5.0 Killa

I’m honestly surprised there aren’t more threads on here like this as its such a common problem with our cars.

Anyways I (like most EG owners) need to replace the rear fender arch as it has succumb to the cancer which plagues our cars. The instructions on the site providing the replacement panels are pretty self explanatory, however, I was wondering if its best to tig a bead along the seam or to just spot weld to prevent warping? Also what is the best method to flange the accepting part of the sheet metal?


Here is a pic of the patch panel for reference:

8mpg

you can pick up a pneumatic flanger from harbor freight for somewhere around $40. You need to run a full bead (tig or mig tacks) across the entire length of the panel. If it has the origional spot weld areas where they welded it from the factory (full fender, not a 1/2) then you can spot weld it and fill the seams with bondo. You were talking about flanging so Im assuming its not a full 1/4. You can pick up a hand flanger or pneumatic from Eastwood.com if you want something a bit nicer. Our POS harbor freight one has never let us down.


if you mig it, go really slow. Dont run a full bead at once. do a tack at the beginning and skip every 2 inches and do another tack. When you reach the end, come back to the beginning and do a weld inbetween the 2 closest and slowly work your way around and fill in the gaps with a ton of tacks. You will warp it gaurenteed if you weld a seam with a mig.

Race Egr

They way i would do it is put the panel over the quarter scribe a line around it. Cut the quarter panel off leaving about 1/2" more then the line u scribed. Flange the 1/2" piece left on the old quarter. Take the new one drill holes along the hole thing were it would come in contact with the flange u made. Then spot weld all the holes in the replacement to the flange if that makes sense

Bailhatch

Is it a must to flange the base part?

I need to do this soon. those panels are about $40 right?

Want2race

You want to spot weld it.

Even though you might be able to keep the heat down with TIG, you wont enough penetration and not warp it..

Bigblockhatch

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bailhatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Is it a must to flange the base part?

I need to do this soon. those panels are about $40 right?</TD></TR></TABLE>if u want to do it correct u need to flange the old panel that way after u are done welding and grinding the two panels are at the same height

Bailhatch

could I just weld something like a 1" tab on the backside every 4-5", then tig the seam. I'm sure I can fit the piece tightly enough to butt weld.

8mpg

im going to agree and disagree... With the tool at harbor freight it flanges and cuts spot weld holes. Anyways, i agree with you on flanging and drilling holes and spot welding HOWEVER you MUST weld along the entire seam. If you dont, and fill the seam with a filler (bondo or better yet dynaglass) and the car flexes at all, that seam is going to crack the bondo. I restore old cars for a living and I promise you that if you dont, you are gonna ruin all your hard work.


Flange, drill, spotweld in place just to hold it up, then tack the whole seam shut spacing out the tacks until you have a solid seam. Hell, you will probably need to grind down the seam (do it slow and skip around or you can warp it) and then weld again to fill in the gaps. Then when you have little pinholes left, fill with bondo/dynaglass.

8mpg

if you are that confident in your skills to buttweld it to begin with, you dont need to have that bracing on the back. Buttwelding with proper penetration will have the same effect as a solid panel. Im gonna say its gonna be hard to tig and keep taht much heat on the panel without warping it

MidShipCivic

Shouldn't this type of stuff work best with a Mig ?

Race Egr

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 8mpg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if you are that confident in your skills to buttweld it to begin with, you dont need to have that bracing on the back. Buttwelding with proper penetration will have the same effect as a solid panel. Im gonna say its gonna be hard to tig and keep taht much heat on the panel without warping it</TD></TR></TABLE>

The only problem without bracing it from behind is when u grind down the weld it becomes weaker. Although im sure this way would work fine. Eastwood also sells some new adhesive for this kinda thing so u dont have to weld at all

Bailhatch

thanks for the advice.
I have a nice 110 MIG with .023" mild wire and I have more experience with MIG so i guess i'll just use that. i think ill just use a couple of tabs and some magnets to hold it in place.

is dabbing the weld with a damp rag a good idea to prevent warping o ris that more just if youre in a hurry?

...and I assume those flap style sanding discs are the way to go for smoothing out the weld?

youtouchmytralala

just flange it then glue it. from what i've been told the glue works just as good as welding and is better and preventing future rust since you are sealing everything.

G2turbo_terror

What do you guys mean when you say "flange it"?

I'm doing this in summer and was gonna weld it but for simplicity/quickness I might just glue it now.

highroller54

only flange it if its a flat panel, trying to do that quarter panel with all the contours you it will just try and straiten everything and it will warp like no tommorow. It must be fully welded with NO pinholes or water will seap into your body filler and rot it again twice as bad. Spot weld it up, connect your spot welds(so its solid), grind it down and then sand blast it. Sand blasting it will open any small holes up you missed and then go back and fill those.

8mpg

flange it..

http://eastwood.com/shopping/p...anger

5.0 Killa

I think Im going to go with the mig as the thought of gluing it doesn't appeal to me. I would worry about the panel shifting before the glue set up properly.

When you are cutting the panel out how does the lip of the inner fender attach to the body? Do you just cut at the bottom of lip?


Thanks for the great responses guys!

G2turbo_terror

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 8mpg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">flange it..

http://eastwood.com/shopping/p...anger</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ah ha, thank you.

8mpg

the wheel tub?? The wheeltub should have spotwelds attaching to the inner side of the wheeltub and spotwelds onto the rear 1/4 panel. Basically cut out the spotwelds that attach the wheeltub and the 1/4 and cut the 1/4 off. The tub will just sit there until you put the new patch on.

What year car are you working on?? I havent seen cars that needed 1/4's replaced unless they are from the mid 70's and older

5.0 Killa

Its a 93 civic hatch and that panel is a nice option over just welding in a new fender lip.

Bailhatch

ordered both sides for my 93 hatch today $80

8mpg

haha...id probably blast it and just dynaglass it, but thats me

Cain Marko

My roommate just sent me this link, I am taking autobody classes right now and I was actually going to look for the entire quarter for my hatch, but I couldnt find anything from any providers, and I sure as hell am not going to the stealership for these things.

5.0 Killa

You can’t primarily because they generally rust from the inside out so as soon as you see rust it’s already too late. The only way to stop it is to replace the panel, seal it up and hope it doesn’t rust again. The previous owner had already replaced the lip portion of the fender (and did a shitty job I might add) so its time to just fix the entire thing.

Castro Jr.: You can find the panels on rustrepair.com for 40 bucks a pop.

Cain Marko

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 5.0 Killa &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You can’t primarily because they generally rust from the inside out so as soon as you see rust it’s already too late. The only way to stop it is to replace the panel, seal it up and hope it doesn’t rust again. The previous owner had already replaced the lip portion of the fender (and did a shitty job I might add) so its time to just fix the entire thing.

Castro Jr.: You can find the panels on rustrepair.com for 40 bucks a pop. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats not that bad at all, I just wanted to replace the whole quarter since we were learning how to do that not to mention I got lots of little dings. So I might have to go over those areas with a hammer and dolly if possible or just a light layer of body filler, I want to use that as a last resort though.