Anyone ever trash a rear quarter panel and weld in a replacement?

I'm trying to figure out where the factory joined the side sheet metal (on the B-Pillar) to the roof.

Also trying to figure out where the side sheet metal is joined to the rear. I'm sure there's gotta be a weld seam somewhere above the tail lights.

I know there's gotta be a weld seam on the door sill just in front of the B pillar.

Drill out spot welds and I should be golden.

 

i doubt you will find anything convenient for seams to cut and reweld. your best bet is to just cut out the affected area and patch it back in.

 

The seam for the rear is just in from the side. Wouldn't go for that though, as Ben stated prolly easier to just patch.

 

my friend did one a few years ago, not sure if you can buy new anymore and all the used ones were full of bondo already.

the rear quarter to rear seam is easy to find, open the hatch, and you'll see one end, take out the tail light and you'll see the other.

the roof seam is harder to spot, but again one end of the join is in the rear hatch jamb, and the other is under the rubber wether strip that goes around the top of the opening

 

That is truth.I did my left quarter panel like 4 years ago and according to mazda i got the last replacement quarter panel in america.I dont like to patch quarter panels at all.In fact i just did a right hand side panel on my mazdaspeed protege and it turned out perfect!I will be doing one on a fd soon.I hate body work but i have save so much money by doing it myself.............Oh by the way i used 2 co own a body/mechanic shop.

 

The only reason I keep going back and forth on saving this car is because the undercarriage is rust free and it's an VERY early 1986.

October 1985 Build date VIN ending in 100101.

I smacked it against my truck in my own driveway a couple years back. It's creased and torn just behind the door jamb and in front of the rear wheel well.

I still find plenty of decent condition bodies in the scrap yard, so getting a hold of a good quarter shouldn't be an issue.

 

in the 21st century we use money to value things, and using money to assess value is a pretty poor way to do it, especially with people*

so the FC is totally worth fixing, because its a cool vintage car, but its not worth much in the outdated concept we call money.


*Bernie Madoff was worth, in money $18 billion. yet, if you measure his worth in non money, you'd go negative....

 

and in the end he didn't even get to keep his "money"

you'd think a couple million woulda been enough to call it quits and move to another country, but i guess he was a gambling man and wanted to own it all. in the end he owned a 4X8 cell for 150 years at the age of 70.