Need help with my quarter panel

[Ryan]

Hey, I need some help or advice on my quarter panel on my charger.  I few years ago the car was painted black and looked awsome. Then it got hit in the drivers quarter panel. I had a body shop pull the dent and repaint. The car looked good for about 2 months then I looked at the quarter panel and the spot they repiared (behind the door) sunk in, there was a big low spot. I took it back to the shop and they put a  skim coat over the area and repainted it. Well the low spot came back again!!!! The shop wont fix it, so I am stuck with it. wicj is fine because I dont want them touching it anymore! Does anyone know why it is sinking in? They use rage gold filler. I blocked the panel with 80 grit to take off all of the paint and reglazed it. I let it sit for a while and then sanded. The panel is straightm the body line looks great. So my next step would be to prime and paint. Well I am a little worried that after I paint it the low spot will come back. So does anyone have any advice so I can paint this thing once and for all?
     Thanks alot

[Drop Top]

The dent didn't show up in the pickture. Car looks preaty good to me. Alot of times if they didn't let it sit long enough to cure out properly. Shrinking will happen. Or if they used an inferior filler primer problems like this will become evedent. If it was repaired in the winter months it more likly to happen then in the warmer months. I always let my repaires sit at least overnight in the summer and in the winter usually two days. Even if you have a heat lamp its better to let it cure natually. If its just shrinkage. Usually it can be color sanded and buffed to give it that perfect look. But if its worse then that, your going to have to start over. If there is a porblem under the paint its going to keep happening untill you take out the old plastic filler.  By the way, are you sure they used what they said they used? If you don't know the reputation of the shop and didn't see them use Rage. They might have used something else. Another problem is that they may have not mixed in the right amount of hardner. If this is the case you will have to take out the old and replace it with new. If they used a cheaper brand of filler primer it could happen also. There are so many differant things that could go wrong its hard to tell what really has happened. And without a better look at the problem area its hard to say what is going on.

[Blown70]

Drop Top would know.   I would suggest they did not "fix" the area properly the first time and I do not see that happening without starting over.   Meaning strip down and start over.     Removing all of the filler, sand, base primer and then fix.

Again, D_T and C_K both very good with body work here.   Doc74, I believe as well as some others.

Tom

BTW CAR IS SWEET

[Ryan]

hey, thanks for the tips. Sorry I dont have a pic of the damage. Basically, right behind the door under the main body line it has a low spot. I am guessing that it was just because they rushed it. But what I dont understand is that when I fixed their work I glazed it let the glaze sit for a week, then sanded, then primed, let that sit for a week then sanded then painted. And the low spot still came back. The only thing I can think of is that the metal is either pulling back in of the filler they used is bad.

[Blown70]

hey, thanks for the tips. Sorry I dont have a pic of the damage. Basically, right behind the door under the main body line it has a low spot. I am guessing that it was just because they rushed it. But what I dont understand is that when I fixed their work I glazed it let the glaze sit for a week, then sanded, then primed, let that sit for a week then sanded then painted. And the low spot still came back. The only thing I can think of is that the metal is either pulling back in of the filler they used is bad.

I think if you did it over there work that may be some of the issue.  Maybe they two brands used are not mixing well?

Tom

[Ryan]

I used the same filler they did, my neighbor runs the paint part of the shop so I know exactly what they used. Guess I'll just take it down and reaply just to be safe.

[Ryan]

OK now I know somthing is def. f..d up. I just had that panel perfectly straight. And I looked at it today and the filler has sunk down in the same place it has before. Guess Im going to take out the grinder now.

[Blown70]

OK now I know somthing is def. f..d up. I just had that panel perfectly straight. And I looked at it today and the filler has sunk down in the same place it has before. Guess Im going to take out the grinder now.

Ryan, 

Cuda Ken or Drop Top both do body work.. They would be best to answer your questions.  No sure why it is shrinking.  BUT I am sure they could suggest why.  I am sure they will tell you to strip her down an DIG out the fille and start over....

Tom

[mopar_madman]

How did you repair their bodywork? did you go down to bare metal or just try to fill over the other guys repair? If there was a shrinking issue or possibly the dent not repaired correctly in the first place and you try going over the problem instead of removing the problem, whatever it may be. All your doing is putting a band aid over a bullet wound. Worse with black. I would start from scratch, they may have been sloppy with the metal work and that's what's coming back to haunt you. Update us on what you find.

[Ryan]

Hi, I just got out of the garage. I grinded out all of the filler in that area. And all I can say is I am friking pissed!!!! There was over 1/2" of filler from them, they hardley even attempted to pull out the dent   So I guess I found the reson for everything sinking in. I will upload some pics in a few minutes. I almoast think that the quarter may need to be replaced.

Is there anyway I can sue these guys? or have another shop do it. Doesn't insurence cover stuff like this. My buddy hit the car last year, and his insurence company paid to fix it.

[Ryan]

pics

[Blown70]

Hi, I just got out of the garage. I grinded out all of the filler in that area. And all I can say is I am friking pissed!!!! There was over 1/2" of filler from them, they hardley even attempted to pull out the dent   So I guess I found the reson for everything sinking in. I will upload some pics in a few minutes. I almoast think that the quarter may need to be replaced.

Is there anyway I can sue these guys? or have another shop do it. Doesn't insurence cover stuff like this. My buddy hit the car last year, and his insurence company paid to fix it.

That is what I was thinking is that is was thick.   Sounds like they ground off the paint and mudded it in.   As far as paying the shop that did the work should have done a better job.   No sure what recourse you have at this point, being a year later?   However you stated you had to have it fixed before, so I am not sure.   This sounds like a small claims court situation and if you have documentaion for a 2nd repair make sure you have photos and I would say let them know your feelings.

Tom

[Ryan]

So what should my next step be? I was thinking I would use a stud gun to pull out the dent as much as I can, then hammer and dolly it, geti t as straight as I can. Bondo it, prime it, paint it.
Also it looks like the quarters have a skim coat, should I just leave that alone?

[Blown70]

So what should my next step be? I was thinking I would use a stud gun to pull out the dent as much as I can, then hammer and dolly it, geti t as straight as I can. Bondo it, prime it, paint it.
Also it looks like the quarters have a skim coat, should I just leave that alone?

Well the best is to get the metal as straight as you can slowly however that is a pretty deep ding.  Drop Top or Cuda Ken will give you the best advice.

I personally would stip the quater down see what they did there.

Tom

[Drop Top]

There are a munber of ways to aprouch repairing this problem. Without me looking at the whole problem I can't really tell you the best way to do it. It mainly depends on how much time and/or money you would like to spend on the 1/4. Skimming is a very comon method of getting a panel straight without alot of work. There are Pros and cons about the practice.

To the problem at hand. If you want to strip the 1/4 you mite as well do the whole car over. More then likley if this 1/4 was done this way. Chances are the rest of the car is the same. People don't change mid-stream. If the rst of the car looks good leav well enough alone and fix the problem at hand. The dent is preaty damn deep. Before using a stud gun I would sugjest useing a por-a-power to push out the dent from the inside. Finish up with a good hammer and dollie session. Then fill with Metal to Metal. Grind with 36 geit on an air board. Do this entill everything looks good. Seal then pime with a good blocking primer. And block the area. Then you can use a good plastic filler like Rage to fill in any small areas that are left. Spray another time with your filler primer and block entill its straight. Then you can paint it.This would be the easiest and fastest way of fixing it.

On the other hand. If you want to strip the 1/4 to see just how bad the damage is. Then get an after market 1/4 panel and replace just what you have to. But thats another whole line of repair. I can walk you through eather repair that you prefer.

[Doc74]

Ryan that quarter is stretched.
With any serious dent, let it be small and sharp or big like this one is, the metal has stretched beyond it's point.
I've worked on charger quarters before and they are thick, a modern car would be somewhat flatter after an impact like that 
You can hit it back but you need to shrink it as you go.
I'll gladly walk you through that but like Drop said better take a good look at the rest of the quarter first, make sure it's worth fixing.
How scary it may seem it's actually easier to weld in an arrow straight panel then to take a crooked one and make it straight.
The quarter may need a torch to shrink it but there's panel beating tricks which I think will do to straighten that out if you want to keep this.
I'm also from the school of do it right the first time, strip the whole car and start over bondoless but a huge puzzle in your garage probably isn't what you want right now 
At the very least I'd strip the entire quarter and see what shape it's in, take it from there.
Go gentle with grinders on it, don't remove any metal.If possible use only a rotary sander to get it nekked.
Start with a very coarse one, grit 40-60-80, finish off with 150 when you're starting to see the metal shine through everywhere.The finer you go the smoother the quarter but you'll be able to see the whole thing clearly enough to assess any damage.
Good luck

[Ryan]

Hi, I have been thinking about replacing the quarter, just not sure if I realy want to. I have replaced some quarters on both of my buddies 69 camaros and they came out great. I just dont know I can get myself to cut into my charger like that. Maybe I should just replace the front half of the panel?

I dont really feel like striping the whole car down, The rest of the is actually pretty much bondo free, just a little here and a little there.

So should I replace the front half of the panel and then prime block and paint?

[Doc74]

No I wouldn't replace half, if the rest of the quarter's good then I'd get the dents out and straighten it. But that's entirely your choice, you can of course cut out what's bad and replace it, you say you have experience in the matter so you know what to expect.
But why not give the hammer and dolly a try? If you mess up you can replace the patch still.

[mopar_madman]

I would repair the panel, especially if its a original panel, your gonna use filler anyway and if its metal worked correctly the filler will be minimal.

[Ryan]

Thanks for the suggestios guys!!! I am going to go to the shop with the car and demand my money back. Hopfulley I can gte the $3,000 back, and just do it myself, or take it to a shop that knows what the hell they are doing.