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Body panel repair parts

Chad Witham

Well-Known Member
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10:34 AM
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Location
Indiana
I'm frustrated, I have some rust issues starting to pop up in our Cali car and I cant seem to find repair panels for simple parts, like the lower fender behind the wheel. I have come to the conclusion I'm just gonna have to find a good door to replace the one that I have rust popping in. Full quarters don't seem to be a problem.
 
I never bought into the California is rust free rap
left outside these cars will rust no matter where they are located or from.
what you suspect is correct
much of the replacement metal is not made and has to come from a donor.
nature of the beast with these cars..
 
Just make what you need... it'll fit better!
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What car and what panels?

My 66 sat outside in TX from 1974 until 2004.

One nickle sized rust hole in the DS quarter behind the wheel and a about a 2 square inch pitted area under heel pad.

That's it

The paint, however was completely burned off the roof and after 3 months in FL started surface rusting and I had to paint it.
 
73 Charger
Lower fender patches and passenger door.

I never bought into the California is rust free rap
left outside these cars will rust no matter where they are located or from.
what you suspect is correct
much of the replacement metal is not made and has to come from a donor.
nature of the beast with these cars..

Yeah I will likely still buy Southern or Western cars but I will wait until I move South out of the salt belt to do it.

My parents bought this car and neglected it, I don't believe it is an issue aside from that. It sat in a barn near a major interstate in Indiana (within 100 feet) for 10 years. Don't get me wrong the rust isn't terrible and its way better than anything else here but I don't want it getting out of hand either if we keep it.
 
I have a door, but I don't think shipping is gonna be friendly.

I'm pretty sure I've seen fender "dog leg" patches before.

Sherman, maybe.
 
I have a door, but I don't think shipping is gonna be friendly.

I'm pretty sure I've seen fender "dog leg" patches before.

Sherman, maybe.
Where in FL are you? I have two buddies in FL that can haul it to me when they make trips up here. One in the Crystal River area and one near Gateway.
 
I learned to make my own as nothing was available. Plus the front of the wheel well was being moved forward 4".
Doug
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Isn't much of those replacement panels Chinese made anyway who wants that if avoidable.
 
I'm pretty sure lower patches for 71/72 will fit 73/74. I think it's only the upper body lines that are different.
 
Probably just a stock photo. I thought there was more than one vendor on those, I'd look around before you buy. Goodmark maybe?
 
Sherman and Goodmark too, both of them listed at Summit. Over a $20 price difference between the two. Sherman being cheaper by about 40-50 bucks for the pair.
 
I have a door, but I don't think shipping is gonna be friendly.

I'm pretty sure I've seen fender "dog leg" patches before.

Sherman, maybe.

Autobody specialties was the first on offer those. But that’s a piece “easy” to build

My car got quarters made locally by a shop then made to fit by the body man.

Lower fender patches were made by him

Sorry, pics uploaded in no particular order

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ACBC43ED-A242-4713-ABA3-E986F76AC0CD.jpeg
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THE FENDER “DOG LEG” made in home.

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REST OF QUARTER PICS MADE BY A SHOP IN VENEZUELA... I got a NOS PANEL out of ebay in USA to ship it to Venezuela and get the shape correctly done. Both quarters were made the same.

Sidemarker area was cut from the original one and welded to the skin made

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I ordered the lower doglegs from Sherman for my 71. I know they are different for the 73, but will give a few points to consider:
#1- the patches metal is thicker than the original fender. Alot thicker almost twice, and the 71's( not sure about 73-4) have an inner brace that the steel needs to be bent around 180* kinda like a door skin so it was very difficult to metal finish because of the thickness(surface height). It would have been so much easier if the metal was the same thickness(or somewhat closer).
#2- because of the thickness, the body lines were not "crisp" (angles not as sharp as original panel lines)
#3- most metal I've replaced on my 71(lots), was AMD or goodmark. These were the only from sherman that i used and the pieces weren't EBT coated like all others but actually had sort of a galvanized coating on them wich made it difficult to weld, smelled odd, and made me worry about the "parachutes" of gases being released into the atmosphere when striking the arcs...
These were cheep, but was buying other stuff from the source that offered these so I baught them. I should have chucked them & got other parts from another manufacturer, would've saved a lot of time & labor to make them look right.
These are important hings to consider, and nowhere did I ever see/hear feedback +or- about these patches. Live & learn... Thats my 2 pennies...
 
AMD makes lower patches for 71-72 Plymouth that are probably closer to what you are looking for. The gauge and contours should be in the ballpark for small patches but it won’t have the same body lines as the Charger. How big of a repair are we talking about here? Good Charger fenders are like hens teeth - I’m guessing what you already have will be better than whatever you find.
 
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