1959 356A S/R coupe project chassis # 108625

[JTR70]

Wall removal:
Interior section cut out quickly just ahead of the mount flanges. This opens access to clean up the remains of the perimeter mount making life a little easier.
Engine compartment trimmed out next.
Lots of trimming and modifications before this new panel will go but its a nice start.
The new rib embossments are light and weak so I'll be defining them deeper to more closely match this original and the right hand side.
Now onto the real work of cleaning out the remains of the original wall and getting the area ready to accept the new panel. BTW: this shot really lays bare as to how light these cars are actually constructed. This wall removal really breaks the illusion of substantial and stout quarter panel unit. Its no wonder that these car wad up so quickly and easily.

Clean up and wall prep begin.

Thanks for looking!

Justin

[JTR70]

Begin perimeter clean up:
First trial fit. A long ways to go before this is ready.
The base of the quarter window arch overlaps the lower closing wall flange so this will be the first layer of the onion to be peeled. Works out fine as it also gives me the opportunity address that rusted area along its pinch seam.
As far as I need to go. This gets me past the flange rust and clears the path to the closing wall remains. The rubber drain tube that once attached to that metal spout gave up years ago allowing the water to run directly over this area eventually rotting it out.
Onto drilling out the spots and small gas welds along the bottom of the quarter window opening to get this horizontal run out
Most of this old base run removed and now stripped back down to the body skin side flange. Chasing the rest of it down into the engine compartment then down the sides after that.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Sail panel and engine compartment flange cleanup:
Carefully grinding thin and peeling up the remaining spot welded strip. Drilling the spot welds not an option as its attached directly to the exterior body skin. Extra care taken not to damage the surface during removal. This continued right on through into the engine compartment .
Last flange remnants cleaned and this run now ready to accept the new panel.
Now onto removing this vertical lap joint along the engine compartment wall.
Its a double row of tightly spaced spots welds so Grinding and peeling was the best shot at preserving the flange underneath.
Cleaned and just about ready to accept a new panel. To my relief only one small breach to backfill on this mating flange. Still have to clean and break it free along the chassis flange as the new panel is joint will slip in under this old one along that flange but not ready to cross that bridge just yet. Moving forward to the lock post to begin cleaning the flange strip remains along there next.

Thanks for looking,
Justin

[roy mawbey]

Its not often you see this particular repair taking place maybe a bit frightening to even start it. I wonder how many have not gone down this rusty road when they really should have?

Roy

[JTR70]

It is a big piece Roy and I can see were it could look a lot scarier than it really is. At this point its just a really involved process of cleaning up all the attachment points around the perimeter. Then there is the fitment of a new reproduction panel. I already knew what this entailed which is why I did everything in my power to save the other side.

[JTR70]

chassis flange prep:
Now onto cleaning up the remains of the old wall along the chassis. Tightly spaced spot welds along the face will require the grind and peel method.
This side gives me a clean shot at the remains along the vertical firewall flange. Then the very last of it under that lap joint with the rear engine compartment bulkhead.
Drilled the spot welds and began peeling up the overlying bulkhead layer.
Then onto removing the last of the old closing wall remains. Lots of rust and corrosion lurking in here.
Bottom leading edge of the flange remains has widely spaced spot welds so they were drilled and am peeling and removing as much as I can before the unpleasant grinding of the rest of it begins.

[JTR70]

Grinding and peeling the very last of it along that heavily spot welded run.
I could not get the lap joint to release cleanly at the chassis flange. A lot of spot welds and the flange is very rusty and weak there. A very bad combination if you're trying to take it apart. One thing I've noticed through the years is that its very common to find two badly rusted panels with factory spot welds still refusing to give up. Great news for the rest of the car I suppose...
Firewall flange cleaning up But it too has some rot that will need a little attention before the new wall can go in.
I was hoping to get this junction apart cleanly but I ended up cutting and peeling up the layers that comprised it. As you can see the base flange was too rusty to get aggressive with. The forward section on the other hand was cleaning up nicely with a wire wheel.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

Begin new panel prep:
I'm now down to the last of the flange remains along the back side of the striker post. I'd had it with grinding and peeling for the moment so I took a break began some prep work on the new closing wall.
The three rib impressions are very weak and shallow compared to what was there originally. Not a big but deal but I want it match more closely to the other side of the car. Starting with the shortest one first, its clamped to my table at an angle so the rib surface rests flush against the table with my hammer form strip positioned inside of the relief shape.
Heated and the shoulders pecked down to the table drawing the rib up higher or deeper (depending on what side you're looking at) around the hammer form strip.
The panel is curved but my table and hammer form are flat so this had to be done in stages to preserve the panels curve as best as possible. Upper half done here then the panel was tipped and clamped to the other side of the curve.
One down and just roughed into basic shape here. A bit more smoothing and shaping yet to come but I wanted to get the hammer forming stage out of the way first.

[JTR70]

Two down and as the ribs got longer I had to screw the hammer form to the panel to ensure it stayed in position as the stretching went. This photo highlights how weak the provided draw down shape were.
All three now rough in with the new panel in for its first test fit in earnest.
It of course doesn't fit even close before the flanged edges begin to wedge themselves into the car.
The closing flanges will need a lot of shaping and tweeking before they'll interlock with the car allowing the panel to seat into its correct position.
But with each series of trims and adjustments it eventually fits better and better. That next...

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[roy mawbey]

Justin 100% effort to get those 3 ribs looking correct. Anyone with real experience looking at that area years from now will not be thinking that panels been off ! But to a beginner just starting on their welding experiences better to start on something simple. How you could easily lose your confidence because that job was not easy whatever you might say.
Well done indeed!

Roy

[JTR70]

Thank you Roy, I just couldn't leave those as the panel would scream reproduction whenever someone who knows what their looking at poked their head up into this fender well. Its getting closer by the session but a lot of loose ends yet before it goes in for good. Thanks again! Justin

[JTR70]

New panel fitment continues:
After a bit of manipulation and several tries I finally got the new panel to slide into basic position.
The key was slipping the rear of the new panel in front of the bulkhead wall flange. It put up a fight of course but I eventually won. Stepped flange of this new section contoured and lined up surprisingly well against the sail panel of the body.
Wasn't all good new of course. While this rearward portion is up against the body its current width is holding the remaining flange run at the base of the quarter window flange from mating up tightly. Its also cut short at the transition to the window flange.
All that aside its still a very promising initial fit and is much better than I was expecting. Even the ribs where placed in about the right spot in relation to sight makers on the chassis when compared to the other side.
For a compound, handmade generic piece its going very well so far. Fitment continues.

Thanks for looking.

Justin

[JTR70]

New panel top flange fit and adjustments:
Again the flange run fitment between the quarter window and this new panel will be the baseline. Everything else will be made to follow in behind. The rearward section along the sail panel will be hammered back out and re-bent to suit once I have forward fitment I'm after, this will also allow me to reposition that relief cut ahead the quarter window to close up that hole. Another adjustment will be along that 90 degree right above the ribs. Originals were only a soft gentle role versus this hard 90 so this run will be softened.
Soften that turn here.
Rearward portion of the flange that mates against the body flattened back out here. Will reinstall it once to suit once I have the wall dialed in.
Back to test fitting. Quarter window flange and panel now fitting up with that wider rear section flattened and out of the way. Now it was it was onto the final forward and aft position of the new panel.
Which meant I now had to go back and finish cleaning off the last bit of the original closing wall flange along the back of the lock post. As you can see its solid run of spot welds so grinding and peeling only. Reutter didn't want these two coming apart again. This whole repair is a bit unusual in that if you're replacing the closing panel the lock post is usually cooked as well so normally you're not having to deal with this old flange joint. I'm lucky...

[JTR70]

Grinding and peeling successfully without getting into the lock post too deeply as the surviving surface rust in the lap joint shows.
Entire run along the lock post finally clean and ready to accept the new panel. So glad to have this stage of the preparation completed.
Back to panel fitting. This upper leading corner I'm pounding in tight to keep it out of my way as the fitment continues. Once I've got it this will be relaxed back out to close up tightly against the body.
I have these two flanges running about as even and uniform as I can for now.
While that was going on I was dialing in the best fitment against the lock post. The flange swings a little wide towards the bottom here so it was temporarily bent out of the way for now but I'll adjust that out as it continues. Working next on getting that sweep (gap)along the chassis mated up tight. It doesn't just fit up against it there. It fights and has to be stretched and pulled into that curve; all the while taking care not to lose my initial flange fitment. A lot going on at once.

Thanks for looking!
Justin

[Scott B]

Nice work as always Justin. This is an area that is tough to get to behind the outer skin. It real helps to be able to turn the car on its side and upside down. This is where a rotisserie pays big dividends.

[JTR70]

Thanks again Scott! Having the ability to turn the car over during rust repairs is a luxury that cannot be overstated. Even with the car upside down as shown in the photo above this panel's installation and prep is still trying my patience. Hope you're still making some headway on your project. Justin

[JTR70]

Drawing the lower flange run in tight.
First pair of screws added towards the front to lock in the established forward flange fitment as this panel is drawn into the chassis.
To close this remaining gap the panel will get slightly shorter and move forward as its drawn in. I need all of that movement to come from the tail end which was why the screws were added at the front first.
More screws were added moving rearward slowly closing up that gap. Heeling the flange over where I could to dial in the final width and shape needed. Had to stop here as there was too much excess towards the rear and was interfering with the bump stop and shock mount.
Dismounted (once again) to trim back just enough to clear but not ready just yet to commit to a final trim line.
With the panels edge now clear of the bump stop and shock mount I was able to remount it and keep moving rearward with the set screws drawing the new panel tighter and tighter into the chassis.

[JTR70]

Lower flange run with the chassis established.
Entire lower flange run synched up tightly against the frame.
When trial fitments began I had snipped off just enough of this rear vertical edge to allow this panel to slide in tightly in behind the rear bulkhead flap and it used up every bit of that relief slice. I had to force it in during the early trials. Now that I have that forward lower gap closed up the panel is a full quarter inch shorter than it started out as. New gap highlighted with the green arrow.
The edge is now at almost the perfect spot where the original lap joint ended. That wasn't supposed to happen but every once in a great while I get lucky.
Dismounted once again for further edge and contour trimming along this flange. A bit closer still.
Its inching closer and closer to a final fit.

Thanks for stopping by.

Justin