I 'rolled' the part of the quarter that meets with the gutter. I did this to get the quarter to move forward and match at the trunk and lower down the B pillar.


This picture shows the top of the door problem. Though it doesn't appear that way due to shadows the top/back of the bodyline lines up quite well. The lower/front line is off by a considerable amount. All other body lines match well. I am not sure if this is a quarter issue or a door skin issue or a workmanship issue.



This picture shows the gap on the door. It is perfect at the top and gets gradually tighter as it goes down, beginning to hit at the bottom of the "C". The gap that is below the C is where I have started "rolling" the quarter a little to try and correct the issue. I tried everything to "Lift" the quarter at the back. Short of more peeling the gutter area back more...
(Oh yeah, the bottom of the quarter at the rocker panel is out a little...the whole quarter is just held in place in a few areas.


You cannot really tell from this picture but the bottom of the quarter panel is slightly off the bottom of the B pillar. (Could be a function of having to move the quarter forward so much? Maybe need to peel the quarter back a little more at the top to allow it forward a little more?)

 

[horse sence]

it looks like the back of the quarter is down to low .does the end of the rocker meet with the end of the quarter at the wheel opening?

the last two quarters i used on the drivers sides the quarters were not tall enough to meet with the top of the drivers side door, all the points hit perfect except the very top,but the pass sides hit almost perfect. is the points hitting correctly in between at the door? also how is the door alighnment at the rocker?that can throw things off.
the rain gutter may be pushed back a little ,it is prety well just a flap of metal right now .
if you have tacked the quarter at the back window area you may have to cut it loose and alighn the door area first.soon as you get the door and rain gutter area to fit then you can start alighning the rear portion.

 

[horse sence]

i just noticed that you have a door skin as well it is possible the top of the door is turned up a little throwing the top alighnment off at the quarter and the top of the door

 

[68 Fstbck]

End of the rocker and the quarter panel line up pretty well. A little tight as the quarter won't stay over the inner wheel well unless held in place. If the back of the quarter was down too low, I should rotate the whole panel clockwise. To rotate it I would need to roll the quarter more at the gutter right?

Door was aligned to the rocker, not a source of the pain. Rocker is straight

The quarters are not tacked down at all.

Do you think the inner structure at the B pillar could be off somehow? I could not find a good spot to pull the structure that I thought would make a difference, have you ever had to pull/move the inner structure?

 

[horse sence]

at the the rear door post, removing the old quarter skin can sometimes bend it back.
i was just loking at the pics again,is the quarter up under the roof ? the quarter looks like it is to low in ths first pic. that would cause your door top at the quarter problem. and also the rain gutter problem

First picture shows how I 'rolled' the part of the quarter that meets with the gutter. I did this to get the quarter to move forward and match at the trunk and lower down the B pillar.


This picture shows the top of the door problem. Though it doesn't appear that way due to shadows the top/back of the bodyline lines up quite well. The lower/front line is off by a considerable amount. All other body lines match well. I am not sure if this is a quarter issue or a door skin issue or a workmanship issue.



This picture shows the gap on the door. It is perfect at the top and gets gradually tighter as it goes down, beginning to hit at the bottom of the "C". The gap that is below the C is where I have started "rolling" the quarter a little to try and correct the issue. I tried everything to "Lift" the quarter at the back. Short of more peeling the gutter area back more...
(Oh yeah, the bottom of the quarter at the rocker panel is out a little...the whole quarter is just held in place in a few areas.


You cannot really tell from this picture but the bottom of the quarter panel is slightly off the bottom of the B pillar. (Could be a function of having to move the quarter forward so much? Maybe need to peel the quarter back a little more at the top to allow it forward a little more?)

 

[68 Fstbck]

at the the rear door post, removing the old quarter skin can sometimes bend it back.
i was just loking at the pics again,is the quarter up under the roof ? the quarter looks like it is to low in ths first pic. that would cause your door top at the quarter problem. and also the rain gutter problem

THANK YOU! I bent the drip rail forward, re-installed the quarter panel and strapped around the middle of the quarter. Everything is now close enough I feel comfortable starting to weld it and making small moves. (The top of the door is still a problem but that is probably the door skin.).

I have one more question. Does the tailpanel flange (red arrow) go like in the picture or should it be inside the quarterpanel flange?

 

[horse sence]

THANK YOU! I bent the drip rail forward, re-installed the quarter panel and strapped around the middle of the quarter. Everything is now close enough I feel comfortable starting to weld it and making small moves. (The top of the door is still a problem but that is probably the door skin.).

I have one more question. Does the tailpanel flange (red arrow) go like in the picture or should it be inside the quarterpanel flange?

the way you have it is correct ,but i have seen them the other way.
i just did a door skin on a 65 coupe and the end was turned up also and didn't match the quarter .i was able to push it down untill it did match

 

[palerider94]

I did my own quarter for the first time and I thought I had everything light up pretty good. Body shop eneded on having to redo. They said I did not square the trunk area. Lesson learned.

 

[68 Fstbck]

I did my own quarter for the first time and I thought I had everything light up pretty good. Body shop eneded on having to redo. They said I did not square the trunk area. Lesson learned.

Yes. I am wondering what I might be missing.
Haven't welded anything, just fiddled with it for 9 months cuz I don't know what I will miss. I will start welding next weekend thanks to Horse Sence. Hopefully not missing anything major.
Just got through popping weld holes, coating all the appropriate surfaces with zinc oxide and re-fitting the quarters. I bet I have put the quarters on and off more than 40 times.

 

[horse sence]

measure from the trunk floor to the top of the quarter on both sides and make sure they are both the same height .check it at the front of the trunk opening and the end of the trunk opening and you should be ok. before welding the quarter to the tail panel , try the trunk lid to see what the gaps look like .you can spread the quarters or squeeze them in if needed. also check the trunk lid fit with the end caps on the quarters before you weld to make sure the quarters are positioned properly . i have noticed the dynacorn quarters are a little longer than the factory quarters about an 1/8 inch. you will probably find the tail panel will set to far in to the quarter with the tail panel you are going to use, the last two i did were that way. they don't meet up to the end caps ,about 1/2 inch to deep . a small block of wood and a hamer on the tail panel flange from the inside after welded and it will move out very easly enough to meet up ,it moves easily so be gentle.if you have to

 

[68 Fstbck]

Thanks, will measure. I have been trying the trunk lid gaps. Still get some narrowing along the trunk lid/quarters with most narrow at the back. Going to weld the door area, window and wheel well then tap the tail panel in to spread the quarters slightly at the back.

For the gap between the quarter and the small panel below the window (about 4 inches), above the trunk opening...should that be no gap?

(My drivers side quarter is slightly lower than the panel below the window as well as about a credit card thickness gap at the small panel. I think I will pull that quarter off again and work the wheel well...hope that will allow the quarter to go up a little.)

 

[horse sence]

i usualy weld the wheel lips and the lower rear part of the quarter last it helps a little to make the quarter more moveable . no gap at the lower window panel to the quarter .the wheel lip is usualy a tight fit you should be able to lift the top of the quarter enough to line up the top of the lower window panel with the quarter. try a putty knife between the quarter and the lip it sets on back by the window panel ,see if that will lift it enough to line it up

 

[fords2fast4u]

Looks like I have so much to learn about fastback quarter panels! Posting up to follow this thread. keep it coming! Patience must be a strong point for you. ha!

 

[horse sence]

once you have done a couple ,or a couple dozen it will not be a big deal.
the first one is always the hardest. i was afraid i was going to screw up the first one i did. problem is no two cars seem to fit the same way.some times not even opposite sides of the sme car. you will find the new quarters are not perfect and will require some knocking arount to get the fit you want but usually not to bad

 

[lauras70mach1]

Get it where you like it then screw it all together with sheet metal screws. Once it's all pulled together with the screws a lot of things can change, hopefully for the good.