[Mcole78]

The 1967 Firebird quarter panels that I purchased in 2010 from Classic Industries and have not yet installed (life happens) are of questionable quality especially around the trunk and tail panel areas. Are the current reproduction quarter panels any better versus circa 2010 panels? I see various retailers refer to new tooling. Who currently carries the highest quality quarter panels? Eckler’s quarter panels are nearly two times the price of those at Summit, Classic Industries, YearOne, etc. Are they of higher quality? I thought the panels were being manufactured by only 1-2 Asian companies so everyone essentially had the same panels but there could be differences in quality control. Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated since I am contemplating ordering new quarter panels. Thanks! Mike

[Jack Ferris]

I personally prefer AMD. I've yet to do 1/4's on a Bird but have done several first gen Camaros. I don't care what brand you choose, even a factory OEM, but they all need to be worked to some extent. The reason I like AMD is they use thick sheet metal.

[Mcole78]

Thanks Jack! I understand the reproduction panels will require some amount of massaging and body work. My question relates to the ‘new tooling’ referenced by some retailers versus the tooling used about 10 years ago. Is the tooling ‘new’ relative to circa 2015 tooling and are the body lines more crisp with this new tooling? I’m trying to decide whether to order two new quarter panels (even though I have two new ones from 2015 in the shop) or use the 2015 quarter panels but cut them down so that I am only replacing metal in front, on top, and behind the wheel well. I would cut the panel a few inches below the horizontal crown on top and a vertical cut about 6-9 inches in from the rear edge to complete the partial panel replacement. Thanks. Mike

[Mcole78]

Good afternoon! No one has any insights into the quality of today’s reproduction first generation firebird quarter panels versus those circa 2010? Especially given the “new tooling” claims by some resellers. Thanks. Mike

[skunkwerks]

Originally Posted by Mcole78

Good afternoon! No one has any insights into the quality of today’s reproduction first generation firebird quarter panels versus those circa 2010? Especially given the “new tooling” claims by some resellers. Thanks. Mike

Mike,
All depends. They are all made in Tiawan. No matter who sells them. AMD
Good Mark and others.
I would not remove the trunk and tail panel section of the original panel if you can avoid it.
The window channel will need some massaging and cut and splice.
Try to only use the door jamb and wheel well and upper QP area to the window ledge. Best to splice the new QP into the trunk and rear QP on the body line area.

[skunkwerks]

Take a look at the Canadian body guy Kars on Cars. He is on Youtube. Very professional body man that explains how and why you need to install a QP the way you do.

Very informative. I follow the same procedure he does.

[Mcole78]

Thanks Skunkwerks. The video was helpful! I already planned on doing a similar approach on the driver’s side quarter panel. Unfortunately, the passenger side quarter panel was completely removed so I am contemplating either ordering another new reproduction passenger side quarter panel or grafting some of the original jamb pieces back onto the car. I had installed reproduction skins back in the late 1980s so the original jambs are in good shape. Again, the video referenced was helpful.

[skunkwerks]

Originally Posted by Mcole78

Thanks Skunkwerks. The video was helpful! I already planned on doing a similar approach on the driver’s side quarter panel. Unfortunately, the passenger side quarter panel was completely removed so I am contemplating either ordering another new reproduction passenger side quarter panel or grafting some of the original jamb pieces back onto the car. I had installed reproduction skins back in the late 1980s so the original jambs are in good shape. Again, the video referenced was helpful.

Hope it helped.
I would get the old pieces if you could and put them back on or get a GM original panel cut off a car if you can find one in good shape. Not easy to do in 2026. Would rather drill factory spot welds twice and reuse an original that the re-pops. easier and better fit in my book

['ol Pinion head]

Did not like the way the Canadian body guy had to cut & graft the outer wheel house. Its probably me. but ran into similar fit issue on a customer's '70 GTO 3 years ago. On that '70, the restoration level was not to an
extreme high level, so it was deemed that it didnt matter. Not sure if there is more than one die stamping of the repro '70-72 reproduction outer wheelhouses. Having drilled out a ton of spotwelds,
on my own keepers. that 1/4's are being replaced with NOS (and on one side perfect used ), am blessed that after !/4 panel removal, the outer wheelhouses are super solid, look like Day 1.

[unruhjonny]

I am five minutes into the suggested video...

I needed to pause to correct what he's said.

Even though all these panels are made overseas (mostly in Taiwan iirc), they are NOT all the same.

I have been mostly buying AMD parts;
I was grateful about this because after one of my purchases, I had found a post of a guy working on a 1972 Z28 who discovered that his inner quarters purchased to fix a stalled/goobered project were mirror images of one another - but the problem therin, was that each side needed to be unique.

So much for an improved/thicker stamping - because it's stamped incorrectly!

THIS is that discussion which alerted me to the fact that not all parts are equal!!
Buyer beware!

This might not exactly relate to early Firebird quarter panels, but I just wanted to point out that just like everything else in life, it's a buyer beware - and it's on you to do your homework.

['ol Pinion head]

When it comes to reproduction sheet metal panels, there are only so many actual manufacturers. I've been told only two in Taiwan, and those family owned business names are not recognizeable.
That's straight from a supplier that made the trip overseas & walked though the manufacturing facilities. To assume multiple different die stampings of the same large complex part, no that is not what we've seen.
I put this out there as a response to those that really think there are multiple companies investing a lot of funds to stamp out their own version of a relatively low volume expensive reproduction panel.
That's a total different deal with small items like partial floorpans & cheap 3 piece trunk pan repair panels.

For the '70-73 Firebird full quarter panels , trunk drops, inner & outer tail panel, Ron Johnson (National Pontiac vendor, collector. & PY member) worked years ago with the Goodmark entity to proof & make sure these panels fit well.
Goodmark also marketed numerous other pieces that fit well.. many times not perfectly as original, but often small issues noted upon installation. In the Pontiac lines, the "68-70" GTO hood, the '70 GTO fenders,
'70 GTO core support (that needed removal & reconfiguring of the lower rail). Goodmark pieces are still out there, but the product line was sold to AMD a few years ago.

DynaCorn... DII... lot of product out there, many pieces 've personally examined as well as in the hands multitude of very skilled metal/body workers.
For specific Pontiac usage repro sheet metal, have not been very impressed.

AMD... lot of Chevy & Mopar offerings. Several other product lines run off dies prev producing Goodmark labeled content.

Golden Star...have had limited experience with pieces coming from this entitiy. Since Goodmark is no more, seem to see a lot more product labeled Golden Star....just a thing that makes one go hmmm?
A few years ago, a local customer picked up a Golden Star branded "69-70" A-body 3 piece trunk floor set, & I was less than impressed with it.

Disaster repro Pontiac sheet metal product of the year...
Late last summer examined a pair of reproduction '66-67 LeMans/GTO doors. Totally missed the target, waaaay too short length wise.
3/4" too short on the bottom edge. 9/16': too short at a parallel line up at the door handle mounting point. I compared to three nice original '67 GTO doors, and took pictures
of original '67 GTO lower door stainless molding sticking out in the air when properly lined up on each side door.

Unfortunately, there are body shops out there with owners or managers who take on jobs requiring major panel replacement, then the biz owner or customers order these "new" large parts instead of sourcing nice used.
Last, instead of raising H#LL & sending the ill fitting junk back, they accept the garbage & set one or two of their employees off on a mission to "make it work". The clock is ticking...
It's amazing, but I will never understand throwing 150- 250K in "build" expense into such disasters.

[skunkwerks]

Not all cars from the factory were put together correctly.
I have countless pictures of incorrectly welded cars from the factory and panel placement issue. I have a full QP take-off for the 70-73 firebird original with the lower rear leg spot welded on the outer QP and the trunk inner lower filler was installed up too high and left an open gap since new. Have had a bunch of factory QPs not spot welded to the inner wheel tub at all due to the alignment holes on the inner tub not in the correct position when welded and somehow got out of the assembly plant.

I have always had good luck with original Old GM stampings (NOS) or original take offs from cars. They fit basically perfect. Very minor issues on a few..
Most old cars have very big tolerances for sheet metal placement.

Aftermarket is a crap shoot. Depends on what rev. tool is being used and what type of press and material. Stamping tools are very expensive and usually revisions are few and far between.

Best to take it slow on the QP replacements no matter what aftermarket sheet metal you buy. Do not cut the whole QP off until you have assessed the fit.
NOS is still the best.

[skunkwerks]

Well I will see how good the re-pop Goodmark QPs and other parts are for fitment.
Just purchased a Drivers QP, Tail panel, trunk extension and trunk floor.
Will see how all this fits on factory outer wheel house and the other factory metal that surrounds these parts.

Will be working on this over the next few months and will post updates.
First time using re-popped metal. I have always used NOS or used originals.
Unboxed the QP to check it for issues. Looks very nice and crisply stamped
Other parts look good. We will see.
I have been doing Sheetmetal, paint and body work for 35 years.

More to follow.

[Formulabruce]

1st gen Quarters 'WARNING"
I have noticed, more with early ones, but still an issue, is the Width of the panels installed.
It seems the curvature out and back in to get to the bottom is More than factory.
The Installer MUST, yeah MUST do a pre install STRING TEST from side to side at a bumper mount hole.
I was called to go see a car Already painted and the original ReChromed bumper would just dig into the quarter as it got installed.
I had told the body show to NOT use the marker light and bumper mount area, but "they know best" .
They "fixed" it by heating and bending out the corners of the bumper and a touch up to the paint.
DO a STRING TEST with ANY quarter replacement, and test fit bumper before welding, or PBA.
The 70-3 Firebird quarters Pass side has the DS light punch out, so only a DS light bezel fits and upside down, and still needs work to even do that.

[skunkwerks]

The 70-3 Firebird quarters Pass side has the DS light punch out, so only a DS light bezel fits and upside down, and still needs work to even do that.

Thanks for the info FB.