Body work Advise Needed

I'm in the process of replacing the outer skin (I guess that's all there is) on a mutang quarter pannel......The section I purchsed goes about an inch past the top ridge. SO...Do I cut the old one off right at the ridge line? Just 3/4" past the ridge on the horizontal? An inch down from the ridge on the virtical section (and make a matching cut on the patch section)? I'd love to hear from anyone that has been faces with this....THANKS MUCH! Rick

I wouldn't cut at the ridge line, it hard enough to weld clean line much less to have a repair seam at a corner edge, the qtr's skins that I repaired mine with I stayed below the edge about a inch. (mine is a 65 standard coupe). If you have any doubts about were to cut and repair I would recommend that you take it to someone who has done it before, you should be able to get a affordable price for a good shop to just cut and repair the panel esp if you do the finishing work yourself. It will save you time and be of better quality.

I "relearned" body welding to repair my quarter panels and spent a lot of unnecessary time on them which could have been avoided if I would have just paid to have the panels cut and welded, a good shop will have the proper tools to flange the new panel and cut the repair skin to proper size and fit. Just my advice from looking back.

Different cars can have different good and bad places depending on were the rust cancer is, my 65 had quarter repairs in the past including major cover-up's from a side collisesion were the inner quarters should have been replaced but weren't which I didn't find until I was cut the bad section out. With 30+ year old cars be prepared for anything! I must have taken

100 lbs of body putty off mine in finding at least 3 different type including 5 layers of paint (two blues, green, red and white, not to mention layers of primer!!)

I'd also come at least an inch down from the ridge of the quarter panel. Most importantly, unles you are a true expert at welding sheet metal, I'd take it to a good body shop and let them do the work. If you get too much heat on the quarter, you'll warp it beyond repair. Since you're asking where to attach it, I'm guessing that you're not a body guy.... Good luck on your restoration.

Sorry for the top-post, but . . .

STOP STOP STOP STOP

DO NOT CUT!

Sorry, had to get that out. I cut the quarter off my 67 fastback and boy am I sorry I EVER did that.

If the new quarter panel doesn't fit, carefully consider getting a different one that might be better. If there is none better, try very hard to save the one that's on the car.