Best order for panel replacement?

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RogerRamRod

RogerRamRod

The Older I Get, The Faster I Was
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I've started down the road to restore my 68 Dart. I need to replace the rockers, quarters, trunk floor and extensions, inner and outer wheel houses, tail light panels, deck panel. This is my first go around and FABO has helped me a lot. I can't seem to progress because I spend more time thinking and contemplating myself into circles so here's where I need help. What would be the best order to do things? I don't think I want to remove everything at once because then what do I align everything to? But do I take the quarters off replace them to the existing underlying parts, or do I replace those parts, aligned to the old quarter, then align the new quarter to The new parts? If this has been covered previously, please direct me to where, I think I have searched the forum pretty well and have found just about everything else. Thanks for the great information you guys have provided so far and in the future.
PS. If you need parts I highly recommend [email protected] (he is a member here) contact him, he is very helpful, works with you on shipping, and offers great pricing. (Much better than AMD's direct pricing.):burnout:
 
Start with quarters and move forward. The quarters are non-adjustable so everything can be adjusted to them. Imobilize the quarters before any cutting on the inside. 1" square tubing tacked fore and art and crossways helps a lot. Also, set car on jack tands that have been leveled out. This prevents twists and sags. good luck
 
Has the car been wrecked ?
Have you removed any of the hinged body panels ?
There are a few lines that are not adjustable.
 
It is on jackstands leveled up. Car completely stripped just body shell remaining. Trunk extensions are still in, but the main floor is out as it was about as sturdy as a screen door. No wreckage, just rusty. I bought it in 1988, and drove it for about 14 years, it's been garaged since 2002
 
383 Scamp, if I'm reading you correctly, you're saying leave the original trunk extensions, wheelwells, trunk gutters, etc. in place, and replace quarter first? Would I also bolt the trunk lid back on first to have that to align to as well?
 
Door hinges were shot, so doors were saggy anyway, so I wouldn't align to them. I do have new hinges, so I could put the doors back on, align them to the quarters and then have that as a line to look at. Guess I should have put all my thoughts together before making a reply.
 
Leaving the trunk in place is a good tactic. You are correct about the door hinges and door alignment. The fixed part of project is the quarters. You only need to be close with the doors in the beginning. After quarters are in place you can fine tune the doors. This is a tough job that takes PATIENCE. Everyone 's experience is unique to them. Ask questions until you are blue 'cause a lot of cars get ruined by people who don't get enough info
 
Replace the rockers before the quarters.
 
I'll provide a couple of pics that illustrate how it can go wrong. Keep in mind this isn't my work. The right quarter shown is both forward a little and leading inward at the rocker. The errors will be different when the car has been wrecked or where patch panels are put on instead of full panels. Even with full aftermarket panels , there fit isn't guaranteed perfect.
To avoid these kind of errors, Align the truck lid with the dutchman and quarters. Remove one or both of the lift struts and latch hasp rather than deal with all that repeatedly. A stick will hold it up.
Rebuild the door hinges and align them to the openings. Remove the latch posts. Those posts aren't supposed to support the door. You don't want stress from the door to move the pillar when the quarter is cut away. If you need something to hold the doors open or closed, rope, chain, bungee, hook, whatever.
Granted a small flaw like the trunk lid to tail lamp shown in pic wouldn't be seen by anyone unless you pointed it out to them, You will know its there. I have more pics that show that trunk lid is perfectly aligned everywhere else. I also have pics that show the hood aligned perfectly everywhere except to the header panel. The right fender is set a tad forward because of the right door issue that began at the quarter.
What some don't realize is the possible movement in those smaller parts remaining after large portions like quarters are removed.
And by the way, if the rocker runs uphill under the door, that's redo.
 

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Thanks for the good info so far. I installed the doors today and had already thought removing the latch post was a good idea, so I had that done. Removing the trunk torsion and catch, simply genius, thank you. I needed to build a piece from the shock mount to the edge of the replacement trunk floor, so I hacked a chunk out of the right rear quarter.
I was wondering about the rockers, so thanks for that bit also. I decided my rear crossmember needs replacement also, so I ordered that and it's off to work for the week, take care, thanks
 
Thank you sire land, that's a pretty intensive thread. That guy is doing some seriously nice work and it's very informative.
 
Keep in mind tolerances sucked with these cars, they all have horrid gaps compared to the other two of the big three.
 
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