Convertible quarter panel question

[wedgie]

Hoping that someone can tell me about the bracing that goes from the wheel well to the inside of the quarter panel on an early B convertible. Appears to have some type of rubbery material between the brace and the quarter. Is it an adhesive?

 

[Sixpaksteve]

I have those same braces on my '64 Polara convertible, but I've not had to touch them during the restoration of the car. I believe that they were spot welded to the quarter at the factory and I have the same type of undercoat over mine that you show in your pics. My guess is that any type of rubber material, undercoat, etc.. in that area was applied for rust protection and/or sound deadening back then.

 

[Davefinan]

Seam sealer?

 

[wedgie]

Hoping to find out before working on the quarter panel.

 

[moparpaul]

My 65 satellite convertible. The braces appear to be adjustable and removable.I would unbolt and remove if you need to do bodywork. Looks like the thing you’re talking about is there to avoid metal on metal.

 

[Ron H]

Body stiffening for verts, spot-welded. As such, didn’t mess with trying to remove them during restoration I did in prep for later body work/paint. This is a CA car never seeing salt; but there were a couple spots needing cut out and pieces welded back in, one of them was along a section L-side, where these panels reside. Great area for catching water given the holes for trim. There was lots of heavy undercoating with surface rusting galore underneath, I scraped and wire-wheeled off, coating with rust-stop then using a metal primer, 2-3 coats with brush applied, as did for the entire trunk and cabin.

 

[moparpaul]

Body stiffening for verts, spot-welded. As such, didn’t mess with trying to remove them during restoration I did in prep for later body work/paint. This is a CA car never seeing salt; but there were a couple spots needing cut out and pieces welded back in, one of them was along a section L-side, where these panels reside. Great area for catching water given the holes for trim. There was lots of heavy undercoating with surface rusting galore underneath, I scraped and wire-wheeled off, coating with rust-stop then using a metal primer, 2-3 coats with brush applied, as did for the entire trunk and cabin.

View attachment 1607612

Hope I can mine into the paint booth within 2 years. What color are you going with?

Mine has red interior so I’m kinda stuck with white, black or red.

Will you try the convertible top yourself?

Your 65 looks great!

 

[wedgie]

Hoping to find out before working on the quarter panel.

After cutting the bottom half of the quarter panel off, I can honestly say that there is nothing bonding the sheet metal to the brace. The brace itself is attached in front by a bracket on the front of the outer wheelwell. Same in the back. I can only guess that the rubber is to prevent metal to metal contact.

 

[Ron H]

Hope I can mine into the paint booth within 2 years. What color are you going with?

Mine has red interior so I’m kinda stuck with white, black or red.

Will you try the convertible top yourself?

Your 65 looks great!

Apologize for never getting back to you as I see you replied. Think I caught the ’65 in your post and thought it wasn’t directed to me as mine is a 63. Anyway, if still interested in a reply, mine has a red interior and originally white. I was going to have it painted white again until my brother talked me out of it. Yeah, options with a red inside are limited, then thinking of gray. The shop gave me some binders with hundreds of colors in gray! Never knew the vast selection. Settled on a 2010 Chrysler gray leaving the red trim. Changed the top from white to black. Here’s a photo of it done.

 

[moparpaul]

Love that color combo. Thinking of doing something similar to my 1965 Satellite convertible. Could you show more pictures?

Thank you

Paul

 

[Ron H]

Here’s a couple more with one in the sunshine. The others were taken at the world of wheels show in Milwaukee couple years ago; in February…in WI. What a chore that was hauling it there in sub-freezing temps. One and done on that. Spent some time picking the color that seemed to mate best with the red as there are so many shades, looking at them in different light against the red. Lol, the movie 50-Shades of Gray? There are more like 150.

As for the top, the shop goofed it up – twice. Still goofed up, just less than it was. The guy said, after doing the 2nd one, he doesn’t like doing older mopar tops. Dang, I said ya could a said so and I’d take it to another place. After checking the first one, I gave him the specs, but he was still off. Someday I hope to get another one at a shop I used with another vert I restored; but it’s a long trip to get there.

Good luck with your selection.

 

[moparpaul]

Thank you. Beautiful 63. Perfect color combo.makes the car look rich and elegant.