Re: Body Repairs
Posted by packardsix1939 On 2024/7/27 10:12:49
Unfortunately, the rear quarter panel around the wheel arch is a commonly rusted out area on 1951-1954 model Packards. Many of the surviving cars from this era are rusted out to the point that the skirts may no longer be mounted. I have also seen more than a few that were loaded with Bondo in this area. I once had a 1951 Convertible that was pretty much completely rusted out on both sides about up to the speed line. The skirts were stuffed into the trunk when I bought the car, but there was almost nothing left of mounting area. Ended up later abandoning the project when the restoration shop I had it at suddenly went out of business. The person I sold it to brought it to another shop and later told me that he had to put about $30K into the body work and paint to finish the restoration. So, unless you can do the work yourself, it probably is not worth it to have one of these restored professionally.
When looking at one of these cars for sale, especially online from photos, my take is that if you do not see the skirts mounted, the car is likely to have a lot of hidden rust, so beware.
Wish you luck with your project.
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