Got a stubborn quarter panel gap to close on a '68 Camaro and found a weird fix

This thing was fighting me for two days straight. The passenger side quarter panel just would not sit flush with the door after the repair, leaving a gap you could almost fit a dime into at the top. I tried adjusting the hinges, shimming, everything in the book. I was about to start grinding and re-welding the mounting points, which would have been a huge step back. Out of pure frustration, I grabbed a 3-foot pry bar and a block of soft pine. I put the pine against the inner wheel well for leverage and gently, I mean really gently, applied pressure to the very top corner of the panel from the inside, right near the roof line. I heard a tiny creak and the whole thing shifted maybe an eighth of an inch, but it was enough. The gap closed up perfectly. I guess there was just a tiny bit of spring tension left in the metal from the repair that needed a nudge. Has anyone else had to use a little 'persuasion' on a panel that was just slightly sprung? What's your go-to method when the usual adjustments don't cut it?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.harper5d ago

My buddy had the same fight with a Mustang decklid that just wouldn't drop right. He ended up using a floor jack with a wood block on the pad to slowly tweak the whole panel up from underneath. Sometimes you just have to convince the metal who's boss with a little creative force. It looked sketchy as hell but it worked perfectly.

mary_nelson715d ago

Convincing the metal who's boss" is a whole mood, @bennett.harper.

karenb975d ago

Ever get that feeling where you're just staring at a bent fender or a warped bracket, and you know it's a battle of wills? I had a truck bed side once that fought me for two whole days. Ended up using a come-along hooked to a tree and a ton of heat, just slowly walking it back into shape. That moment when it finally clicks into place is the best feeling.