Rear Window Channel, Package Tray, and Rear Deck Filler

 I have been working the rear window channel for a while now.  It was really bad.  Actually I started this back when I did the interior ceiling of the car.  At that time I fixed the upper window channel because the lower pinch weld flap was actually part of the interior roof brace.

After the upper channel was completed.

To do this I also needed to fix the package tray shelf which you can see is rusted.  Not too bad in the above picture but the package tray extends under the deck filler panel which is between the the package tray and the trunk opening.  This area was rusted badly and the read deck filler panel which contains the lower window channel was completely unusabe.  So prior to starting the two side channels I needed to repair the package tray and deck filler panel.  This repair was done by removing the two parts and replacing with new sheet metal.

Then I moved onto the side window channels.  The right side was realativly straight forward, just cutting out the rusty channel and welding in a new channel piece.  The lower quarter panel had to have a patch also at the bottom of the channel on both sides where the channel radius had been destroyed.

On the drivers side the sail panel was rusted out in the channel area.  There is no replacement metal manufactured for this so I had to fabricate a piece of the channel flange and weld to the sail panel before I could do the channel repair.

See the pic above there is a 3/4 in wide by 8" piece of metal the provides the anchor point for the window channel. The exposed piece you see is only a small part of the patch which extends down to weld to the sail panel to provide a solid surface for the repair.

This pic shows the passenger side chanel in progress with the "L" sharped quarter panel piece ready to weld in.  This same repair was done on the other side also.

Here is the competed passenger side channel.  Also you can see the new package tray and deck filler panel installed.

Final version with the primer paint on.

At this point the only rust areas left on the main body is the trunk floor.  There is also the drivers front fender that needs a patch but thats down the road a bit.

I am currently in the process of cutting the trunk floor out and trying to salvage the floor braces.  I hope to have the floor done in a week or so.

From there my plans are to cleanup the trunk interior walls and paint with texture rust paint blank, cleanup the tail panel and prime and then go through the entire interior and exterior undercarraige with seam sealer to fill all the cracks and wholes that remain between the panels where water could seep in.  The above floor areas will be seem sealed after the body is stripped of old paint and just prior to priming.

After that I will clean up the rear wheel tubs and then undercoat the entire under carraige before putting the body back on the frame to begin the final body work of stripping, shaping and, and priming with epoxy primer.

This work will take me into eary spring and then we will paint the main body of the car with the final color.

Next post, trunk floor in a week or so.