Advice needed on installing AMD full quarter on 70 Duster

[ToddR]

Anybody replaced their 70+ Duster quarter panels with AMD? I'm doing the full panel replacement like in the video where Craig from the AMD install center replaces a Dart quarter with full replacement at the factory spot weld points.

I have my old quarter off and I’m trial fitting the new quarter. So far its not lining up quite right at the door sill nor at the trunk gap, but I have some more trimming to do on the new quarter at the roof joint since I’m not replacing the roof and also at the rear side window area since I’m not replacing the roof sill.

However I’ve heard there might be a need to do some minor modifications to the quarter to make it fit right. Has anyone done this and have specifics on what was needed to be modified. Before I trim too much I’d like to hear someone's experience with this part.

Todd

 

[440abody]

pictures of the the area of concern may help...

And yes, every quarter panel I've ever installed takes some type of trimming, modification, manipulation to make it fit and look proper.

I installed a set of quarters on a 68 Chevelle SS427 car here last year and the AMD quarters I installed required extensive work in the window channel area to make the back glass fit.

Used another set (not AMD) on a on a 65 Mustang and well... let's just say the quarters are on, and look great...now.
Not trying to scare you, just letting you know.

 

[ringo440]

Just finish installing AMD quarters on a 71 Demon basically the same. If you have not removed the brace where the quarter glass sets and 1/4 lips over do so it makes all the difference fitting the 1/4. I have installed three pairs of quarters on Demons.All have had door gap issues at the top where door meets. Slice tap forward and weld up.

 

[ringo440]

Door gap at top. As far as trunk fitment on drivers side it will need a little dolly work where it set on rain gutter. And the door gap is worst than passenger side

 

[STR-14]

I bought a half finished project 1970 Duster with AMD panels already on it. Missed the clearance gap up at the top of the door/quarter.
Yesterday I just discovered that the rear side marker housings don't fit in the AMD holes, so now I have to skim a little off of each side to get them to fit. Yes, it is painted. Had to put about $10.00 in quarters into the swear jar today - used up my weeks allotment in about 6 minutes or so........

 

[downsr]

I bought a half finished project 1970 Duster with AMD panels already on it. Missed the clearance gap up at the top of the door/quarter.
Yesterday I just discovered that the rear side marker housings don't fit in the AMD holes, so now I have to skim a little off of each side to get them to fit. Yes, it is painted. Had to put about $10.00 in quarters into the swear jar today - used up my weeks allotment in about 6 minutes or so........

Amd knows they have problems with the fit on 70 duster quarters.I called them and told them about the gap at the top of quarter and the door . They said that is the first time they heard any complaint about them.They knocked off 100 dollars.I think they have a bunch of these they know are bad but go ahead and sell them instead of trashing them.I bet people like grave yard cars get the good stuff that fit.Personally i have not bought anything from amd that fit

 

[ringo440]

Amd knows they have problems with the fit on 70 duster quarters.I called them and told them about the gap at the top of quarter and the door . They said that is the first time they heard any complaint about them.They knocked off 100 dollars.I think they have a bunch of these they know are bad but go ahead and sell them instead of trashing them.I bet people like grave yard cars get the good stuff that fit.Personally i have not bought anything from amd that fit

Amd knows they have problems with the fit on 70 duster quarters.I called them and told them about the gap at the top of quarter and the door . They said that is the first time they heard any complaint about them.They knocked off 100 dollars.I think they have a bunch of these they know are bad but go ahead and sell them instead of trashing them.I bet people like grave yard cars get the good stuff that fit.Personally i have not bought anything from amd that fit

 

[ToddR]

Thanks your advise is helping, this is my first full quarter replacement, although I have done floor pans, partial rocker sill and some other partial replacements on this car as well as some lower quarter patch panels in the past. Given the great fit of the AMD trunk floor, I was expecting a better fit for the quarter and wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious. In the end I suspect I might have been better off doing a butt welded partial quarter instead of a full factory style quarter. Guess I watched too many videos and TV shows including Craig H's quarter panel replacement how-to video for a 69 dart. I drank the cool aide :-(

I did some work on the rear gutter on the quarter and the trunk gap get is getting closer now. I trimmed a little more at the roof joint and that is looking better. I started to bend the side rear window sill down at the correct angle and that's improving but not yet seating right.

Looks like I have the same front upper door gap issue discussed here. How much of a slice did you end up needing to make it work? As you can see I tried temporarily hanging it inside the door jamb at the top to see if I could get the bottom better with that 1/8 change at the top. Looks like it needs a lot more at the top to get the bottom door jamb correct, hard to see in the photos but the bottom is about 1/4" or more off and the door won't even close at the bottom. The back is also 3/8" off on the overhang which goes behind the bumper. However the wheel house was lining up well (AMD outer wheel house). For now I pulled off the trunk extension and wheel house so I can play with the quarter by itself a little easier.

You can see that I chose not to cut out the roof sill, so I already need to butt weld the quarter near the sill.

Lower door jamb:

Upper door jamb, temporary experiment, the 1/8" change didn't help much:

Door gaps, won't close at bottom, off by at least a 1/4" at top.

Rear overhang at bumper is off by about 3/8":

Roof seam, chose not to cut out roof drip rail, so I have some butt welding to do here already:

 

[ringo440]

I told them they had a problem with those 1/4 s about four years ago. I was told that I was first to have had a problem with the quarters. Later they retooled 1/4s and they fitted a few problems they had with first run but they still have issues. With some patience and a little skill you can make this quarters fit nice.You must be willing to mock up everything before welding in place. We could beat on AMD , But because of them we are able save a lot of cars that were at one time were to far gone. The key installing these quarters is to set your door gaps before removing old quarters, rocker to door gap set, door to 1/4 gap . Make sure body lines match up on door and 1/4 take photo, I would bet the door gaps and lines are not perfect from the factory. Do one at time , if you need to modify any make sure it is done to 1/4 and not car. Set 1/4 and line up body lines. Modify 1/4 as needed. Take your time I spend about two days on each 1/4 on just fitting and modify, check 1/4 glass fitment, check side makers, check rear bumper, trunk lid gaps, height of trunk lid to 1/4. If using factory wheel housing you will need to dolly the radius of wheel opening. Hope this helps

 

[ToddR]

I'm unsure which brace you are referring to removing. My 70 duster has pop out rear side windows, as opposed to full vertically moving windows like a 72 valiant we used to have. I'm not sure what your demon has. Here is a picture of the area, the brace which the quarter attaches to runs under the roof sill. I can't tell in your photo whether you removed part of the roof sill, but I chose to leave it in (maybe that was a mistake on my part).

 

[ToddR]

The key installing these quarters is to set your door gaps before removing old quarters, rocker to door gap set, door to 1/4 gap .....Hope this helps

Thanks, luckily that's what I chose to do. I left original trunk in place, hung and aligned my replacement door first, working on right side first, etc. I'm taking it real slow, trial fitting, making 1 change to quarter, trial fit again, etc.


Is it worth trying to get the newer version of the AMD quarters? I bought mine about 4 years ago (yes, its been slow going, only get about 1 day a month to work on this project).

 

[ringo440]

Have you clamped 1/4 to bottom edge rocker yet, have you removed inner brace that the 1/4 glass set on. Don't worry much about the end of 1/4, the whole 1/4 needs to come forward from what I am seeing

 

[ringo440]

If you have the first run 1/4s your up the creek , cutting and butt welding at roof and sail panel is the way to go. The demon has pop out glass also just like the duster they take the same 1/4 panel .if set your 1/4 glass in place . Then go to the side you have not removed look how the rubber fits the contour, will tell you which way the 1/4 needs to go. If you are along ways off you have the first run 1/4 , order new 1/4 , the first run were only good to use as skins. Can be made to fit but a lot of skill is needed

 

[downsr]

They are still selling the screwed up ones first to get rid of them so they do not lose money that they have tied up in them.I f you pay close to 500 for a quarter you should not have to work on it that much.If you do not have the skills to do it your self i good body man is going to charge you as much as the quarter cost to make it fit and then you have a quarter that has a bunch of bondo in it.

 

[ringo440]

They are still selling the screwed up ones first to get rid of them so they do not lose money that they have tied up in them.I f you pay close to 500 for a quarter you should not have to work on it that much.If you do not have the skills to do it your self i good body man is going to charge you as much as the quarter cost to make it fit and then you have a quarter that has a bunch of bondo in it.

The last two pair that I have used have been pretty decent . with only a little modification needed at top 1/4 where the door and 1/4 meet. If someone doesn't have the skill to fix that, they don't need to be trying to install their own 1/4 . My job every day is installing body panels and some of the worst fitting panels have been oem. From time to time you get a panel that just falls in place , but 90% of the time you must do some modification to the panel. If a body man needs to use a lot of body filler after he has done his modifications then he has no skills.

 

[ringo440]

When you do get a 1/4 to fit you might consider under coating before final install makes it
A lot easier and trim out everything with your body color you can come back and touch things up

 

[ToddR]

Took a long break from the project, now I'm back at it. Here are some updated photos of the work I needed to do at the upper door gap:
- cut off upper right corner and replaced with small section from original. This also reveals that that section of the quarter is too thin, so I had to split it to widen it about 1/16 to 1/8 (more as closer to door).
- had to cut and reattach the upper inner window sill section as this was about 1/8-1/4 too short and had a gap to the factory sill brace
- also did a lot of filing and trimming around the side marker to make the hole large enough to fit my factory side marker

Now the side window area of the quarter fits well and lines up well with the top of the door.

Other areas I have yet to modify:
- the gap near the top of the trunk is off by 1/8, after some measuring and comparing to the other side with a cardboard template, I concluded the top edge of the quarter is 1/16 to 1/8" too thin, I'll have to split it and widen that section (in pictures blue quarter is left side original, black is right side replacement)
- the lower front quarter which wraps around the rocker and attaches to the rocker parallel to the ground seems too long, I'll need to measure that, split it and rejoin it so thiner

 

[Jimmy Goodman]

When you do get a 1/4 to fit you might consider under coating before final install makes it
A lot easier and trim out everything with your body color you can come back and touch things up

View attachment 1714948353

Hello saw your post about rear quarter panel installation.
i have test fit the quarters and am ready to start welding.
would like to ask about under coating on inside of panel.
what under coating did you use? how did you layout the surface to under coat? ( looks neat and professional )
using amd quarter do i need to paint the inside of panel?
this is the picture i was looking at.
https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/attachments/20160605_095114-jpg.1714948353/
thanks for any advice
Btw i lived in byron ga in the late 70's