I pulled my trim off the back window and found some rot in the lower corners. There's also a small hole in the window to trunk panel that's probably fixable without replacing the whole panel. I did a search and saw some guys have fabbed up the channel corners. I was wondering if replacement sail panels include the lower channel corners. How about full quarters since I do have some rot behind the back wheels.

Thanks

I pulled my trim off the back window and found some rot in the lower corners. There's also a small hole in the window to trunk panel that's probably fixable without replacing the whole panel. I did a search and saw some guys have fabbed up the channel corners. I was wondering if replacement sail panels include the lower channel corners. How about full quarters since I do have some rot behind the back wheels.

Thanks

Same problem, any info would be nice... pics too!:beers:

I know that the full quarters include the lower corner:yes:. Don't know about the sail panel:confused:.

Thanks Chuck. I guess I'll talk to a supplier about the sail panels.

It is surprising vendors have not come up with just a channel, My gold 72 needs a complete window channel but the quarters are in great shape.

If you have welding access/abilities, why not just patch in the affected areas?

Unless the channel is completely rotted out, I'd bet you can take some sheet metal and cut out pieces to slowly patch and rebuild it...?

If you have welding access/abilities, why not just patch in the affected areas?

Unless the channel is completely rotted out, I'd bet you can take some sheet metal and cut out pieces to slowly patch and rebuild it...?
I could probably do it but I'd have to do it in 3 pieces. The holes are getting close to the top panel and are right at the corner. Not sure if the top panel is thick enough to weld on. I won't know until I remove the glass and sandblast the area.

I'm weighing my options here. I'm a ways away from the paint booth, lol.

There used to be a guy on Ebay that made and sold the lower corner replacements. I can't tell you if they are any good or not I never purchased any just remember seeing them.

You might consider putting a drain tube in the corners and dumping the water out of the quarter panel plug holes when you get it all welded back up.

I have the same problem. Haven't gotten around to an attempted repair though. Both front and rear are about the same. Not bad, but not good either. Mine's a 67 though Ron, so I have 3 more years of rot :)

These photos are both of the front. Guess I haven't taken of the rear yet
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I have the same problem. Haven't gotten around to an attempted repair though. Both front and rear are about the same. Not bad, but not good either. Mine's a 67 though Ron, so I have 3 more years of rot :)

These photos are both of the front. Guess I haven't taken of the rear yet
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It looks like you have some meat to work with on the outer edge of the channels. My holes are getting close to the edge. Don't know If I can weld metal into the just the channel part.

The instructor for the Saturday Autobody course I'm taking said you can bend a piece of metal into an L shape and shrink one side to make a curved piece. Sounds like a good excuse to buy an oxy-acetylene outfit.

I'm going to end up with $25K into the car and $25K into new tools.

I think they shrink the L shape with a special shrinking/stretching tool and not a torch.

I think they shrink the L shape with a special shrinking/stretching tool and not a torch.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95062

I have to tackle this project one day also :(

You can make that piece by using a hammer form and not need to buy any special tools, just a 10 dollar piece of MDF found at home depot.

Make out a pattern of the piece you want then trace it out on the MDF and cut it out. Now use that MDF pattern to make another MDF piece only this time about 1/8 to 3/16 smaller. Place your metal on top of the larger MDF pieces then place the smaller piece on top of the metal and clamp them together.

Now you have a hammer form and you can just hammer over the flange and curve in one simple step.

A shrinker/stretcher would work darn good but again you can use some simple hand tools and do the same thing.

You can make this tool out of lady fingers pry bars
http://inlinethumb18.webshots.com/44881/2245039500102553149S500x500Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2245039500102553149MIWhDZ)

Then you place the metal in between the forks, twist the metal in both directions yielding a V- shaped ruffle like so.
http://inlinethumb12.webshots.com/44875/2925218260102553149S500x500Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2925218260102553149KfPCfi)

Now you hammer the ruffle flat using a hammer and flat dolly and you JUST made a shrink. Do a few of those and you will have a curve.
Yes its that darn simple and no need to buy 400 dollars worth of tools.

You can make that piece by using a hammer form and not need to buy any special tools, just a 10 dollar piece of MDF found at home depot.

Make out a pattern of the piece you want then trace it out on the MDF and cut it out. Now use that MDF pattern to make another MDF piece only this time about 1/8 to 3/16 smaller. Place your metal on top of the larger MDF pieces then place the smaller piece on top of the metal and clamp them together.

Now you have a hammer form and you can just hammer over the flange and curve in one simple step.

A shrinker/stretcher would work darn good but again you can use some simple hand tools and do the same thing.

You can make this tool out of lady fingers pry bars
http://inlinethumb18.webshots.com/44881/2245039500102553149S500x500Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2245039500102553149MIWhDZ)

Then you place the metal in between the forks, twist the metal in both directions yielding a V- shaped ruffle like so.
http://inlinethumb12.webshots.com/44875/2925218260102553149S500x500Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2925218260102553149KfPCfi)

Now you hammer the ruffle flat using a hammer and flat dolly and you JUST made a shrink. Do a few of those and you will have a curve.
Yes its that darn simple and no need to buy 400 dollars worth of tools.
Very slick! I'm going to be trying both.

Thanks!

I stole this picture of a simple hammer form in action. This will show you what you need to do in order to make a hammer form for that rear window channel...Eric
No reason why this repair needs to be multiple welded up pieces. Plus if you reverse the form you are capable of making both left and right pieces and MDF can take a beating and produce several parts

http://inlinethumb05.webshots.com/25604/2727746140102553149S500x500Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2727746140102553149eXDzyI)

I know this really isn't what you guys asked for. But I figured I'd offer up my experiences doing this exact repair on my 70. This was my first time doing any repair work on sheetmetal. I've done fab work with thicker metal. but Sheetmetal always scared me.

This is what I started with. Obviously yours is a little worse, but same procedure would work.

http://norcalttora.com/~steve/photos/Chevelle/DSC09869%20(Small).JPG

http://norcalttora.com/~steve/photos/Chevelle/body%20work/P1220301%20(Small).JPG

http://norcalttora.com/~steve/photos/Chevelle/body%20work/P1220293%20(Small).JPG

I started out with a cardboard form of the shape of the opening. I used a gift box. I also have since used cereal boxes too. They work good!

http://norcalttora.com/~steve/photos/Chevelle/body%20work/P1220299%20(Small).JPG

Then bought some sheet metal and used a cut off wheel to cut the two pieces out. I traced the paper form onto the sheetmetal and followed the lines. Then bent it by hand until the shape matched what was there stock and tacked it together.

http://norcalttora.com/~steve/photos/Chevelle/body%20work/P1220302%20(Small).JPG

http://norcalttora.com/~steve/photos/Chevelle/body%20work/P1220303%20(Small).JPG

Then cut out the old metal with drill, and cutoff wheel

http://norcalttora.com/~steve/photos/Chevelle/body%20work/P1230304%20(Small).JPG

Then used a sanding wheel on my grinder and kept sanding and test fitting until it fit pretty good.

http://norcalttora.com/~steve/photos/Chevelle/body%20work/P1230319%20(Small).JPG

Then welded it fully and ground down the weld

http://norcalttora.com/~steve/photos/Chevelle/P3130002%20(Small).JPG

If you have any questions please let me know

Steve

If you anticipate doing any sheetmetal fabrication in the future, then do yourself a favor and buy a shrinker/stretcher combination! You can buy them on sale at Harbor freight for less than $100 when on sale. It makes the fabrication of such parts a snap. Sure you can form parts by beating the sheetmetal around forms, but you can make the part in a fraction of the time it takes just to make the wood form. Attached is a pic of a rear window channel for a wagon I made last month. It took less them 5 minutes to make the entire channel from start to finish. You just take a piece of metal and bend it into an L and then either shrink or stretch the legs of the L to make it curve like you want. The tool moves the metal just a little bit on each stroke of the handle, so it is easy to make very precise parts. If you shrink a leg too far and make the curve too tight, you simply stretch it a little to decrease the curve. This is a tool everybody that fabricates sheetmetal, even on an infrequent basis, should own! You don't have to buy a high-dollar tool, the harbor freight one will work quite well for a person who only needs to use one a couple of times a month.

http://www.villagephotos.com/utils/image.aspx?u=2003-8\339303\IMG_0320.jpg


Regards, John McGraw

Thanks for all the advice and tips.

I should have posted these pictures when I started the thread. The first is the drivers side. The metal is getting a little thin up the channel, don't know if I can weld on it. The second is the passenger side which shouldn't be too much of a problem. The filler panel is still good.

I'm going to make a template and see if I can fab a piece up at my Bodywork class tomorrow using a shrinker/stretcher. I'll be putting a vinyl top back on so it doesn't have to be prerfect.

after reading / seeing this thread I feel confindent I could fix my channels my self.:thumbsup:

One more tip: Make a template of the opening corner before starting and use it to test fit during the work. Also use the moldings to test fit along the way. Finally, test fit the moldings in the entire opening and test fit the glass when completed. You don't want to find out the shape was off or glass won't fit or seal after the car is painted.