Rear fender quarter panel replacement

Biff · 06-25-2004, 01:31 PM

Has anyone ever replaced one of these? I have one that is OEM for the left side that I was about to install. Any tricks or tips to pass forward. I was at the Stoddard swap a couple weeks ago and talked to one of there bodyshop guys (it was also an open house), I tryed to pick his brain on replacement procedure. He said that you don't mess around with rain gutter, you cut from the rearmost tangent of the quarter window up to just behind the rain gutter. Then you cut at the most forward lower section of the rear window and then drill out all the rest of the seam spot welds and replace.

It seems terrible to butcher up a brand new quarter panel this way! Is the rain gutter joint really that much of a pain in the neck?
I know if you were to do the entire panel that rain gutter junction has to be rolled over the roof gutter panel...could be tricky.

Any info would be helpful, Thanks, Biff

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

Stay away from the roof gutter!

Bad ju-ju there. Three different panels come together.

The advice you got was correct.

kenrinc · 09-20-2004, 01:35 PM

I've done this before. Yes the guy from Stoddard gave you the correct advice which he probably got from the factory repair manual which shows the procedure. Not sure what you mean by "butchering" a new quarter panel as any new panel has to be cut to fit so your always going to loose a certain amount. Getting the fit right is more important and some of these come as just the panel itself which then has to be cut to fit the lockpost (mmm, not fun) When I replaced mine I got a replacement from a donor car (a 912) which included the lock post. I did this because my lock post was bad anyway.

Make sure the car is supported at the proper places or nothing will line up when you put the suspenion and wheels back on. It took me a day to fit it and to be honest when I finally got the fit right it was by total luck. I ended up tack welding backward from what the manual said as I could not get the top edge to line up correctly with the quarter window. I ended up installing the quarter window to use as a template.

Good luck

$.02

Kenrinc-

911nut · 911nut's Garage

The PO had my car repaired by cutting the panels at the rear window tangent but a lap weld was made to join the panels together. Now rust is forming in the lap area.
A Carrera Club Sport repair was documented in 911 and Porsche World magazine a few years ago. The quater panel was removed at the rain gutter so I don't think it's that big of a deal to do it that way.
I'd find someone who can replace the complete quater panel.

Series900 · 09-20-2004, 03:21 PM

Well i have said it before, I weld on the whole quarter, have a special dolly to roll the flange of the gutter, made out of t- stock. the quarter is the last part to go on 911 weld up, therefore no uglies trying to slip under the roof as in a 944, where its roof is the last part welded on. You can make up your own mind, I like the full treatment, ending with a one inch seam weld at the top of the B-pillar, subsequently less "finish"bodywork , but if you like sanding plastic, lay it on that " rearmost tangent of the quarter window up to just behind the rain gutter".