Hey, Ive posted a few times in the body shop forum regarding some of my planning issues that I squared away about the rear of the car and Ill run you down so you know what Im doing and what I hopefully can have answered. First off Im planning on doing a backhalf on my 64 malibu to install a 3-link rear suspension with a ford 9" and 17x10 wheels with 4.5" BS. I plan on setting the ride height fairly low and a full tub job. My rear wheel well openings were badly modified by the previous owner and although I do plan on repairing them I need to get the frame and rear end done first. Well since I dont have good quarter panels to take a good measurement from for the width from wheel well lip to wheel well lip Im jumpin on here hoping that I can get that measurement from one of you. So I more or less need to know either how wide with tires the stock rearend is from the outside of the wheel on one side to the outside of the other. OR even better would be a measurement from the center of the wheel well at the inside of the lip to the other side. More or less I need to know what the widest I can go under the stock wheel wells so I can set up my axle width and get the new frame rails setup. After that I would theoretically be able to cut any sheet metal that doesnt clear the new rear clip and be able to drop the body back on and have the quarters replaced. This is what was recommended to me by the body shop that will be doing my quarter panels so I must get this going. Hopefully a few of you could measure and if everyone is the same of damn close Ill go with that measurement and start cutting. Thanks in advance and hope you can help!!

Matty, Ill get mine measured today for you. I will get it measured before 10am if that helps. I will measure inside the trunk, from the center of the wheel wells at the pinch welds.

hey I need the measurements from the quarter panel lips at the wheel well at the out side of the car. What I need is a dimension that tells me the very widest I can go without having the outsides of my tires sticking out of the car. Even with the quarters all messed up I can get a rough measurement but I really need to have it from an unmolested car. Hope you can help with that

I will try. However here are some numbers it is 59" to the center of the wheel well at the top of the well and pinch weld. I will try to get the measurement you want, but my wheels are on. I will look to see if there are any numbers in my shop manual.

I was gonna find another car and set a frameing square against the wheels on either side and make a mark on the ground then move the car and measure the actual distance between both sides, tire bulge and all. Think you may be able to do that? BTW thanks for the other measurement

ok in the 64 shop manual it says that the rear tread width is 58"... where exactly are they measuring that at... the center of the wheel well? If so that would make sense with twotones measurement of 59". Hopefully someone can do the framing square measurement since that will give me a for sure outside dimension to mork with. I wanna say its 72" or something but I am just not sure

Matt,

I will measure the outsides of my tires tomorrow (thursday) for you. I will then measure the gaps that I have between the tires and the wheel well lip. Hope it works out for you. Sorry its taking me so long to get them for you.

Rod

THANKS SO MUCH!! That is exactly what I need, then I can start designing the rear clip and get to work..