Is this the right way to do this?

[jdiesel33]

I am in the process of trying to find a body guy to do my pans and patch the quarters and all of the other body stuff that goes along with a restoration. I have been in talks with this one guy and he just sent me some pics of his work. Is this the right way to do this? Is he using the right welding method? Does it look like he knows what he is doing?
Thanks

[Cooter]

Well, provided he doesn't/hasn't warped the hell out of the panels requiring huge amounts of filler to smooth it out, it looks ok...I woulda just bought a full rear quarter as stuff for GM cars is cheaper than Mopars...

[jdiesel33]

Is there a better way to do it? I have had a couple of folks tell me that although this method can work ok, it probably isnt the best and cleanest way to do it and it takes more time b/c of having to grind down all the welds and apply body filler, etc.. Just wanted to check with you guys to see which is correct.

Here was part of his email about how he would be doing the work:
I have a Hobart MIG welder.  I use Argon 75/25 mix with 0.023 wire.  There is some minor warpage, but not much.  I spot weld the panel in place, and then a spot weld every 2 inches.  Then a spot weld between those, and so on.  A constant bead would severely warp a panel.  I do have a small torch set I can use if you buy some body solder for the factory roof seam.  I could use body filler if you do not want to buy the body solder.

[Cooter]

Well, there certainly seems to be a "right" way and an "ok" way to do bodywork depending on who you ask..I don't see anything wrong with patches but some will argue that total panel replacement is the only "correct" way to do it as that's the way the factory did it and the fact that we have AMD full quarters now....

Bottom line? If your happy with his pics of your car with patch panel work, and filler work, then by all means go for it...

[Charger-Bodie]

The procedure he is using is acceptable. What I have a problem with is how dirty the work looks. When you section a panel like that it needs to be extremely clean in order to get a weld free of porosity and warping.

[Rolling_Thunder]

i agree -  he should have just used a whole 1/4 panel - would have been cleaner and less overall work. 

[jdiesel33]

Not that I know anything about welding, just seems like there should be a better,cleaner way than all of those spot welds. Is there a different way?

[The70RT]

Not that I know anything about welding, just seems like there should be a better,cleaner way than all of those spot welds. Is there a different way?

Yeah put in a full panel, When you weld that's what its gonna look like before you grind them all down. You just have to grind them all to get it smooth. You could use a spot welder on seams but not on a patch panel.

[Nacho-RT74]

thats the tipical job down here in Venezuela

[Silver R/T]

Well, provided he doesn't/hasn't warped the hell out of the panels requiring huge amounts of filler to smooth it out, it looks ok...I woulda just bought a full rear quarter as stuff for GM cars is cheaper than Mopars...

x2 on getting whole quarter panel. By the time he does patches and preps it for paint it'll take more time/money for patches rather than full quarter. Besides he'll have hard time getting body lines straight with patches.

[SRT-68]

The welds look like they were done with flux core wire instead of mig with gas. The flux core welds need to be cleaned real well with metal prep or you will have real filler/ paint problems.

[charger_fan_4ever]

another vote for a full 1/4. Imagine after all that work its gonna cost you as much $$ or more compared to a full 1/4. Better be good at sculpting bondo to make it straight. Then down the road there is a bubble under the paint. Come to find out 1 microscopic pinhole in that huge weld seam let moisture in and BAM, putty lifting and you have a bubble. Then you get to grind it all down and start over again.

Yes the mopar AMD panels are more $$ up front, but will pay off in the end compared to patching/puttying old rusted beat up metal. You well have the fanatics crying foul cause you have repro metal on there, but hey i'd rather the piece of mind that nothing is going to boil out from patching old rusted up metal. You can't buy original metal from the factory anymore. AMD is the next best thing.

[tan top]

not for me to comment on other guys work  ,

to me not so much the patch work  , although we all know full panels are better  , but the welding looks a bit iffy to me , or could no be use to seeing , or ever seen  , see below

The welds look like they were done with flux core wire instead of mig with gas. The flux core welds need to be cleaned real well with metal prep or you will have real filler/ paint problems.

could be the way the pictures are , but don't look like its been welded with enough amps  or technique, not enough penetration  ,  

[jdiesel33]

Thanks for the replies and opinions fellas. I will certainly take these under consideration.

[elitecustombody]

I'd say find a better bodyman,if he has no problems showing photos of his crappy work(don't mean to sound harsh,but in professional opinion,it is). Just look at welds and the areas around and behind the patchwork,what about the custom made body cart? I agree with 1HotDaytona,the guy didn't spend any time cleaning or prepping those areas, covering rotten inner structure with patches only temporarily "fixes the problem".


get new AMD panels and find a better bodyman

[Patronus]

How is it that in the pic of the fender patch there is no prep work done to the receiving edges of the fender? Wouldn't you want the entire area clean on BOTH sides of the weld? I dont think Ive ever seen anything quite like that...

[SFRT]

that is not the right way to do that. use someone else. after he dresses those welds hes gonna have to use a ton of bondo and then itgs going to rust again from the inside where he didnt clean up before.....if your going to sell the car, I guess you dont care, but if your going to keep the car..

[Scaregrabber]

I see lots of mistakes there. Starting from thinking about how you are going to do it with the least length of welding. For instance the front fender (I would have used the whole front of one fender and welded about half the length this guy did). If he's selling his services I think he could get those welds a little flatter too so there was more penetration and less grinding required. I wouldn't pay for this work.

Sheldon