AMD versus Goodmark quarter panel skins.
The topic of how good AMD is versus other brands like Goodmark is one that comes up on this site from time to time, usually pretty regularly. I have an example from both in hand as we speak. both for the exact same car. So I thought it'd be a great time to do an Apples to Apples comparison.
Back Story.
I have a 1974 Dart Swinger. It needed new quarter panels due to rust so in August of 2015, I ordered a drivers side quarter skin from AMD with the expectation of getting a passenger side quarter skin from AMD the following spring as time and funds allowed. However, just two months later, AMD would stop production on the 72-76 quarter skins for an disclosed amount of time. Well, after 2 years of waiting, I said the heck with it and ordered a skin for the passenger side from Goodmark. Below our my observations and opinions.
I've broken down the areas I'll critique into packaging for shipping, thickness, and most importantly fit and overall value.
First the AMD:
Packaging= 2/5
The AMD skin was packaged and shipped in a thin, cardboard piece. Little to no padding. Ended up with a couple dings and dents, minor but easily fixable, not enough to warrant returning/exchanging due to the cost but enough to get dinged a few points on packaging. See photo:
Thickness=5/5: the AMD measured with a certified and calibrated caliper, .0491, a tad thicker than 18 gauge, which is .0478 for comparison.
Fit= 1/5: First, there is more information on this on my build thread and couple other threads. The AMD is advertised as fitting a 72-76 Dart swinger, 2 dr. Since the marker light location does vary between those years, and I knew that going in, there is no deduction in points for that. However, there are two major and glaring issues with the AMD skin. First, it is over an inch too short in length and does not meet the tail pane. Secondly, the area where the tailpanel were to weld, the angle is entirely off. The body lines however did match but the other two issues are too large to ignore.
Value= 1/5: I fully expect this part to piss alot of people off, the pictures speak for themselves. for the price paid, 300 plus shipping, for a quarter panel skin to be over 1 inch too short and the angle to be wrong, it is merely an overpriced piece of stamped in Tiawan steel. I would have expected issues with lower rated companies but not AMD. When I called AMD on it, all I got was "sorry but some fitment to be expected".
Overall Score: 2/5. The added thickness does make it easier to weld but the fitment issues weigh heavily here.
The Goodmark will be on the next post
The topic of how good AMD is versus other brands like Goodmark is one that comes up on this site from time to time, usually pretty regularly. I have an example from both in hand as we speak. both for the exact same car. So I thought it'd be a great time to do an Apples to Apples comparison.
Back Story.
I have a 1974 Dart Swinger. It needed new quarter panels due to rust so in August of 2015, I ordered a drivers side quarter skin from AMD with the expectation of getting a passenger side quarter skin from AMD the following spring as time and funds allowed. However, just two months later, AMD would stop production on the 72-76 quarter skins for an disclosed amount of time. Well, after 2 years of waiting, I said the heck with it and ordered a skin for the passenger side from Goodmark. Below our my observations and opinions.
I've broken down the areas I'll critique into packaging for shipping, thickness, and most importantly fit and overall value.
First the AMD:
Packaging= 2/5
The AMD skin was packaged and shipped in a thin, cardboard piece. Little to no padding. Ended up with a couple dings and dents, minor but easily fixable, not enough to warrant returning/exchanging due to the cost but enough to get dinged a few points on packaging. See photo:
Thickness=5/5: the AMD measured with a certified and calibrated caliper, .0491, a tad thicker than 18 gauge, which is .0478 for comparison.
Fit= 1/5: First, there is more information on this on my build thread and couple other threads. The AMD is advertised as fitting a 72-76 Dart swinger, 2 dr. Since the marker light location does vary between those years, and I knew that going in, there is no deduction in points for that. However, there are two major and glaring issues with the AMD skin. First, it is over an inch too short in length and does not meet the tail pane. Secondly, the area where the tailpanel were to weld, the angle is entirely off. The body lines however did match but the other two issues are too large to ignore.
Value= 1/5: I fully expect this part to piss alot of people off, the pictures speak for themselves. for the price paid, 300 plus shipping, for a quarter panel skin to be over 1 inch too short and the angle to be wrong, it is merely an overpriced piece of stamped in Tiawan steel. I would have expected issues with lower rated companies but not AMD. When I called AMD on it, all I got was "sorry but some fitment to be expected".
Overall Score: 2/5. The added thickness does make it easier to weld but the fitment issues weigh heavily here.
The Goodmark will be on the next post
