MCR Replaces a Full Quarter Panel on a 1968 Dodge Charger

Funny thing about classic muscle car restorations: everyone has their own way of doing things, each believing their method is the best. It's not surprising; once someone finds a process that works well for them, they tend to stick with it. This doesn’t mean other methods are wrong, just different. As long as the results are first-class, does it really matter?

Processes evolve over time, and what was once standard practice may fall out of favor today. Such is the case with a quarter panel replacement on this ’68 Charger by Muscle Car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, WI. Typically, MCR prefers not to do a full quarter replacement, aiming to retain as much of the car’s original sheet metal as possible. However, a full quarter replacement is warranted this time, as it will be at least the second quarter replacement on this side of the car, previously done using very old techniques.

Understanding these evolving techniques is crucial for any restoration project. By staying updated with modern methods, you can ensure that your classic muscle car not only looks great but is also restored with the highest standards in mind.

Above: As is typical, both quarters are severely rust damaged and will have to be replaced.

Above left: It’s not uncommon for MCR to find that the quarters have already been replaced once. What’s not so common is finding that brazing was used to install the current panel. Whether this was a previous body shop repair or perhaps a DIY’er is unknown but brass plugs are unacceptable so the whole quarter will need to be replaced on this side. Above right: The remaining bits of the quarter are removed by cutting all the welds that held it onto the body.

It’s no secret that there are not many virgin cars left out there. Most that MCR sees have already been restored once before and are more than ready for their second go around. And many of those were restored with less-than-stellar techniques. But at least whatever was done kept the car from rotting away in a junkyard somewhere.

In this case, the passenger quarter was rusted out for the second time (or perhaps the first replacement was a collision repair?) as evidenced by the discovery of the brazed plug welds used to install it. Brazing on panels wasn’t uncommon 40-plus years ago but that is unacceptable today so MCR elected to replace the full quarter with one from Auto Metal Direct to bring it back to true factory specs.