Convertible Quarter Panel - Panel Wave/stress/flex

[G881]

I am looking for another convertible, and noticed many have a slight deformation about on center of the rear wheel well, along the top of the quarter panel. I assume this is from Body flex/stress but I have noticed on cars with very low miles...and cars with high miles...And on cars that appear to not have been ran hard or are trailer queens..... And I do not see it on a car I was and know is ran hard... SO there does not seem to be any pattern to it......Just trying to get an idea of how many others have noticed this, and have it on their convertibles..
And...if anyone has an idea why some have it more than others. Has anyone ever repaired this area, added a tack weld under the trim piece at the top of the quarter panel to increase the panel to panel bond strength...Or successfully repaired that area to smooth out the deformation, and that it lasted w/o cracking the repair? ....It not something you will see unless you look down the length of the car along the top of thew quarter panel.........( PS yes I understand convertibles have body flex)

[erratic50]

Any pict of what you are seeing?

My son has an 86 ragtop GT and I don't notice anything on his.

[G881]

not something that will photo well, if it is there, you will see it at the top of the qtr panel, just below the trim piece on center of the wheel well, you will see a wave in the panel...

[webestang]

not something that will photo well, if it is there, you will see it at the top of the qtr panel, just below the trim piece on center of the wheel well, you will see a wave in the panel...

Sounds like the car got hit in the rear and bent the quarter panel. I have never noticed that on any of the hundreds of Fox verts I have seen over years.

[84StangSVT]

My 84 vert was straight as an arrow through that section. No odd wrinkles or deformities that I noticed.

[xctasy]

Aha ha ha. II don't like talkin about that, the Foxes Body Missclose "Error-Genus" zone......its not just Verts!


I had 1/8" drop in mine, door to door opening alignment perfect, but the back passenger quarter, way out.

Trim moulding to door pannel missclose and missalignment always happens here, and its not smash history or body torsional strength, but the way the cars are made. Hell to fix.

A little like the Jaguar XJ-series, especially the XJ-S before 1996, IIRC, the left side of the car is shorter than the right side. The rear passenger side quarter pannel to door shut line is frequently out manny 16th of an inch.


Noticed it on my 81 Hatch, and a really nice Blue Hatch recently, but on most Fox Mustangs.






The way the cars are made causes a missclose in the welding process, common with unibody cars.


I worked in a pannel shop as a kid, and like working on the technical side of movies or sound production, you feel, see and hear stuff you cannou unfeel, see or hear.

[smitty54]

I don't see any panel issues with my 84 vert.

[G881]

Issues is not from being hit. I have seen this on a very low mile car that I saw regularly parked in a garage, from the day it was brought home with a few thousand miles, to the day it was sold, my point is that is was never hit. It had , hard to see but it had it.

[webestang]

Puts a new meaning to "Quality is Job 1". Guess they all can't be right when you crank them out so fast.