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If you have access to a welder can you cut out access from the inside, bend the inside panel back, hammer it out, the weld it closed again and cover it with the panel?
Honestly, I think I can fix it. It's just getting the fuel full port hole round again, plus access, and that crease that keeps pushing me to a donor. In a couple weekends I'll probably drill holes and slide hammer it to see what happens.
If that doesn't work, it's not as expensive as you might think to get a rear quarter panel cut from a wrecked car to replace it. Mine was dented worse than yours, (passenger side though) and the body shop was able to fix. I paid $300 for a quarter panel/rocker panel and a hatch from a junkyard; the shop ended up getting a free used quarter panel out of me because junkyards don't do returns and I don't need old firebird quarter panels littering my yard/garage.
If that doesn't work, it's not as expensive as you might think to get a rear quarter panel cut from a wrecked car to replace it. Mine was dented worse than yours, (passenger side though) and the body shop was able to fix. I paid $300 for a quarter panel/rocker panel and a hatch from a junkyard; the shop ended up getting a free used quarter panel out of me because junkyards don't do returns and I don't need old firebird quarter panels littering my yard/garage.
My buddy uses this along with files, hammers, etc.
I've used these on my 89 IROC before. Pretty sweet tool for sure. But I have a slide hammer and drill so I'll go that route if the basketball trick doesn't work.
If you have access to a welder can you cut out access from the inside, bend the inside panel back, hammer it out, the weld it closed again and cover it with the panel?
I wish I had a welder. It's on my short list post move. So much I can do if I just had a welder. Like exhaust, axle, 1/4 panel, etc.
Slick ride. Hate to see that happened to it. IMHO id keep it and just fix the body damage, more money will be involved swapping it plus your Fbody already has hookups for AC, cruise.. Etc. nice modern day type things! Lol. Just out of curiosity, the primer grey paint looks awesome, did you use a HVLP gun or spray cans?
Slick ride. Hate to see that happened to it. IMHO id keep it and just fix the body damage, more money will be involved swapping it plus your Fbody already has hookups for AC, cruise.. Etc. nice modern day type things! Lol. Just out of curiosity, the primer grey paint looks awesome, did you use a HVLP gun or spray cans?
Thanks. I rattle canned it. Lol. Good points about the modern amenities.
Thanks. I rattle canned it. Lol. Good points about the modern amenities.
Wow really? That's looks really nice for spray... How many cans did that take you?! yeah, another thing I like is the endless aftermarket decisions for these cars. With the exception of turbo stuff you can pretty much do whatever you want without major fabrication and what not.
Wow really? That's looks really nice for spray... How many cans did that take you?! yeah, another thing I like is the endless aftermarket decisions for these cars. With the exception of turbo stuff you can pretty much do whatever you want without major fabrication and what not.
I forget, 12 or 16 of the oversized ones. I can't remember the brand I used but, it sprayed very nicely.
I forget, 12 or 16 of the oversized ones. I can't remember the brand I used but, it sprayed very nicely.
Haha yeah it looks really good. The car is very tasteful, I've always liked the idea of mixing old school drag style stuff on a new school car, this is the first primer grey 4th gen I've seen and I really like it. Hate what happened to it, hope you get it fixed soon. But most importantly I hope you get some tires! LOL. glad to hear you didn't get hurt!
Well, I tried to get a basketball in front of the gas fill. Turns out there's metal there the runs side to side in the car behind the quarter panel. I found a little hole inside the car, so I cut it bigger to fit a wood punch in it and did more pounding. I'll try the basketball trick on the bottom side of the dent next weekend. If that doesn't work then I either need to replace the quarter or the car. In either case, the car is no longer rubbing and I'll be getting some new (used) tires this week so it's good to drive again.
Before
Now
I'll keep working it. I may be able to pull it out.
Ahh, the love affairs we have. My suggestion would be to keep and fix. You've done so much and most can tell its love. Keep that passion and that car. Also Im running LE2 heads and lsa cam with Lunati,MSD and Richmond just to name a few and last dynoed at 427hp @ 400lb at full tune. What was your final numbers?
Ahh, the love affairs we have. My suggestion would be to keep and fix. You've done so much and most can tell its love. Keep that passion and that car. Also Im running LE2 heads and lsa cam with Lunati,MSD and Richmond just to name a few and last dynoed at 427hp @ 400lb at full tune. What was your final numbers?
I haven't been back to the dyno, but 414rwhp/391rwtq through a slipping clutch (Ram HDX soaked with oil from rear main leak). The discrepancy between the Dyno and log was 300 RPMs at peak (puts me at about 434rwhp). It's all moot as I don't have traction worth a damn to get anything under a 2.0XX 60 foot time. I might as well have 330rwhp...... In time.
Yeah, I feel you on that. I keep reminding my self where I've come with this car. It's been in worse shape. LOL. I'm leaning towards buying a donor car, but for parts not to swap. I'll cut the other car up, LOL. Besides this one is a VIN matched LT1 6 Speed, they didn't make too many of those vs all the Autos and V6's. I should try and preserve this 6 speed car for 50 years down the road (hopefully less than that).
You got good numbers man. You have a build thread? Intake and TB stock or ported? I'm still stock, but will get them ported hopefully in the next year or so.
EDIT: I looked at your For Sale thread. Dude that is one nice *** car! Absolutely pristine! Glad you decided to keep it!
Actually I bought this one built. It has ported intake with 58mm TB. Ive just been changing up some , adding some to satisfy me. Dude I work so freakin much building powerlines I have absolutely no time to build one at the present so I took some of that hard earned money and just had to have one that was just ready for driving, that's the part I love. Much props to you on that car and the skills you have to do what you have done. My ol man was a hell of a mechanic but when I was young I wanted to run the streets, and it shows now LOL**Keep up the good work my brother and cant wait to see more progress!
When I jumped the on-ramp I bottomed out pretty hard (hard enough to crack the Radiator upper support and dent the drivers side hood and break the fake vent with the STB), I'm thinking this could've jarred the Opti.
My car now has a bit of lugging below 1700rpms (it didn't before) and will vibrate like it's missing a bit below 2K rpms under med to high load (6th gear, 65mph, and 30%+ throttle). It's also pinging with the engine coolant temp over 185°F (it's been close to or above triple digits here lately). The cooler the ambient air the less it pings (below 165°F coolant temps it doesn't ping).
I was thinking to just adjust the tune, but it didn't do this before the wreck. Plus, my laptop just took a **** and I'm flat broke until I move. I may go find a cheap *** laptop and pull timing/richen AFR in the mean time (the car still runs and pulls hard and once in PE doesn't ping). ARG.
Thinking MSD Opti next. The Opti was messing up a bit before this though. Every single time it rained it would buck and lug below 2K. Ugh.
Just a thought for your hesitation down low just happening, before you drop $$ on an opti, check that the ground strap from the driver head didn't move on impact and isn't touching the coil or a wire or the coil wire, mine was touching my coil wire and arcing, I moved it and noticed my coil wire was dark where it had constantly been arcing and created a path, and I wrapped the crap out of the coil wire in electrical tape and now all of my hesitations are gone, it pulls in 6th at 50mph without bucking, and now am waiting on a new set of wires coming today. Or check your plug wires didn't jar loose and touch a primary.
Just a thought for your hesitation down low just happening, before you drop $$ on an opti, check that the ground strap from the driver head didn't move on impact and isn't touching the coil or a wire or the coil wire, mine was touching my coil wire and arcing, I moved it and noticed my coil wire was dark where it had constantly been arcing and created a path, and I wrapped the crap out of the coil wire in electrical tape and now all of my hesitations are gone, it pulls in 6th at 50mph without bucking, and now am waiting on a new set of wires coming today. Or check your plug wires didn't jar loose and touch a primary.
05-12-2015, 10:06 AM
yeah, another thing I like is the endless aftermarket decisions for these cars. With the exception of turbo stuff you can pretty much do whatever you want without major fabrication and what not. 
