A friend of mine wants to replace a 1/4 panel that had been previously replaced sometime ago and it appears that it was installed using plug welds. My question is what is the best way to remove the panel without damaging the other panels that the 1/4 attaches too.Can the plug welds be removed the same way as the factory spot welds using the spitznagel bit or do they have to be removed using a different method.

Dave

If its been replaced before with plug welds your best bet is to use a grinder and grind away the weld.
3M makes some good grinding discs that go on a die grinder, they are 3/16 thick compare to 1/16(normal size)

When you ground away enough the panel sometimes pops loose in that spot, but you will be able to see a circle around the area. That circle means that the weld is gone.

Once you have a seem cut loose you can take a sharpe putty knife, I have special tool for this but a putty knife will work, insert it inbetween the metal.
http://www.dentfix.com/acb2/showdetl.cfm?DID=6&Product_ID=25&CATID=3
Then hit the putty knife with a hammer driving it down the seem. This helps loosen any remaining welds

Thanks for the tips,I'll pass the info. on to him.
Also, would it be difficult removing the welds and the panel using that method on where the panel attaches to the trunk gutter/weather strip channel area?
I forgot to mention that it is a 1972 Chevelle he's working on.

Dave

No
In the drip rail area right above the side windows using a cutoff wheel is the ONLY way to remove those welds, factory or man made.

The trunk gutter area can also be ground down too.

I find it much easier when doing quarters is to cut out the main portion of the quarter. This way when you start seprating the welds yu are not wrestling the whole quarter just small chunks.
An air hammer with a sheetmetal ripper works great for this.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=72439&group_ID=846&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?item_ID=72755&group_ID=857
I like this bit the best

Thanks