1990 country squire resto/lowrider in UK

[wagon mafia]

Just 1 crimp was causing the electric windows to operate without the key, the LCD clock to stay illuminated and the stereo to stay powered up with the key out without manually switching it off. Still can't believe it.

We live and learn!

Andy.

that's a problem? i would love to able to run out and power the windows up when it starts to rain with out trying to find the wife who glues the keys to her hip (only her cars have power windows) infact i remember having an accord wagon that was set up to do that with the alarm that was installed in it. i was very up set when i removed the alarm that i realized i had to use the key finaly

or was that causing other problem that i didnt read into?

[andyfanshawe]

Hi wagonmafia.
Yeah it was convenient to close the windows like that, but unfortunately it was holding a relay shut that was running the battery flat slowly but surely!

Right here we go again! Holidays over, but not back to work quite yet. No more excuses.

This is the bit I want to change. The straight section at the bottom of the rear quarter panel, and the trim and the removal of the badge and the removal of the red marker light. Oh and the fake wood!!





Heres the interior trim and the rear seats removed on the passenger side.



Heres a view of the inner wheel arch joining the outer quarter panel. Notice the rust starting to show through.





If the car was repainted, it wouldn't be long before that ate its way through. So I am going to remove the outer half of the inner wheel arch and try to detach the inner wheel arch lip from the outer wheel arch lip cleanly. Then reshape, medai blast and repaint.

This is the bracket on the drivers side that the rear seat back bolts to and pivots on. That is rusty and will be removed and remade. One of the speed nuts (as we call them) has already rotted through.



Ready for cutting!


Andy.

[wagon mafia]

fun fun

[andyfanshawe]

Heres more fun!

Right, if this thing is going to get a quality paint job, I don't want any rust bubbling through after a few months. So I need to dig deep and find any potential rust areas.

Rear wheel arch lips are notorious for corroding. So I need to remove part of the inner wheel arch and separate the inner lip from the outer one and have a look. Fun!!

Heres a view of some rust bubbling through at the bottom of the wheelarch towards the back.



Lets see how bad it really is





Now lets go inside and remove the inner wheel arch section.
Line marked for cutting



Starting the cut so the air saw can get in



Heres what my air saw did





Heres the state of the rear quarter panel after all remains of the inner one has gone





Its actually not too bad. A few pinholes but nothing that cant be saved with some media blasting and a small bit of welding.

These areas would have made a real mess of new paint after a few months.

Heres an interesting shot. Notice the rust creeping under the lower panel corner. Bet you can't guess what that would eventually do?!!



Blasting tomorrow.

Andy.

[1980c10]

I like your style man. You seem to have the same vehicular OCD that I do lol.

[andyfanshawe]

OCD is about right!!

Anyway, back to the plot!
Whellarch lip repair and width reduction (sounds like cosmetic surgery!).







The wheel arch lip is way too wide, so here is my famous air saw in action again



Then I got involved in a friends rusty maxda mx5 rockers! Its sometimes not good to be the local welder/fabricator 'cos I get asked to do loads of jobs.

Anyway, reshaping quarter panel tomorrow (unless I get asked to do something else!)

Andy.

[andyfanshawe]

Today is quarter panel reshaping day.

Heres the panel under the rear bumper marked for cutting.



And heres the cut



Heres my friend Jay sat waiting to bend the quarter panel up. So this is the original shape



and this is the panel bent











I think it looks a lot better!

Andy.

[johnunit]

that really is a much more pleasing and less clunky looking angle you've created. Very creative.

[MrMarquis]

I'm not familiar with the shape of the wagons...did you return it to the original shape, or did you bend it to a better one?

Either way, it looks good!

[andyfanshawe]

I'm not familiar with the shape of the wagons...did you return it to the original shape, or did you bend it to a better one?

Either way, it looks good!

Hi MrMarquis.
Heres the shape of the quarter panel before



Heres the shape of it after



I have curved it in to try and match the shape of the rest of the car!

Hope that makes sense!

Andy.

[1990LTD]

nice! seems like more of a sedan style lower quarter panel but on a wagon. i like.

[wagon mafia]

ummm how are you going to match up the rear bumper?

[pantera77]

Please tell me your going to remove the spare tire "hump". that is always one thing that annoys the crap out of me on wagons.

[85crownHPP]

ummm how are you going to match up the rear bumper?

You must not have looked at the rest of the thread if you think this guy is going to have any problems matching anything up...!!!

[grandpaslincoln]

Hi MrMarquis.
Heres the shape of the quarter panel before



Heres the shape of it after



I have curved it in to try and match the shape of the rest of the car!

Hope that makes sense!

Andy.

Never noticed this before, but now that I see it, it looks really crappy. But with the adjustments that have been made it looks like it should have been from the factory.