Rust Repair | Order of Operations?

[72Cuda18726543]

Hi there - new to the forum and to owning an E-body, picked up a 1972 Barracuda last week.

I have a lot of rust repair in my future as well as completing previously started work. I have to replace:
- portions of the front floor pan
- most of the rear floor pan
- portions of the under rear seat floor
- trunk floor pan
- tail light panel

I also need to cut off and reattach the shoddy work on the left quarter panel.

Is there an ideal order to replace the panels in? I was thinking of starting with the floor pans and working my way outward.

Any and all help appreciated!

 

[Adam]

For the floor pans, not so much. But for the trunk, tail panel, and left quarter yes. Especially if you want to use a one piece trunk pan. How are the trunk extensions; I found a lot of rust, dirt, bottle caps, a spark plug, and a wrench in mine...

I would make sure the car is level to the floor; take a lot of pictures and measurements of the gas tank supports, jack loop, spare tire bracket, etc.
Don’t forget to order some seam sealer; brush able is authentic, but I like the cleaner look of a cartridge applied seam.

Use a quality spot weld cutter to drill the spot welds in the trunk pan, extensions, wheel openings, and tail panel. Generally, this is what I would do, but you will see what you need to do, and steps you need to take. For example, leave the factory 1/4 in place when replacing the trunk extension, this will use the factory 1/4 as a reference point.

Edit: When you have the trunk pan out, check around the upper shock mount bolt holes for cracks. Now is the time to fix them, if present.

Put the trunk pan in first, then extensions, then tail panel, all clamped together as a mock up. Using a Sharpie pen I would mark the outline of the trunk supports on the bottom of the trunk pan, gas tank supports, and where you want the spot welds, or plug welds, on the edges of the pan, extensions, tail panel etc. then I would disassemble them and use a pneumatic hole punch, or drill, to make clean holes for plug welds where needed. I would use a paint stripping wheel to remove the EDP where the welds will be, and clean up any rust. (If you have a spot welder with the necessary reach you still need to remove the black EDP coating where the welds will be.) Reassemble, clamp it all in place, and check the fit. Some places might need sheet metal screws to hold it together, and you later remove the screws and weld up the holes.

 

[budascuda]

72cuda, print what Adam just said and keep it with your car.