[pat123]

I bought a reproduction tail panel from crosscanada parts and dont have a clue where to start. I have done a 69 chev pick up so i have some body work experience and am not affraid to take a chance. So i was just wondering if someone could give a step by step or even just some pointers to get me going in the right direction that would be great.

PS. if it makes a difference the car is a 69

Thanks in advance

Pat

 

[Custom Jim]

Looking at your new panel should give you some hints where it attaches to other sections of the car.

On my 74 the tail panel lips in and is spot welded to a bent in lip on the back end of the quarter panel. The factory used tongs on their spot welder and in the position they were at on my 74 I had no way to easily drill out the spot welds so what I did was cut out the rotten tail panel close to this bent in lip and then I was able to get in there with my die grinder and a cutoff wheel to thin the metal on the spot welds on the old panel I was removing until it broke loose.

I had more luck by finding spot welds using a wire wheel to remove any seam sealers and paint and looked for hints of a depression left by the factories spot welders tips.

I had to drill some spot welds out using a stepped unibit but I really like just thinning the metal on the panel I was replacing so that there were no addition holes in the panel that were staying intact on the car. I destroyed and removed the old panels I was replacing and made openings large enough in them to get the tools I needed in there.

I do remember doing some work getting the weatherstrip channel tweaked and this was with an NOS part and an aftermarket may take more or less work. Just fit it the best you can before you start welding it in.

On mine it was on a hatchback and I also had the hatchlid in place while fitting the new taillight panel. On a coupe I would do the same with having the trunk lid in place and lined up properly.

One thing I have yet to do on mine is make sure the weatherstrip channel is in the right position and this needs to be done before the final paint is on a car. Mock it up using the old weatherstrip or a new one and make sure it goes snug against the underside of the trunk or hatchlid so the water is kept out later when it's all assembled and completed. A little pursuation with a hammer and a short section of hardwood to tweak the channel up or down can make this adjustment possible.

Jim

 

[Nova_Guy]

I agree with everything Custom_Jim said. His was a hatchback so it was slightly different than yours. On the 68-69 truck there is a brace on each side in the corner. I had to remove one side to get the panel in. I removed the drivers side because mine was in worse shape than the passenger side. You have to kind of angle the panel to get in down in the opening. I thought I was going to have to cut the panel in two at first. Removing the brace gave me the room to fit the panel in. It's really a fairly easy panel to replace if you take your time. I don't know why the pictures came out so small. The link to the wedshot albums is in the bottom of my signature block.

 

[pat123]

Is their a hidden seam down the side of the tail light, that i will need to find then cover up later?

 

[Nova_Guy]

The tail light is bigger than the hole in the panel and over laps the seam between the tail panel and quarter panel. The seam can only be seen at the top where it wraps around the 1/4 panel.

 

[pat123]

Would you be able to post a pic of that?

Thanks

 

[Nova_Guy]

Would you be able to post a pic of that?

Thanks

No I had the car painted in 2005 and don't have any more pictures of it in progress.

 

[JRouche]

Hey custom Jim, Ill go ahead and say thanks for the info. Great info. Im not doing a similar car but was reading this thread and kinda saw the lack of acknowledgment for your write up from Pat. So Ill step up here and say thanks!!! I love to see a guy helping out.... JR

 

[pat123]

Sorry Custom jim thanks for the reply and nova guy
Im usually really good with thank yous

 

[Custom Jim]

Hey, no problem with helping someone out.

There probably are some differences between the years, models, and how exactly things get replaced like Nova_Guy said about a brace. It seems to me thinking back on mine I may have had to do things a certain way with maybe clipping in one side of the taillight panel to the one quarter panel, then hang the other quarter panel to get it to clip onto the tail panel section. On my car I put on NOS quarters and an NOS tallight panel and it took some forethought and tweaking of the parts before I did any welding.

Jim

 

[low72nova]

hope the pics help and they come thru.I removed the 2 brackets inside the trunk and only the few spot welds in the trunk latch.Drilled all the spot welds that lays behind the bumper out.Then where the 1/4 wraps around to the inside of the trunk seal i had to melt out the lead to get to those spot welds.THERE is spot welds in all sorts of spots back there so just feel around and you will find em and the ones you dont see or feel they will show their selves when you try to take it out.Just take your time and it will work out fine.I just tried the pics but i will have to get the wife to add them:no:

 

[rust72bucket]

Hope these help.

 

[Novaboy69]

what brand tail pan did you install?

 

[pat123]

Perfect

Thanks everyone

 

[Nova_Guy]

I found several more pictures of mine if you are interested in them.

 

[Baddbob]

Make sure to fit your tail lights during the bodywork stage, just eyeballing the opening isn't enough-physically fit the lights on the car so you can get the sgape and alignment right before it is painted. Also use a quality urethane or epoxy seamsealer on the lower seam and also the gutter areas AFTER applying a good quality metal primer.

 

[pat123]

I found several more pictures of mine if you are interested in them.

The more pics the better

Thanks

Pat

 

[pat123]

Requesting pics just above the gas filler tunnel? I see a dent there that could be stock but im not 100%

Thanks

Pat

 

[Denis the Menace]

I am working the other end of the trunk. The Deck filler got the old one out and got all the surface rust off. I want to know what you all do with the black coating that comes on the replacament panels and what seam sealers are you using?

Also do you allpy the seam sealer and the tack the spot welds and then reapply seam sealer?

Thanks alot of good info here.

 

[pat123]

Could someone post me a pic where the bumper brackets mount to the lower panel? mines got an indent and i see new ones are flat.

Thanks

Pat