pensuke
New member
How do you replace the rear qtr panel?
I've been for the best part of 2 months been driving around with a rear qtr panel that resembles a dissheveled crisp packet, now being honest it doesn't bother me (that much), however the mrs' wants it fixed. (I personally blame her mother, who said something to the effect of "...he has his flaws a lack of pride, just look at the side of his car, but you love him thats what matters"). So now i've got to replace it, but how?
I've spoken to different sources who say different things, Local garages say that it can be salvaged knocked/pulled out, just they don't have the skills to do it, Fiat suggest it needs a new qtr panel, as do the scrap yards. When enquring further into this, they said they need to 'cut' one from a donar car, and then from mine, then replace with the donar panel and weld it on. That sounds pretty straight forward i thought, I found a car same color and age as mine, and thought id go through with it. When I went to go and purchase the panel the scrappie guy then asked me something that confused the hell out of me. He said "do you want all of the boot floor, because you'll be getting part of it and the roof anyway?" is this the usual process when replacing a rear qtr panel? it would seem to me that this process would be detrimental for the cars structural integrity!
Assuming i did go through with it, how then would the car look after? would they just mask where it had been cut and paint it?
I'd prefer it to be salvaged, if it's possible, any good bodywork specialists around B'ham?
oh and its around the petrol cap, does that make a difference?
I've been for the best part of 2 months been driving around with a rear qtr panel that resembles a dissheveled crisp packet, now being honest it doesn't bother me (that much), however the mrs' wants it fixed. (I personally blame her mother, who said something to the effect of "...he has his flaws a lack of pride, just look at the side of his car, but you love him thats what matters"). So now i've got to replace it, but how?
I've spoken to different sources who say different things, Local garages say that it can be salvaged knocked/pulled out, just they don't have the skills to do it, Fiat suggest it needs a new qtr panel, as do the scrap yards. When enquring further into this, they said they need to 'cut' one from a donar car, and then from mine, then replace with the donar panel and weld it on. That sounds pretty straight forward i thought, I found a car same color and age as mine, and thought id go through with it. When I went to go and purchase the panel the scrappie guy then asked me something that confused the hell out of me. He said "do you want all of the boot floor, because you'll be getting part of it and the roof anyway?" is this the usual process when replacing a rear qtr panel? it would seem to me that this process would be detrimental for the cars structural integrity!
Assuming i did go through with it, how then would the car look after? would they just mask where it had been cut and paint it?
I'd prefer it to be salvaged, if it's possible, any good bodywork specialists around B'ham?
oh and its around the petrol cap, does that make a difference?
