Hello 3 owners! (and anyone else who might stumble into this thread, lol) I'm a body man, and right now I've got a 3 to fix, so I thought I'd share some pics of the process. The average car owner never gets to see their cars in the state I see them in, let alone understand what goes into repairing wrecked vehicles, so I thought I'd shine some light on a part of it!
Damage is...
-New quarter panel
-New rear door shell
-Repair inner quarter panel
-Tear down front door to blend color
Torn down. Some of this needs to be removed to get it out of the way of the repairs to be made, but some to just ensure it doesn't get damaged during the repair process.
Pile of parts.
Most people know or can figure out the parts of a car that simply unbolt, but structural components are welded together. Quarter panels technically aren't structural, they're cosmetic, but they're still welded on. They also make glue now that's ridiculously strong, so we're able to glue quarter panels on in most spots (back by the tail lights, and the seams where the quarter is spliced and blended into the rest of the car needs to be welded still) and makes it MUCH faster. Roofs can also be glued on because they're cosmetic as well.
There are a few ways to get the welds apart. Spot weld drill bits are pretty common. There are a few different kinds, here's the one I have...
It cuts a circle around the weld, then you just pop the panel off. (after drilling a few dozen welds!)
I don't like to use it that much though, mostly because it's physically exhausting drilling THAT many welds. (sometimes there could be 70-80 welds on something!) And this particular kind of bit leaves the center of the weld, so you have to grind that flat after you get the panel off, meaning more work.
There are better kinds of bits, but this one is the cheapest. I prefer to use a cut-off wheel to grind the weld down though. It's messy, with all the sparks being thrown everywhere, so you have to protect the car more with welding blankets covering the remainder of the interior, exterior of the car, glass, etc., and it's also loud as hell...but I wear ear protection, so whatever. lol You get douched with sparks too!
Here's what it looks like to grind down a spot weld...
Soooo......again, a few dozen times, cut the seams, and it's ready to pop off. I only had time to do the lower portion today, I wanted to show you guys the damage behind the quarter panel. This will get hammered and smoothed out with a hammer and dolly.
Couple tools of choice.
That's all for today! I'll be updating this as I continue the repairs, so be sure to check back. I'll also be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Damage is...
-New quarter panel
-New rear door shell
-Repair inner quarter panel
-Tear down front door to blend color
Torn down. Some of this needs to be removed to get it out of the way of the repairs to be made, but some to just ensure it doesn't get damaged during the repair process.
Pile of parts.
Most people know or can figure out the parts of a car that simply unbolt, but structural components are welded together. Quarter panels technically aren't structural, they're cosmetic, but they're still welded on. They also make glue now that's ridiculously strong, so we're able to glue quarter panels on in most spots (back by the tail lights, and the seams where the quarter is spliced and blended into the rest of the car needs to be welded still) and makes it MUCH faster. Roofs can also be glued on because they're cosmetic as well.
There are a few ways to get the welds apart. Spot weld drill bits are pretty common. There are a few different kinds, here's the one I have...
It cuts a circle around the weld, then you just pop the panel off. (after drilling a few dozen welds!)
I don't like to use it that much though, mostly because it's physically exhausting drilling THAT many welds. (sometimes there could be 70-80 welds on something!) And this particular kind of bit leaves the center of the weld, so you have to grind that flat after you get the panel off, meaning more work.
There are better kinds of bits, but this one is the cheapest. I prefer to use a cut-off wheel to grind the weld down though. It's messy, with all the sparks being thrown everywhere, so you have to protect the car more with welding blankets covering the remainder of the interior, exterior of the car, glass, etc., and it's also loud as hell...but I wear ear protection, so whatever. lol You get douched with sparks too!
Here's what it looks like to grind down a spot weld...
Soooo......again, a few dozen times, cut the seams, and it's ready to pop off. I only had time to do the lower portion today, I wanted to show you guys the damage behind the quarter panel. This will get hammered and smoothed out with a hammer and dolly.
Couple tools of choice.
That's all for today! I'll be updating this as I continue the repairs, so be sure to check back. I'll also be happy to answer any questions you may have.
