I bought a 66 Chevelle that is a perfect rust free car that needed some TLC....At some time in its past it had a half quarter put on the drivers side.......it was welded together just below( about 1") the reveal molding.....the problem is now that the car has aged somewhat since this was done ......you can now see the welded seam as you look down the quarter.....the panels are perfectly straight , it seems that just the welded portion has settled or moved just enough to show.........I'm kind of crazy when it comes to fit and finish...What happened here...the person who did this originally did such a great job on the rest of the paint (Marina Blue - Base coat -Clear Coat) work that I'm sure this was perfectly staight when painted.....when I eventually go thru the car again, should I just put on a complete quarter or can this be worked back to an acceptable straight durable condition...

Thanks
Ken
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Here's my take on the situation smile.gif I would be willing to bet the seam is not welded completely. Some folks think that a splice will work with tackwelds spaced apart from each other rather than completely welding. The expansion and contraction of the two pieces enables the seam to be seen. A nice butt welded seam would not have shown up. You can remove the finish and filler from this area and reweld it completely, that should cure the problem. Another thing to address is if this is a lap joint was any attention paid with respect to corrosion protection between the two panels? If not the expansion of rust could be strssing the lap joint causing it to show. I like to do a perfect flush butt weld when joining sheetmetal whenever possible, it has proven to hold up the best. Do a little inspection by looking at the joint's backside inside the trunk at the bottom of the sail panel-you may see what the problem is. Bob

Thanks for the info......
Ken graemlins/thumbsup.gif