Body experts. . . rear end nuance?

[cpolyak]

Curious why some 02s have a vertical seam running from bottom to top of rear panel near taillights, while others have no seam. Euro vs US panel? Should they all have the seam, but a lack of seam indicates filler/sanding during a repaint?

 

Just trying to better understand this nuance with early 02s. 

 

 

[MatthewCervi]

I'm pretty sure the factory did not fill the seam, so the filled-in ones represent people who preferred a cleaner look or got over-zealous with the bodywork.

[Son of Marty]

As Matt said they came with the rear seam exposed only the front fender seam was filled at the factory.

[Conserv]

But if you want to get deep into the nuance, the two top rear seams were filled at the factory ON THE TOP LIP, the horizontal portion of the panels, and this filling was generally slightly noticeable at the top of the panel, even with the luggage compartment lid closed.

 

Below are photos of my '76, the first taken in August 1983, the second taken late last year, as the car was being prepped for its first re-paint.

 

At each re-paint, most body shops accidentally, or indifferently, leave some filler in these seams.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited February 6, 2017 by Conserv

[Simeon]

Is the joint brazed in the factory? Certainly saw braze at the top of the seam. 

[Conserv]

2 minutes ago, Simeon said:

Is the joint brazed in the factory? Certainly saw braze at the top of the seam. 

 

Probably, Simeon, akin to the treatment of the front fenders....

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[Mark92131]

Didn't catch my body shop fill on the driver's side rear seam before paint, now I am mis-matched.  Doesn't bother me that much ;-).

 

Mark92131

 

 

[TobyB]

The joint is actually heli- arced on the inside of the fenders.

They folded the lips over, then tigged the ends of the lips.

I have no idea why- it's a terrible way to do it, especially since

the fronts were brazed.  And the weld itself is a gloppy mess.

You discover this when trying to salvage a tail or rear quarter panel-

there's a weld bead along that lip, and it is far harder than the surrounding panel.

It makes the panels hard to get apart.

 

Then, the top was leaded, as Steve says,

to let the trunk seal have a flat surface to seal on.

Then the lead was ground off, usually not very carefully.

 

This was true from 1969 through 1974, and I would guess, but don't know

for sure, that it's the way they all were done.  I've cut apart a half- dozen shells,

and this seam is consistent.  I know, because I was usually trying to save

a tail panel, a quarter, or both.

 

As near as I can tell, it's one of the very few places heli- arc (tig) was used on the shell.

t

[Simeon]

Certainly thought that it wouldn't have killed them to put some proper flanges there and just spot weld from the inside. 

[Conserv]

2 hours ago, Simeon said:

Certainly thought that it wouldn't have killed them to put some proper flanges there and just spot weld from the inside. 

 

They weren't building the car to last 20 years, or to facilitate ease of panel replacement.  ?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[xferboy]

6 hours ago, TobyB said:

And the weld itself is a gloppy mess.

Good to know that those aren't crappy post factory bodywork welds on my car (unlike the other crappy post factory bodywork welds elsewhere on the car)

Edited February 7, 2017 by xferboy

[TobyB]

yeah, I have NO idea why they weren't spot welded, unless maybe 1970 spot welders couldn't get into that tight a space?

 

I'm sure there's a reason- the things WERE built by Germans...

 

t

 

[Vicleonardo1]

It may boil down to if Gunter the solderer had "Vun too many Schtiens af beir at Ze Hofbrau das niecht before" ...

 

Like the adage.. "never buy an American Car that was assembled on a Monday, Friday or any day that ends in a Y..