Donny's 1969 Satellite

[Donny]

I got the other qtr on, not welded, but screwed in. Both doors also are on, I have yet to do the deck lid alignment, it will be a PITA as the struts that held the deck lid on were removed years ago, but, I eyeballed where they should go, screwed them down there on the inner wheelhouses, we shall see how it pans out! What I've learned and observed:

AMD makes awesome parts, the qtrs are easier to fit than I anticipated!
Hanging a wheelhouse also with the qtr panel is more difficult, but doable!
It's an easier process than I ever anticipated, but, have an extra set of hands to help align the panels
Why mess with skins, when you can do the entire panel, far less welding this way

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=460wayuFP8I&feature=youtu.be

 

[SGTPaul]

Go Donny go!!

 

[northerndave]

looking really good man!!

 

[hunt2elk]

Looks good Donny. Those are some nice body lines on the new quarters. I wish the AMD Charger quarter lines were that pronounced.

 

[Basket case]

seems like there is so much bad press on the AMD Charger 1/4s, are the Plymouth panels made at a different plant?

 

[hunt2elk]

seems like there is so much bad press on the AMD Charger 1/4s, are the Plymouth panels made at a different plant?

Maybe their Charger dies are wore out. Not sure, but everybody putting AMD quarters on Plymouths seem to be very satisfied.

 

[Donny]

I think people's perception of 'bad' AMD Charger quarters may be indicative of their skill sets to make them fit? I may be out on the branch saying this, but, the 'stuff' I've read what people say about AMD Charger panels, well, I too have a couple little gremlins on my AMD Plymouth panels, but, its all fixable, and well within the scope of what I'm doing. After all, replacing quarter panels is not (should not) (be) for the first time handyman hobbyist, right? It's taken me over 10 yrs to get to this point where I'm at, lots of money to get here, and, of course the basic skills have to be basic, and then polished. So, the issue of the AMD panels not being as good as they should be, well, I temper this notion with other realities. But, these lines are sharp on these 69 Plymouths! The fin/slice on the sides is way cool!

 

[Budnicks]

It's comen' along nicely...

- - - Updated - - -

I watched a couple of the videos you posted that link to, looks great...

 

[Sonny Black]

The vid looks great! :notworthy:

you look like an astronaut, cool!

 

[wannadrag]

I got the other qtr on, not welded, but screwed in. Both doors also are on, I have yet to do the deck lid alignment, it will be a PITA as the struts that held the deck lid on were removed years ago, but, I eyeballed where they should go, screwed them down there on the inner wheelhouses, we shall see how it pans out! What I've learned and observed:

AMD makes awesome parts, the qtrs are easier to fit than I anticipated!
Hanging a wheelhouse also with the qtr panel is more difficult, but doable!
It's an easier process than I ever anticipated, but, have an extra set of hands to help align the panels
Why mess with skins, when you can do the entire panel, far less welding this way

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=460wayuFP8I&feature=youtu.be

Why mess with skins?Because at the time i bought mine 2 skins cost $400 and the 2 full 1/4s were $1400.Some people have more time than money,i can do alot of welding and grinding and still be ahead dollar wise.

 

[Donny]

True! You can indeed. I was going to go the skin route, but, the amount of welding was just not worth it IMHO. And, glad I waited b/c full qtrs DROPPED $150.00 per from AMD recently!

And, correction, where (and how) I got T5 color from, I don't know, I'm high, or just had a case of too many Dumb Pills, it's a T3 car, trimmed in T7, the fender tag IS posted by ME here, and how I missed that!!!???

 

[hunt2elk]

And, correction, where (and how) I got T5 color from, I don't know, I'm high, or just had a case of too many Dumb Pills, it's a T3 car, trimmed in T7, the fender tag IS posted by ME here, and how I missed that!!!???

Don't feel bad Donny - nobody here seemed to catch the T3 on the tag. Proves that we are a bunch of middle aged guys with failing eyes. lol I've seen some very sharp looking cars painted with the current T3 mixes lately. There was a 69 Charger in Mopar Muscle a few months back that looked awesome.

 

[Donny]

Ok, this car is getting HEAVY with all the new metal I've been adding! I mean it's now a 2 person push to move it around! I may have to re-modify the dolly its on back to being a larger dolly frame thingy with 6 wheels making contact vs the 4 on the ground. And, I may double up the rotating wheels so it looks like a AN-124's landing gear! [video=youtube;8nYoYo6HDWg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nYoYo6HDWg[/video]

 

[69 GTX]

Donnie looking good! Just a little behind you with my build. Hey enlighten me. I had my car sandblasted underneath to get the undercoating off. And the rest with soda. Not knowing I used the POR15 on the sandblasted area. Have I made a huge mistake? I was going to use self etching on the painted surfaces. I also ordered full quarters for the very reasons you did. Maybe cause the older we get the more precious time is. Time we can spend driving our rides!!!!

 

[Donny]

You'll be fine, albeit Por15 likes to adhere best to crappy surfaces, if it's clean, then, Por15 will stick, but, it's 'thick' from my experience. I've since migrated off this so-called miracle stuff to U-Pol chip seal/undercoating, etc., this of course because I no longer deal with crappy surfaces -- ever, but, I do understand some people don't have those options available to them. When I look back, I see how much time I have wasted by doing it from recent motivation from this or that magazine, or some TV show, etc. But, god bless 'em!

Here's a recent pic, taken yesterday, what impresses me is the lines of the qtr to door, they look good, and I'm hard to impress!

 

[tallhair]

Yep it looks very nice ... WTG

 

[roadrunnerman]

Looks great Donny. Need to get my door lined up. The top of the door is up higher than the top of the rear quarter/door jam. It's not off alignment, it just angles up higher. any ideas/advise?

 

[Budnicks]

Looks nice Donny

 

[Donny]

roadrunnerman, maybe some more hinge adjustments are in order? I think I got lucky on this installation?

 

[Donny]

Good/Bad news folks. Glad I didn't weld anything together. After having the itch that something wasn't right, I decided to just accept it, and have chosen to dig back into this car to fix my error...an error I made in 2001. Needless to say, between then and now, I've learned a few things, and, am willing to go back and re-do past flaws. The left wheelhouses are about 3/4-1 inch higher than the right wheelhouses. Back then, before AMD was AMD and full quarters were not yet available, we had places like Texas Acres which supplied us with used stuff. Well, looking back, this is a move I made akin to welding diamond plate in the Colonels Mercedes-Benz floors back when I was a Private in 1988! Texas Acres provided me with a full qtr, with wheelhouses and some webbing, and about 15% of the Rocker and B Pillar. Here goes...I replaced the ENTIRE SECTION en mass one chunk for another chunk. My measurements were "looks good enough".

I only noticed this flaw when qtrs were hung and sitting on a somewhat level floor and dolly. Mind you, this dolly I re-engineered ensuring Datum lines could be established, and things were level, etc. Once this was established (didn't take much as the dolly was pretty spot on correct) I went to town measuring, yup, we're off big time, and, even to the eye it looks boogered up. So, off the qtrs came, and upstairs they went.

Assessing this mess, I am realizing that the then new 2 piece trunk I put in with no drain holes will likely get tossed as I cut it out, the wheelhouses too may get fooked up, at least the inner left one in this process. This is going to be a PITA, a lot of work, but, work I have to plan for, at least one day a week is what will be required and given. I think I may just block out Monday's as 'my day' and do my own project stuff, but, I'm going to have to be really disciplined to do this! Yeah, I'm pissed at myself, but, more pissed b/c I watched, listened to and did what other people said to do, when most of those then rendered opinions were not educated and based on practice and experience. This is why I am so **** today to call a Plumber when you need your pipes fixed, you don't go to Home Depot expecting to become a Plumber with some $8.00 an hour kid conducting seminars!

I'll be first to admit my flaws, and accept them, this is a bad and dumb mistake I made in 2001 (or 02), and one I won't make again.