Sometimes the problem with getting a really killer rendering done of your project is the difficulty it takes in getting the finished car to look just as cool. After all, the artist can take liberties that just aren't feasible in the real world. This was our dilemma. Ben Hermance knocked one out of the park with his drawing of our Track Rat project. The body in his drawing simply oozed attitude that we just didn't know how to capture in the actual build. Then we ran into Cris Gonzalez of JCG Restoration & Customs in Oxnard, California. We were shooting a nice '68 Z/28 (which you can see in this very issue) that he had built previously and he mentioned something that peaked our interest.
Seems that he has been experimenting with doing quarter-panel stretches on first-gen Camaros, specifically '69s. We started talking about our '68 and it turns out that Cris had wanted to try his process on an earlier first-gen. The more we thought about it, the more we realized that this could be something that would infuse that missing attitude into our project car and help it stand out from the crowd. Now we just had to figure out a way to break the news to the guys over at Best of Show Coach Works, who had spent so much time massaging the Track Rat's quarters in preparation for paint.
After talking it over and compensating them with a few adult beverages, they agreed that this would be a cool modification to the project. A week later the 'Rat was on a trailer heading 160 miles north for the cosmetic surgery.
Now we're not going to sugarcoat this, and tell you it can be done in your driveway using common handtools in an afternoon. The fact is that this modification was not easy by any stretch of the imagination. The tools required aren't terribly specialized, but it takes a ton of fabrication skill to pull this off and have the finished product look right. But if you're good with a welder, and a have that fabrication gene that most of us are lacking, then it's certainly possible. And if it's a bit outside your comfort zone then rest easy knowing that there are guys like Gonzalez who can get it done for you.
 The only thing worse than...  The only thing worse than cutting up a damaged panel is cutting up one that was just about ready for paint. But that's the cost of changing plans midway through a build. The first step in this long process was grinding down the areas that need cutting. |  The first cut was made just...  The first cut was made just outside the doorjamb using a cutoff wheel. I guess this would be considered the point of no return. |  This same procedure was then...  This same procedure was then carried out along the lower rocker. If you're wondering what this has to do with bulging out the quarter-panel lip, be patient, it will soon make sense. |
 More cuts were then made at...  More cuts were then made at the seam of the rear panel to the quarter and along the lower quarter panel. |  Before we made all of the...  Before we made all of the cuts, we tack-welded some scrap metal to the quarter panel's window channel. It's important when we're all done that this gap not be changed. |  Next, it was time to start...  Next, it was time to start cutting inside the wheelhouse. The cut was made where the outer wheelhouse connected to the quarter panel. |
 The result was more sheetmetal...  The result was more sheetmetal for the scrap pile. Didn't we just replace this part? |  With all those cuts completed,...  With all those cuts completed, the quarter panel can now be pulled away from the car. This will give us our 2-inch quarter-panel bulge. Now it was time for the hard part. |  The only parts required for...  The only parts required for this endeavor were a pair of partial quarter panels (PN C-69550-1RH/LH, $54.95 each) from National Parts Depot. After measurements were made, the required section was cut away from the donor panel. This provides extra strength to the lip area of the quarter, in effect making it double-walled. |
 The new inner panel was then...  The new inner panel was then put in place so that more measurements could be taken. |  To the uniformed, it's just...  To the uniformed, it's just a two-by-four piece of wood holding out the quarter, but in reality it's a precision tool that is holding our panel out just the right distance. You can also see how much of the wheelhouse was cut away with the team's handy cutoff wheel. |  After some work with the measuring...  After some work with the measuring tape, Primo Valdovinos was able to fabricate the first panel that will help seal up our "Swiss cheese" wheel tub. |