Panel Repair Order

[Dershum]

I'm finally starting to cut out the rot on my 240 shell and weld in patches, but as I get closer to some of the bigger jobs (floor pans, rocker panels, etc)., I got to thinking about the order I should do these things in. So I figured I would ask!

 

My original plan was to start at the front and work my way back. Cut out a piece of rot, weld in a replacement patch or new panel. Some of the repairs are cutting out rot over the front frame rails inside the fender wells or in the strut towers. I'm starting with those, and then I was going to start tackling the bigger jobs like the rocker panels, floor pans, inner/outer rear arches, and then the hatch panel at the back.

 

For the small rust patches, it's pretty straightforward, cut out the rot, make a patch panel, weld it in, wash-rinse-repeat. However, for the rockers/floorpans I'm trying to decide how to proceed. There's some rot in behind the rockers at the back, near the inner rear wheel arches. I figure I need to cut that out and replace it with the new inner wheel arches before I can replace the rockers. But to cut that out, I need to remove the rocker panels (obviously), which I would imagine need to be in place on the car (even if they're rusted) before I try to replace the floorpans and frame rails. 

 

So my current order of operations (yep, there's the nurd in me) is as follows:

 

1. Front strut towers.

2. Fender wells on the outside of the frame rails (I can provide pics if this doesn't make sense)

3. Floorpans

4. Frame rails (bad dog)

5. Cut off rocker panels

6. Cut off rear quarter panels

7. Cut off inner rear wheel wells (once I get the replacement panels...still waiting for them to come off back-order)

8. Weld in new inner rear wheel wells

9. Weld on new rocker panels

10. Weld on new outer rear quarters

11. Hatch panel

 

Thanks all!

[bestlowrida]

I am in the same boat as you. Similar rust spots. I'm going to tackle mine pretty soon in the spring. I went ahead and did the rear quarter panel since that was the worst and the car came with the replacement panel. It was pretty easy and I never welded anything in my life before. Good luck!