Fairlane - Mini Tubs
Got the garage cleared out and started working on the car. My MIG is out of argon, so instead of fixing the pinholes in the floorpan, we decided to start messing with the rear quarter panels. First step was to detach the trunk hinge bracket from the wheelhouse. After giving up trying to release the torsion springs, I drilled the bracket out from underneath and got it loose. The seat supports had already been removed, so onto the wheelhouse. I used my extended reach cutoff tool (one of the best things I ever bought) and cut an inch inboard of the seam between the inner and outer wheelhouses. Next, I used an air hammer with a chisel bit to separate the inner wheel house from the floorpan. I used a die grinder with a cut off disk around the curves, and out it popped. Not nearly as bad as I thought, although I was filthy when it was done. The outer quarter panel is going to need some work, as well as a couple of spots on the lip of the quarter below the B pillar. The end of the rocker panel is gone, and there's a pocket just in front of the wheelhouse where the floorpan is pretty rough. We need to cut the lip off the frame rail next, and clean up the wheelhouse to pit it back in. Then clean up the outer wheelhouse and the quarter panel, then the wheelhouse can go back in, adding a filler strip between the inner and outer. The plan is to add a flange to the sides of the strip, and plug weld it in from the bottom. Then the truck floor, the seat support and the trunk hinge, and on to the driver's side.
More pics here.