Advise needed on 69 Charger rear body panel assembly

[mopar4don]

I am working on assembling the rear end body panels of a 1969 Charger and I need advise on how to proceed.

Here is a list of the metal I am working with:

donor metal or original metal:
inner rockers (welded in)
rear frame rails (welded in)
front floor pan (welded in)
rear seat pan (welded in)
both foot well pans (welded in)
roof skin
wheel tubs (welded in)
trunk gutters
trunk lid
tail panel

NEW METAL:
outer rockers (welded in)
trunk pan (welded in)
trunk pan extensions
rear cross member (welded in)
full quarter panels
deck filler panel
rear valance
rear valance corners


I have attached all the body panels with screws or clamps.
I have the doors, fenders, trunk lid, and roof on and everything is in the ball park as far as gaps. The only thing I would like to get better is the deck lid gaps.

The drivers side gap is close, but the pass side is touching.
The gap from deck lid to filler panel is a bit much.

I know I have a lot going on here but would really like some advice on how to get the panels
aligned before welding them in.

Has anyone done this?

 

[SGTPaul]

Don I had a sim issue on my car. Compare the old and new deck lid filler panel length. The AMD ones are a little short. I had to add some 11 ga metal to one or both sides. I think I have some pics of it on my thread.

 

[Demonic]

I wish I was closer, my trunk lid has never been off. I'll post some measurements in the AM, Don.

 

[747mopar]

I have an OEM deck lid and the gaps were a bit big, I cut the bottom off and extended it. One really, really important thing to do is fit the rear window trim, my AMD dutchman panel left an ill fitting corner that I didn't catch.

 

[Don selleck]

2nd that on the rear window trim. had slight issues with mine also, thats what i was talking about using the 1/2" osb shims under the trim clips to allow for seal and glass thickness, so you can install your trim, then simply unscrew the clip retainer and they fall out of the trim lessening your chances of damaging your trim to zero. my deck lid to the filler panel was a little large on mine also. as SGT. paul said, it sounds like your filler panel is a little narrow, which is making your reveal gaps too small on your sides.

 

[mopar4don]

Don I had a sim issue on my car. Compare the old and new deck lid filler panel length. The AMD ones are a little short. I had to add some 11 ga metal to one or both sides. I think I have some pics of it on my thread.

Paul, I am just now getting back to this.
Glad I looked at your thread (pics help a LOT) I had it in my mind that you were welding metal in to close the front gap to the deck lid. It didn't make sense to me until I looked at your thread and found the pics. You added material on the sides of the deck filler to widen it. Which when installed will open the deck lid gaps on the side! GOT IT. I will check mine

I wish I was closer, my trunk lid has never been off. I'll post some measurements in the AM, Don.

Any and all measurements would be appreciated! Thank you

I have an OEM deck lid and the gaps were a bit big, I cut the bottom off and extended it. One really, really important thing to do is fit the rear window trim, my AMD dutchman panel left an ill fitting corner that I didn't catch.

you cut the bottom off and extended it? could you explain it more? sorry I just want to be sure.
I know my corners will need work. I will be sure to fit them with the trim

2nd that on the rear window trim. had slight issues with mine also, thats what i was talking about using the 1/2" osb shims under the trim clips to allow for seal and glass thickness, so you can install your trim, then simply unscrew the clip retainer and they fall out of the trim lessening your chances of damaging your trim to zero. my deck lid to the filler panel was a little large on mine also. as SGT. paul said, it sounds like your filler panel is a little narrow, which is making your reveal gaps too small on your sides.

my deck lid to filler panel gap is about 5/16, can you check yours?
Thank you

 

[mopar4don]

Could some one get me some dimensions?
I need the gap dimension from the bumper to the quarter extension.

Also is that gap the same as the gap along the bottom of the bumper to the reveal line of the rear valance?
I used SGTPauls pic

 

[Don selleck]

mine is a little wider than the sides about a 1/4" on back and 3/16 on the side. i spent alot of time in this area i finally surrendered to these results. good luck

 

[mopar4don]

Thanks Don
I will be shooting for 3/16, but I can live with a 1/4 at the top

 

[Don selleck]

1/4" first pic

 

[Don selleck]

i just tried to keep everything equal, reveals and squared the bumpers to the quarter panel pockets on the side of the car, bumper is stock, but it has been shaved and studded, the rest of the panels well, not quite stock (AMD)

 

[747mopar]

Yes, I had minor rust on the bottom lip of my trunk lid so I extended it while I was fixing the rust. I cut the outer skin off just above the rust then trimmed the rust off of the inner metal. When I made the replacement parts I made both longer to close up the gap. I do have a metal brake so the outer patch was folded as well to create the pinch on the bottom.

Can't help you with the bumper, mine has been extended upward, downward and forward to close those gaps.

 

[747mopar]

i just tried to keep everything equal, reveals and squared the bumpers to the quarter panel pockets on the side of the car, bumper is stock, but it has been shaved and studded, the rest of the panels well, not quite stock (AMD)View attachment 1034463 View attachment 1034464 View attachment 1034465

Beautiful!!

 

[hunt2elk]

Paul, I am just now getting back to this.
Glad I looked at your thread (pics help a LOT) I had it in my mind that you were welding metal in to close the front gap to the deck lid. It didn't make sense to me until I looked at your thread and found the pics. You added material on the sides of the deck filler to widen it. Which when installed will open the deck lid gaps on the side! GOT IT. I will check mine
View attachment 1034450

We had to do the exact same thing by widening out the AMD dutchman panel on my Charger. You would think that would be an easy piece to get stamped correctly.

 

[SGTPaul]

We had to do the exact same thing by widening out the AMD dutchman panel on my Charger. You would think that would be an easy piece to get stamped correctly.

Exactly! Wtf on that one AMD.... I called them on that one and they knew about it but still kept selling what they had b4 fixing. Grrrrrr....

 

[SGTPaul]

Glad to help Don.

 

[mopar4don]

Paul, I am just now getting back to this.
Glad I looked at your thread (pics help a LOT) I had it in my mind that you were welding metal in to close the front gap to the deck lid. It didn't make sense to me until I looked at your thread and found the pics. You added material on the sides of the deck filler to widen it. Which when installed will open the deck lid gaps on the side! GOT IT. I will check mine
View attachment 1034450

Well I checked my filler panel and guess what. It is short by about a 1/4 of an inch
I guess that helps to explain my problem and will help fixing my problem going forward.

Can I get dimensions to weld in the jack brackets?

ALSO does anyone have suggestions on where or how to position the the deck lid filler panel supports? This is the support that is welded to the inner wheel house and deck filler.

 

[Don selleck]

heres some pics on some numbers of positioning everything stock except trunk pan and extensions. jack hooks etc, where removed from original trunk pan and repositioned on new trunk pan with numbers taken from old one.

 

[Don selleck]

ley me know if you need anything else, keep up the good work, I wanna see some primer on that thing

 

[mopar4don]

Thanks Don, could I get a dimension from the trunk floor up to the pivot pin? Or the stud that the trunk hinge hangs on or pivots from? I like the blue lighting, very Christmas-ee

 

[Don selleck]

18 9/16th center perpendicular off trunk pan where it flattens out to the center of the pivot shaft. the blue is from a neon led rope, have it under my amp and hideaway stereo rack,

kept the drag slick that was on the car paying homage to the previous owner when it was a drag car.