idosubaru Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 well.....looking to replace the rear quarter panels of my 97 OBS, are they removable at all? i know the fenders, doors, hatch should all be straight forward but i'm afraid the rear quarters aren't possible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 They are if you have a torch i think. Well technically anything is replaceable with a torch. nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzam Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 The rear quarter panels are part of the unibody. Cutting and welding are the only way to R/R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 25, 2005 Author Share Posted November 25, 2005 that sucks. any idea how much that would cost (not including the painting). $200? $2000? i have a torch and welder but i don't do body work. hhhmmm, i have a friend that's a professional welder, he would definitley weld for me. think he could pull it off? anyone here actually done it before? thanks guys! i'll try and change the title of the thread... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunered Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 gary,i do this everyday.you can get a air hammer[a discount one will workabout 29 dollars] and you will have to get a panel cutter chisel for it.not familar with your car but,you will need to cut 2" back from where you want to replace,if its bad inside the door then cut it out there.the welding should be done with a tig but a mig with argon will be fine.it dosent take a rocket scientist to do this but it does take some time.i can walk and talk you thru this.this is for a faster job.if you want to really do it right you need to cut every spot weld[they make a spot cutter[looks like a 1/8 bit on the end of a 3/8 bit]and it cuts out the spot welds,this method is used on newer cars and insurance jobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 25, 2005 Author Share Posted November 25, 2005 tunered, thanks a bunch. i have an air hammer actually, came with my air compressor tools. never used it though, so no attachments for it yet. just found out from my uncle last night what it was for! is it hard getting it all lined up and on straight? this is on my OBS with only 75,000 miles. the car is in great condition, but has hail damage so maybe body work on those portions is easier than replacing panels? i have another OBS with perfect panels so that would be nice, but all that welding and cutting might not be worth it. a friend can likely weld for me, that's all he does is weld. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger83 Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 Try taking it to a shop like Dent Wizard, they press the dnts out form the back. Don't know if it's feasible for hail damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 25, 2005 Author Share Posted November 25, 2005 i'll check...heck i might even be able to access the rears easily from the inside, good point! i think the majority oppinion though is that hail damage sucks bad. that's why i'm swapping all the body panels (can do that myself). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjo Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 if you have access to one: a large electromagnet put it on the spot you want out, turn it on, and pull it out. just make sure you don't have any expensive electronics near you it's worked for me a few times... but that's because i have connections at the school Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 25, 2005 Author Share Posted November 25, 2005 any idea where/who/what might have one? i know enough people i can usually figure something out. i'll have a look at it sometime this week. thanks for the all the heads up/ideas. sure beats crawling out there in 15 degree weather only to find i can't remove it anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 unless you are a pro its a pain. Get a dent puller and strip the panel. Pull out what you can and and cover the entire panel with filler and smooth with an air board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subie94 Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 Get a dent puller and strip the panel. Pull out what you can and and cover the entire panel with filler and smooth with an air board. that sounds like what i'd do.i helped out my mechanic do that to the roof of a 96 legacy that looked like it came across a driving range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 26, 2005 Author Share Posted November 26, 2005 what is a dent puller or what kind should i use is a better question? i tried searching the usmb, ebay and the internet and there are alot of variations and options out there, not sure which one i need. i got enough to go on for now, i'll probably revisit this thread in a few weeks after i swap the good doors, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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