STERN FIRST

Through the fifties and most of the sixties cars just kept getting bigger and bigger. In automotive magazines and driving reviews the cars were often referred to as yachts or land yachts. Time to fix the stern of this one.

The outer skin across the bottom edge of the trunk panel had numerous small rust holes where the trunk floor flange joined the outer body skin. On the upper right near the beginning of the trunk lid curve a large rust patch and small holes are visible. What did not show until disassembly was the entire lower edge which joined with the trunk floor pan was rusted and loose. When the spot welds joining the quarter panels (rear fenders) to the trunk panel were cut the entire lower truck skin fell off.

After inspecting both cars and looking underneath I decided that salvaging the section from the parts car would be the "easiest" way forward.  The good car had heavy rust damage to the trunk floor supports, trunk floor and where the trunk floor pan joins the exterior taillight/trunk panel. The parts car panel had been in an accident and required light hammer, dolly and fill work. The boxed section supports on the parts car were less rusted, and a section of the floor above the box support was gone. In all it was major work. 

In salvaging the parts car panel I had to lay out cuts across the lower taillight openings, sloped body panel and separate the outer rear fender panels from the trunk skin. The cuts to were placed to minimize the seam to be welded in the visible body sections. Follow the old rule; MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE!

As described in the trunk lid section the trunk lid and floor are longer in the good car. This meant I had to measure and cut the floor on the salvage piece to be long enough to fit while keeping all the raised sections, angles, bends, reinforcing brackets and trunk lid latch bracket to match the two door. The good car floor had to be cut and still have enough good metal to join to the salvage section to maintain the overall length and structure. It also meant I had to cut the width  of both floors while avoiding some sub-floor structure and the main frame rails. In reassembly, it also meant welding the entire width of the trunk floor one spot at a time to avoid distorting the sheet metal.

The rear fender quarter panel to rear trunk vertical panel spot welds  had to be split using a home made panel splitter and a machete hammered up to and through the spot welds without bending, distorting or drilling through the outer fender skin.  When spot welds proved too tough the more reliable method was to drill the welds partially then the splitter or machete.

Look carefully at the bottom edge and at the lower right curve of the trunk lid. Rust and holes can be seen.

The salvaged section from the parts car. Note the large rust patch center right There was light collision damage there.

The trunk interior side of the of the salvage section. Note the three vertical panel/ trunk lid edge braces.










                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

     The underside of the lower trunk body skin is     shown. Note the heavy rust and holes in the       ends of  the boxed reinforcing structure. The afore mentioned picnic table is also seen.

                                        

The center of the salvage section reveals the corrosion and the license plate light  wiring holes.                                         

The interior floor rot of the salvage section shows above the boxed channel.

The newly fabricated replacement boxed channel.

Boxed patch positioned and partially welded in place.

The long boxed patch previously shown now welded in place.