Monza hatchback, 1/4 panel removal?

[spyder_xlch]

I'm trying to remove the complete 1/4 panels from a Monza. I know where all the spot welds are. My question is what holds the 1/4 to the C piller and rocker panel where the seems are? Is it just seam sealer or are there spot welds inside where they meet?

[peterpan]

i'm not sure but i think there would be weldsa in there

i have the clean one owner starfire i could rip into the seems and find out for you

i'll try to do it asap and get picture

[spyder_xlch]

Thanks Ray but don't go ripping into anything you don't have to. Maybe someone has cut them out and will buzz in. I have my car mostly stripped down. The 1/4s are good and I want them saved whole. I didn't drill the welds yet but I can't see where those seems would be welded. I gotta cut my car up soon to make room, maybe I'll cut the roof and floor off and just make it like 2 sides of beef.

[peterpan]

it won't be out of the way i am going to cut the roof and rear half of of it anyway sence its smashed all the parts i'm keeping are on the front so i'm going to cut it to save the floor pan and the front clip

[spyder_xlch]

Oh, ok. I thought it was the one you were fixing up. I didn't wanna see you tear it apart just to look.

[gerbsinmd]

I've had one apart at the bottom, there is just seam sealer at the bottom once the spot welds are gone, I don't know about the c-pillar tho.

[spyder_xlch]

So once the spot welds in the door jamb and wheel well are gone the seam where the 1/4 and rocker meet will just pull apart (aside from being stuck together from the seam sealer)? If that's the case I'm sure the C pillar seam is the same.

[gerbsinmd]

That was my experience, it should pull apart once the spot welds are gone. When I did it I just drilled out the spots, then took a wide chisel and pushed it thru the seams to separate the 2 pieces. Rust can make it difficult enough to the point that you may need to pursuade the chisel with a hammer from time to time, but it should come apart.

Most of the car seems to be assembled the same way, When my dad and I replaced the battery corner of the front end it was assembled the same way, remove the spot welds and with some help of the chisel and hammer at times it just pulls apart. So I'm guessing the C-pillar would be the same.

[peterpan]

i made a spot weld chisel out of a thick putty knife and a broken air chisel bit
i cut the tip off the bit and cut a slice down the shaft to slide the putty knife into

then cut the handle off the putty knife and slide it into the slice and welded it together

i used it in the body shops i worked in and on my own cars
i have drilled the spot welds and used this tool
and i used this tool with out drilling the spot welds
if you don't need the pannel your cutting off don't drill the welds and it will take it off but if you want to save the pannel drill them for better results


i have broke the knife off a few time but just welded it back on and the cutting edge of the knife gets tore up just take it to a grinder and resharpin it

you can allso run the air chisel with a sheet metal cutting bit around most of the quarter to just leave the edges and it makes it alot easier to get to the spot welds of corse you would only do that on a bad quarter that you are not planing to reuse

[spyder_xlch]

Thanks for the help guys. I'll let you know how it goes.

[jdandboo@hotmail.com]

man,,now you got quarters,,and my monza is almost done,,,he's gota finish a little "defect" on the l/s by the hatch,,and the lip on the r/s door,,-bodywork is all paid up-i havent been rushing him..but i am startin to get that "i wanna drive" feeling,,
he convinced me since the car was already orange i should stick with orange-just for ease of painting,,,guess she's gonna be hugger orange-that burnt oj they used on the monza's just never appealed to me-got my 3:23 posi out of a TA-axles are the easy part,,grabbed the aluminum heads off the TA too-shouldnt have a prob usin them-just wont have an egr,lol

[spyder_xlch]

Well John, I have 1/4's but I don't have 1/4's. I need them for another car.

[spyder_xlch]

Just an update, there are spot welds where the C pillar and 1/4 panel meet. The spot welds are actually behind the C pillar outer skin. If you want to remove a whole 1/4 panel, and I mean whole as in the way it was before it was put on the car you have to take the oter skin off the C pillar. Right where the seam is the 1/4 makes a 90° bend and is spot welded. Most people wouldn't want to go that far, just leave the C pillar alone and cut the 1/4 in that area. You wouldn't want to peel back the C pillar on the car you are fixing anyway so why bother on the donor car. The window trim would cover this area anyway. I'll try to get some pics. I'm sure the rocker/ quarter panel seam is the same way.

[Monzsta]

I'm shopping for a right rear quarter for a '78 hatch, if anyone's looking to unload one. I found 2" of bondo where mine was and it's shot full of slide hammer holes.