I am editing my original post because I "thought" my front bed panel was gonna be ok....wrong. It fits snug and lines up with the quarters BUT and this is a big one. The window channel is absolutely the wrong angle. It flattens out to the point that only the edge of the glass touches. Now I did resolve a coupleI of other issues I had be replacing it but I created a new one.
I have included a few pics and it is a little hard to see but I have drilled out the spot welds in the window channel. I need to bend the whole channel up towards where the window sits. It's totally wrong and I can move it a little with a couple of screwdrivers but I'm flexing the panel and not bending it. What I think I am gonna have to do is to take my cutoff wheel and run it in the bottom of the channel and try to cut it halfway thru. Then I ought to be able to bend it up and I can lay a small bead of weld where it has been cut. Other than to cut it out and start over I am out of options.

Dave

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/Bowtie70SS/P1010407_edited.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/Bowtie70SS/P1010406_edited.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/Bowtie70SS/P1010405_edited.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/Bowtie70SS/P1010404_edited.jpg

I think I figured out how to bend it up without ruining it. I went outside for a smoke and was looking at the channel and had a brainstorm!! I welded a small piece of angle iron to a pair of cheap panel clamps and voila!!

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/Bowtie70SS/P1010408_edited.jpg

I used them a little and refitted the window and it seems like it's gonna work. The window glass actually lays about flat on the channel after about 5 minutes of work including making the tool. To anyone who considers installing a front bed panel,,,you better check this out!!!

Dave

Our '69 had the same problem. The bodyshop had it all welded in and painted. When I got to the glass shop, the problem became obvious. They ended up using the butyl tape on the top and sides and the urethane across the bottom where the gap was bigger. When everything was done, you can't even see the difference. The trim fit fine. A good glass guy can to good things when the fits are not just right.....and that's pretty common with repro parts.

I just wanted to avoid all of the tape and urethane.

Ditto. It's a stamping problem with the cheap china factories. I ordered 2 of them from NPD, both had same problem. I wasn't too concerned since the trim will be covering most of it up.

Lets see what you did after...

i thought just a couple days ago you had good panels with just a bit of the support rail for the box lid missing?...what happened?

Be sure to test fit the bed panel cover. I'm kinda pissed mine does not sit in there correct now. I bought a new Bed Panel piece and it looks like the holes area off. What is strange is the new piece has a bunch of holes that were not there from the factory. Not sure why it's like this.

Do you guys have any idea what the extra holes in the inside shelf panel are for?

i thought just a couple days ago you had good panels with just a bit of the support rail for the box lid missing?...what happened?

Me that's what happened. I went to install the window channel repair panel and I pulled it in too far with the clamps. When I test fitted the window the opening was a little large. I bit the bullet and rather than have problems down the road I decided to fix it right by replacing the entire panel. While fixing it right I discovered the front bed panel needed some work. I ended up removing the entire brace between the window channel and the bed panel. That's where they messed up. I'm sure it was made correctly but they installed it crooked and pulled the window channel down too far. I'll throw up some pics later.

Dave

Do you guys have any idea what the extra holes in the inside shelf panel are for?

What holes you talking about?

The inside shelf panel under the back window has 3-4 1/8" holes for something. This is in the repro part. I don't remember anything in the old one but there may have been.

I know there are like 4 on the piece that meets the floor panel access cover. Even the aftermarket bed panel has holes that should not be there. Now I gotta weld them shut.

ah, i see dave, unfortunatly, and usually, the more you dig, the more you find...hey keith, maybe those holes were added for drainage?

No. They are just out on the shelf panel on the inside of the car with no apparent use or reason for being there.

TA-DAH!

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/Bowtie70SS/P1010411.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/Bowtie70SS/P1010410.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b371/Bowtie70SS/P1010409.jpg

It's been a long hard battle but it looks like I am starting to get somewhere. I have the back panel and rear window shelf in. I have 2 coats of epoxy on them, and a few pits here and there to fill. If you install this panel you will have to drill out the channel reinforcement and bend the channel back to the shape it started out in before someone in Taiwan installed the brace wrong.

Dave

Crap, you are pulling away from me! I'm stuck on welding up some patches on the inner bed panels. Looks GREAT!!!

Looks like you have about the same gap I have on that back panel that meets the side. Probably gonna fill it with seam sealer.

I was thinking seam sealer would be correct, but someone told me "drip check" by 3M was the most similar product to use there. I have some and was gonna use it but I wanna be sure first. As far as I know you put the drip check on after wet sanding just prior to paint. Also it would be used in the drip rail or roof rail gutters.

Dave

looks great dave, i wouldnt use seam sealer, you'll see it forever, i'm not familiar with the dripcheck you mentioned, but i would just tack it good (or weld it) and use body filler, at least on the area exposed as a body panel ....good luck

btw, i see your interior light base there. did you have anything on either/both sides of it? the reason i ask is, i havent installed my headliner yet and there was a plastic something on both sides of mine, maybe a bit more towards the glass, but, they literally disintigrated (what was left of them) at the mere touch of a finger. and, i still havent found out what they were for sure though my best guess is that they were headliner bow clips.

btw, i see your interior light base there. did you have anything on either/both sides of it? the reason i ask is, i havent installed my headliner yet and there was a plastic something on both sides of mine, maybe a bit more towards the glass, but, they literally disintigrated (what was left of them) at the mere touch of a finger. and, i still havent found out what they were for sure though my best guess is that they were headliner bow clips.

Yeah if I remember right they support the rear headliner bow. I still have them and they were ok, but you may have to look for some good used ones.