No that's not a dance step. I failed to miss something in examining my elky before purchasing it. To the untrained eye, it's not obvious.

The car had been clipped from behind and I'm guessing the driver side since that is where the damage is limited to. Basically the shop that repaired the quarter didn't "pull" the quarter back or shape it correctly. Right about where the door handle is, the gap between the door and quarter panel narrows. The taillight doesn't mount flush with the opening.

There are no visible wrinkles in the panel (looked from inside the taillight opening with a flashlight running the length of the panel), or any obvious "filler".

So, is a body shop best equipped to deal with this and is there no reason to replace the existing panel? I've had a couple shops say yes, and others say no. One, who is considered reputable, will never replace a panel unless at gun point or there is no way to recover the original panel. No visible rust, period. No other visible damage, just shifted forward and bowed slightly.

I would like to correct this myself, but I'm feeling this is just not in the cards, and really this should be done by a pro. Not that I have a problem with that.

Thanks

You need a GOOD hit from the back to close up a door jam... Look under the car at the body mounts.
( two side mounts and one rear mount on that side ) If it took a big enough Hit to shift the full 1/4 and door frame.. you shoild be able to detect work areas...
As far as Re-Pulling... IMO. That is a BIG can of Worms.. to get the tail light housing opening it fit and pull the door pannel to mantain the gap.
One Question...What about the Sail panel area ?
a tight fit ?

Just shooting from the Hip.. I would venture a rehang :eek: :eek: !!!

If it was my car I would make an attempt to fix the original panel. 2-3 hours of pulling and stress relieving will determine whether the panel should be replaced or not. An experienced shop will be able to determine where the best anchor and pull points will be on the car. Just my opinion

I've looked around and the obvious signs aren't there, like flaked undercoat on the frame, bulges or other distortions in the frame, so it appears the damage was limited to the body, thankfully. I'll have to check again on the mounts, though I plan to replace them all anyway.

I'm thinking this is best left to the pro's. Finding a safe method to "pull" the panel back into place appears to be a bit of a challenge.

Thanks for the advice.

Francis