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Fabricating Rear Wheel Wells

8K views 31 replies 13 participants last post by  deadbodyman 
#1 ·
Hello everyone,
I am working on a 1970 Buick Lesabre and the rear wheel wells on both sides are horrible. The previous owner riveted more metal on top of it, which that rusted as well. I have basic tools for fabricating sheet metal, which means I don't have an English wheel that would make this job a lot easier.

The issue is that the wheel well is curved unlike these box-type wheel tubs I have seen online. I am not sure how I can curve it smoothly.

Some extra notes, I have looked online and I cannot seem to find anything that remotely resembles the current wheel well I have, so buying the piece seems to be out of the picture.

Also, I have considered making a box-type template like wheel-tubs have, but I am not sure if it would work out. One of the braces from the body that attaches to the wheel well is curved so that it wraps around the wheel well.

Does anyone know of a way in which I can do this? Any pictures and methods would be much appreciated.
 
#5 ·
I'm not sure if the Skylark would be the same as your LeSabre but I found this on YearOne.

https://www.yearone.com/Catalog/196...-and-outer-wheelhouse-panels-and-patch-panels
I am going to call them and see if I can get some more information on the item. From the picture it is hard to tell if it is the same stuff. It's not a horrible price though.

What do you guys think of having an HVAC shop fabricate the peices for me? I am not sure how I can explain to them how I want it, but it would be worth a try.
 
#4 ·
The bottom line is you can bend sheet metal but it takes tools and know how to form it into a compound curve.

Most likely, the best plan of attack for you will be to buy a set of wheel houses from a salvadge yard if you can not find a good doner car.

Best of luck,
John
 
#10 ·
I'd be looking to some place like the Desert Valley I mentioned or similar, have them cut the entire whole rear quarter sections off a rust free body....outer quarter panel, inner and outer wheelhouses, trunk drop-off, and part of the trunk floor and tail panel...so you can just replace all of that mess you have.

You'll be farther ahead in the ends, and have a much nicer piece.

If that's how bad the rear of the car is, what kind of shape are the floors, rockers, door bottoms and front fenders in??....looks like you have a LOOOONG row to hoe in front of you on this one. :pain:
 
#15 ·
You know, I would be the last one to belittle someone's project or say something cruel or derogatory but I will be honest here.

In order to repair this issue in a way that will give you service, you must have a point to build back to that gives you a solid and long lasting repair. Looking at the pictures, I don't see that point. Unless this car has so much sentimental value that you want to fix it at all costs walk away from it. Maybe you can salvage the engine, trans, rear end. gauges etc and make this a parts car if you can find another one with a good body. If you do decide to proceed I would suggest you absolutely have to find another solid body.

The guys here kid me because I like to fix rusty cars no one else will fool with but it has to be a car that can be repaired properly and will be worth what I have spent when I am done. I don't see either one being possible here.

Best of luck,

John
 
#12 ·
WOW!

I am with Pugsy, listen, unless you plan on learning how to fabricate all these parts you are in for heartache. And what you see is only the beginning, the cowl is going to be just as bad.

If you are willing to learn and become a master fabricator as John Long is with a similar project http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/53-belair-conv-rust-repair-233635.html you had better look for something better.

Can it be done, sure, but this is a HUGE project.

Brian
 
#16 ·
I appreciate the concerns guys, but this is not what the rest of the car is like. The floor pans are bad, but I have sheetmetal and a bead roller, so that is not too difficult. The body is in decent shape besides the wheel wells.

I called desert valley and they wanted $325 each side for fender and wheel wells. At that price, I could buy an English wheel and learn to make compound curves.

Does anyone know of other salvage yards in which they have parts for 1970 buick cars? (I would assume other buick models have similar wheel wells)

P.S.: I am waiting to hear back from CTC Auto Ranch.
 
#17 ·
Go to this site GM B platform - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and where ever you see 1970, THAT car may have the same wheel wells as it shared the same "hard parts" with your car like frames, and door latches and handles and windows, and stuff like that. The floors were often very close, not identical but could be modified to fit.

Brian
 
#18 ·
#19 ·
$325 a side is a steal, compared to buying an English wheel, learning how to use it and wasting sheet stock in the process, and plus cost of the material that will get used to patch the car up....plus save you weeks or months of fab work.

Buying new wheel housing pieces for another car are around $100-125 each...inners and outers, so there is $200-250 right there per side, and you would still have to modify the outers to match your quarter panel lip....and you haven't even bought quarters yet....or the trunk drop off panels down to the bottom of the rear quarter panel.

$250 a side minimum for a quarter, if you can even get on aftermarket for a Lesabre. You won't even want to know the price if you can find an OEM quarter panel someplace. $750 and up per side.

Think it through and you'll realize that $325 price per side is the way to go, and it will fit like a glove.
 
#21 ·
Without the know how and right tools... It will be very hard to pull off...That's why I build the boxy type when I pro street a car..here is a few pictures,, Really easy to make..
 

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#22 ·
The box-type wheel wells seem like a better idea. A couple issues come to mind about it though.

The first issue is that there is a 'support' peice that goes from the wheel well to the back of the quarter panel. The end that attaches to the wheel well is curved so it fits the curve of it. It's difficult to explain, but I would have to tinker with that to get it to fit.

Also, about 10% of the front of the wheel well goes inside the body and is where the back passenger seats attach. I will have to do a bit of tinkering to get the box-type wheel well in there, but I am worried the rear seats wont fit in the same way.

I like the idea, I'm gonna think it through a bit to see if I see any huge issues. I'll have to look at the rear seats and support beam to see if it's going to be a major problem.
Thanks for the idea though!
 
#26 ·
You have to cut them to your width and outer quarter panel inner contour shape, that is why they are extra wide.

They are also made of much thinner than stock GM body material, as these are intended for a race car where added weight is a concern. If you are going to follow this idea, make your own from the appropriate material thickness.

I still say that a whole rear 1/4 section of a rust free car - wheelhousings, some trunk pan and everything related, inner body structure and some floor pan under the rear seat along with the outer quarter skin - from door to rear bumper, for only $325 a side is a steal. Trim it up at some of the major inner seams, and install it all as one big piece, and bango, you are done and completed.

You're going to spend more than that trying to patch it in dribs and drabs
 
#25 ·
Sorry Killer,,, But don't put that in your car... It will tin can and they are paper tin... I have a bunch of people coming to me that wish they wouldn't have done it... Save your money and put some steel back in your car... You will be much better off...

Oh !!!! Not sure if any of you ever put a set together like what killer showed,,, I can say this much... You will never do it two times...:pain:
 
#28 ·
Yup, 22 ga in steel. I bought (of all things) trailer fenders for my rear clip that are 16 ga and they have a nice rolled edge instead of the usual squared-off look. The only thing is, they are open and require panels to close them although it's just a flat sheet of steel.

Russ
 

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#31 ·
Cut the rot out and grind clean.

Cardboard and masking tape for templates. I use the poster board material its about 18g thick, just like the sheet metal you would use. if you run into problems. its just cardboard. chuck it out and start again. once your done. transfer shapes to metal, bend, bash, shape, cut fingers, done. looks like a weekend project.
 
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