Rust Repair And Restoration - We Replace Rusty Sheetmetal In Our '64 El Camino

Editor Glad admits it freely. Our '64 El Camino shop truck is a beater. His prepurchase criterion of having a rust-free cab was validated. There is no rust around the windshield, back glass, and cowl, and that's a major score. But the floorpans and quarter-panels were pretty much junk. Those are big enough flaws to keep us from truly enjoying our Pro-Beater parts hauler. The flappy quarters are an eyesore to all who set eyes on its Shamrock Shake flanks, and the holy rusted metal (Batman!) floors, while novel at first, merely provide an entrée for fumes and road grime that ultimately overwhelm the driver and unlucky passenger.

Trust us, we're not getting soft here at CC. Our Elco is first and foremost a parts hauler, not a resto weenie's museum piece, but Fred-Flintstone-feet-through-the-floor driving is not a style we can endorse on a daily bass. The federal government wasn't able to bail us out, but OPGI and Nor/Am did with auto body parts and materials, and the students at Los Angeles Trade Technical College provided the labor to give our Elco the structural stimulus it so badly needed. All did not go smoothly, either, but we won't gloss over our mistakes. If torches, sparks, and high-pressure transmission line blowouts light your fire, grab your welding jacket and read on.

Tools Needed
Cutoff wheel
Angle grinder
Flap disc
Scotch-Brite Roloc pads
Drill
Spot-weld cutter
Hammers and dollies
Oxyacetylene torch
MIG welder

Here's what our floors looked like prior to surgery. No wonder an EPA hazmat team chased us all the way to Trade Tech. The Elco was a rolling Superfund site.
Here's what our floors looked like prior to surgery. No wonder an EPA hazmat team chased u
Before cutting any of the original metal, we verified the fitment of the new parts. These OPG stampings replace large longitudinal sections of the floor, leaving the transmission tunnel intact. Other stampings are available, from complete floors to just the footwell sections.
Before cutting any of the original metal, we verified the fitment of the new parts. These
We traced around the new part using a marker. Generally, though, you won't be cutting along this line. You will, instead, be cutting about 1/2 to 3/4 inch inside this line. The extra material will be used as a flange to weld the new panel to. The students marked their cut line with tape and used a plasma cutter to remove the old floors.
We traced around the new part using a marker. Generally, though, you won't be cutting alon

This picture illustrates why it is better to overlap some material from the old panel. Not only is a lap joint easier to weld than a butt joint, but no matter how good you are, it is difficult to cut the old panel to the exact dimensions of the new one. Leave extra material and cut in sections if it's easier to remove the old stuff that way.
This picture illustrates why it is better to overlap some material from the old panel. Not
Be mindful that there may be stuff behind the section you're cutting that you may want to save or need to reuse. In the case of the Elco, there were braces under the floorpan that support the seat mounting bolts. These braces were spot-welded to the floor from the factory. We used a grinder with a Scotch-Brite disc to locate the welds.
Be mindful that there may be stuff behind the section you're cutting that you may want to
Drill out all the spot welds. Though you can use a standard drill bit, a spot-weld cutter is faster and more efficient.
Drill out all the spot welds. Though you can use a standard drill bit, a spot-weld cutter

Once all the bad metal was gone, we began prepping the area for the new parts to be welded in. The students sandblasted the remains of the floor and sprayed the perimeter with a zinc-rich weld-through primer. They also punched (or drilled in some areas) holes to plug-weld the metal in place.
Once all the bad metal was gone, we began prepping the area for the new parts to be welded
To get a final fitment before welding it in, we dropped the new panel in place, holding it with vise grips or sheetmetal screws, in the case of our floors. The new panel probably won't fit exactly, so be prepared to do some bodywork. Here, Omar Martinez hammered a section of the new floor to fit the contours of the transmission tunnel.
To get a final fitment before welding it in, we dropped the new panel in place, holding it
Stubborn sections are merely an opportunity to break out our old friend the acetylene torch. Nothing softens metal in a hurry the way a 6,000-degree flame does. Heated up and hammered into place, the new floor soon fit like a glove.
Stubborn sections are merely an opportunity to break out our old friend the acetylene torc

After verifying fitment, the students tacked where the sheetmetal screws had been.
After tack-welding, they proceeded to stitch-weld the panel in, closing up the entire gap between the old and new metal. Basically, stitch-welding is a string of tack welds stacked up one after another. This technique is preferable to a single, continuous weld bead because it puts less heat into the panel, reducing the chances of warpage.
After tack-welding, they proceeded to stitch-weld the panel in, closing up the entire gap
Jason "Mighty Mouse" Tapapia then ground the welds smooth and the floor was ready for finish work. Since this panel will be hidden under the carpet, we only covered the welds with seam sealer. If this were part of the exterior of the car, we'd have gone over the weld with a coat of filler.
Jason "Mighty Mouse" Tapapia then ground the welds smooth and the floor was ready for fini

Finally, the students welded in the seat braces and installed the floorpan drain plugs. The braces were welded in, but the plugs were glued in with seam sealer.
Finally, the students welded in the seat braces and installed the floorpan drain plugs. Th
Though it was mentioned earlier, here's another example of why you should take the time to always check what is behind or under the area you are working on. When fitting the floor, we inadvertently punctured one of the transmission cooler lines with a sheetmetal screw and dumped about a gallon of ATF on the floor within seconds of starting the car.
Though it was mentioned earlier, here's another example of why you should take the time to

Quarter-Panel Repair
Once back in our shop, we got to work on phase two of the Elco autobody rehab. As mentioned before, the quarter-panels were a mess. The left side suffered from serious rot aft of the wheel opening, and the right side had been replaced some time ago but was hung temporarily with only a few tack welds holding it on. We didn't know which one would be the most difficult to fix, so we started with the right side.

The quarter-panel on the right side of the car was actually in good shape. It is either a GM part taken off a donor car or a good reproduction, but we needed to take it off to get to the rotted wheelhouse behind it.
The quarter-panel on the right side of the car was actually in good shape. It is either a
The quarter had also been plug-welded in the rear where it wraps around to meet the inside of the bed. We ground the welds flat and whacked each of the centers with a pin punch to give the drill bit something to bite into.
The quarter had also been plug-welded in the rear where it wraps around to meet the inside
There was a string of small tack welds at the seam where the quarter meets the B-pillar that were hard to get to with our grinder. In oddball locations like this, you can sometimes use the cutoff wheel. Hold it perpendicular to the stuff you want to grind off and run it back and forth. Be careful with this technique-it's very easy to cut a huge groove in a part of the panel where you don't want one.
There was a string of small tack welds at the seam where the quarter meets the B-pillar th

As you break through the welds, you'll see a seam form at the spot where the panels separate. Gently pry them apart with a panel separator or screwdriver. You may need to grind more material off in some areas to completely separate the parts. Take your time and soon the panels will split. We were then able to remove the quarter-panel and set it aside.
As you break through the welds, you'll see a seam form at the spot where the panels separa
The inner and outer wheelhouses were joined together in a way we'd never seen before. It looks like the two were passed through some sort of roller that acted similarly to a spot welder. Each of the shiny spots on the arch was a fused joint. We decided to try and separate them with a chisel attachment on our air hammer rather than drill out each one of those spots.
The inner and outer wheelhouses were joined together in a way we'd never seen before. It l
Our El Camino had been hit in the side some time ago, and the inner structure was a mangled mess. We began straightening out these sections with a big slide hammer to get them roughly back to where they should be then a hammer and dolly to get them as close to straight as possible.
Our El Camino had been hit in the side some time ago, and the inner structure was a mangle

Yes, we love our acetylene torch, but this is more than just a gratuitous fire picture. Excessive hammering, bending, and pulling actually hardens metal, causing it to become brittle. Just like a wire coat hanger will eventually break if you bend it in the same spot over and over, the same can happen with automotive sheetmetal. Heating steel up to a dull red color softens it and makes it more compliant, allowing you to shape it more easily and without cracking or breaking it.
Yes, we love our acetylene torch, but this is more than just a gratuitous fire picture. Ex
Check your progress often as you work. Though still not great, our rocker panel support piece is straightened out and now aligns with the mounting flange on the new outer wheelhouse.
Check your progress often as you work. Though still not great, our rocker panel support pi
Things weren't so rosy on the backside of the wheelhouse. The lower inner extension panel was totally caved in and required more metalworking skills than we possess. We decided to cut that section out and weld in a new piece.
Things weren't so rosy on the backside of the wheelhouse. The lower inner extension panel

While digging around the backside of the wheelhouse, we also discovered a section of the inner wheelhouse that had rotted away and led to a rust hole forming in the side of the bed.
While digging around the backside of the wheelhouse, we also discovered a section of the i
To fix this, we cut that rusty section out as cleanly as possible and made a cardboard template to fit the opening.
To fix this, we cut that rusty section out as cleanly as possible and made a cardboard tem
We transferred the shape of the template to a flat piece of steel, tracing the line with a scribe. A Sharpie would work just as well, too. We then cut the shape out with a pair of shears.
We transferred the shape of the template to a flat piece of steel, tracing the line with a

OK, that was easy, but how do you get your flat piece of steel to fit the shape of the opening it needs to weld into? We used a section of welding filler rod, bending it to fit the contours the patch panel needs to follow. A section of coat hanger would work well, too. Use something that is easy to bend but holds its shape well.
OK, that was easy, but how do you get your flat piece of steel to fit the shape of the ope
We also needed to find something to use as a form to bend our patch panel around-something that was at least as wide as the patch so that when bent, the curve was uniform across the whole patch. We found that one of our 8mm sockets matched the curve perfectly.
We also needed to find something to use as a form to bend our patch panel around-something
To make the bend, we clamped the socket to our piece of steel with a pair of vise grips, then clamped the whole thing into our bench vise. We used a pair of flat-bladed panel-gripper vise grips to bend the steel evenly around the curve of the socket.
To make the bend, we clamped the socket to our piece of steel with a pair of vise grips, t

We checked our progress often against the wire template. Soon we had a spot-on replacement panel.
We checked our progress often against the wire template. Soon we had a spot-on replacement
With the bed repair welded in place, we could now address the rotted section of the inner wheelhouse.
With the bed repair welded in place, we could now address the rotted section of the inner
We did this in a similar though less exacting manner as the bed repair. We eyeballed a section of steel, tack-welding and trimming it to fit as we went along.
We did this in a similar though less exacting manner as the bed repair. We eyeballed a sec

We purposely left extra metal sticking out from the repair area so we could hammer it over to form part of the missing section of our inner wheelhouse mounting flange. We stuck a big body spoon behind the flange, using it to hammer against.
We purposely left extra metal sticking out from the repair area so we could hammer it over
We decided to reuse what was left of the old mounting flange that we took off with the chisel rather than making a new one. We cleaned up the flange, hammering it flat and grinding away the old primer and parts where the inner and outer panels were still stuck together. The problem with this was we hammered and heated the flange enough to change its shape. Notice how the curve of the flange no longer fits the arch of the wheelhouse?
We decided to reuse what was left of the old mounting flange that we took off with the chi
We used a stretching technique to change the arc of the bend in the flange. When backed up with something as hard or harder than the metal you're working with, sheetmetal will stretch when you hit it with a hammer. You can really stretch it out when you use something sharp like a chisel. The metal under the point flattens and squishes outward. Do this along the edge of a piece of steel and it will start to curve. To stretch our flange, we hammered along the inside edge (the part facing down to the ground). You can see the sections where the metal is dimpled in the photo on the right. Doing this opened up the curve of the flange and we were able to match the shape of the wheelhouse. Remember, you have to hammer against something hard or this will not work. We used the flat section of our vise as an anvil.
We used a stretching technique to change the arc of the bend in the flange. When backed up

With the curve correct, we were able to weld the flange back onto our inner wheelhouse.
After that, we welded in the final section of missing sheetmetal just past the wheelhouse. We left extra material at the bottom that we will trim off at the point where it connects to the quarter-panel. Now we could begin to treat the area prior to hanging the quarter back on. We first took a wire brush to all the loose rust and scale.
After that, we welded in the final section of missing sheetmetal just past the wheelhouse.
We then treated the whole area with Eastwood's Fast Etch rust converter. It's really easy to use: spray or brush it on, let it sit for half an hour, and wipe clean with a towel and some Eastwood PRE solvent cleaner.
We then treated the whole area with Eastwood's Fast Etch rust converter. It's really easy

To keep this area from rusting again, we sprayed it with a couple of coats of Rust-Oleum. Then we clamped our outer wheelhouse in place with vise grips to verify that the quarter-panel fit over it correctly.
To keep this area from rusting again, we sprayed it with a couple of coats of Rust-Oleum.
We clamped the quarter-panel back on the car and were grateful to see that the wheel opening in the quarter matched up the wheelhouse.
We clamped the quarter-panel back on the car and were grateful to see that the wheel openi
We pulled the quarter back off, drilled some holes in the mounting flange on the outer wheelhouse, and plug-welded it onto the car. This is as far as we got before we had to break off the attack to come back to the office and write the article. To finish, we will plug-weld the quarter on at the top of the bed, along the bottom at the rocker panel, and at the back by the taillights. But we'll flange- and stitch-weld it at the B-pillar. Once we grind the welds and Bondo the seam, our repair should be factory fresh.
We pulled the quarter back off, drilled some holes in the mounting flange on the outer whe

Parts List
Description	PN	Source	Price
Floorpan, left	CCH18LH	OPGI	$109.95
Floorpan, right	CCH18RH	OPGI	$109.95
Outer wheelhouse, left	CH20903	OPGI	$102.95
Outer wheelhouse, right	CH20904	OPGI	$102.95
Tailgate skin	TGP6467	OPGI	$203.95
Lower fender patch panel	OCH104R	OPGI	$59.95
Quarter-panel patch panel, left	ZX786262AFE	JC Whitney	$107.99
Spot-weld cutter kit	11282	Eastwood	$59.99
Pneumatic panel flanger and punch	31015	Eastwood	$89.99
*Note: the quarter-panel skins sold through JC Whitney are made by Nor/Am Autobody Parts.

SOURCES
JC Whitney La Salle IL 866-529-0411 www.jcwhitney.com	Eastwood 263 Shoemaker Road Pottstown PA 19464 800-343-9353 www.eastwood.com
Original Parts Group Seal Beach CA 562-594-1000 www.opgi.com	Nor/Am Autobody Parts Rockwood MI 800-779-7794
Rust-Oleum 11 Hawthorn Parkway Vernon Hills IL 60061 847-367-7700 www.rustoleum.com	Los Angeles Trade Technical College Los Angeles CA 213-763-7000 www.lattc.edu