Updated: July 2024 - please excuse the poor picture quality. I wish I had time to have done a video. I have many more pics of this here --> Dc5/Rsx Quarter Panel Replacement
Public Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any damage or injuries caused by the attempt of this DIY. My purpose is to share my experience with the removal of rusted parts and help others do the same.
Tools Needed:
Where I sourced my quarter panels:
JDM Ohio Direct JDM DC5 Integra Type R Rear Quarter Panels (those are my exact quarter panels)
Other sources for quarter panel replacements:
1. Used 2002 Acura Rsx Rear Body Rsx Quarter Panel Assembly Parts |
2. JDM Dc5 Integra Rear Quarter Panel Skins
Props to these two Youtubers for giving me hope:
This is probably the last time I do the entire quarter panel. Next time I'll be doing sections at a time which is what the guys in the videos above have done. Results are just as good and takes much less time.
Public Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any damage or injuries caused by the attempt of this DIY. My purpose is to share my experience with the removal of rusted parts and help others do the same.
Tools Needed:
- Safety Equipment (gloves, goggles, mask, protective clothing)
- Hammer
- Chisel
- Drill
- 1/8th drill bit
- Wired drill bit for cleaning paint off metal
- Hole punch
- spot weld remover bit
- Welder (I used the Harbor Freight "flux core" welder)
- Angle grinder + cutter
- Replacement quarter panel skins (If rust is really bad, you will need the inner structure part that the QP attaches to)
- Lots of space & an organized tool cart of some sort
- WD40 + a knife to spray & remove the adhesive from the rear windows without breaking them
- Body filler
- 100 + 180 grit sand paper
- Before starting the quarter panels, figure out how much of the quarter panel you want to cut out. I decided to use the entire quarter panel for both sides. Some people might only need to cut out a small section, rendering most of this diy useless. This diy is for taking off the entire qp.
- Put the car on jack stands + remove both rear wheels
- Remove rear bumper, rear lights, side skirts, rear seats, all rear plastic panels, quarter windows (if you are only cutting off a small section of your QP, you may not need to remove all these parts. If you are cutting out an entire section, as I did, you will need to remove these parts).
- Remove hatch shocks & lift hatch as high as it goes. Best to remove the hatch but I was able to do it with the hatch on. This is done to access all the spot welds by the rear window and under the hatch.
- Once you’ve removed all plastic trim pieces, you should be able to start measuring your cuts. Be sure to have exact measurements or make your cuts smaller to avoid making big mistakes like leaving gaps, which can always be filled in but it’s extra work.
- Set markings to where you will be cutting (I used tape) begin your cuts which should only be in 2 spots, by the rocker panels and above by the roof. The rest will be spot welds to remove.
- Check out the spot welds, be sure that you can see them clearly. If not, take the wired drill bit and clean off all the spot welds.
- Remove spot welds using your spot weld remover tool. First start by punching a hole in the middle of the spot weld, then take the 1/8th drill bit and drill a small hole big enough for the spot weld tool to rest inside so that it doesn’t move around while it spins. Take the spot weld tool and put it in the middle of the drill bit hole, begin spinning slowly and don’t let it move around. Once you see a small layer of metal beginning to shave off, spin faster. Try to only remove the first layer.
- Do a few spot welds then take a hammer and chisel and hammer through them, you should see the panel coming off. Continue this process until you’ve gotten all the spot welds. Don’t pull on the quarter panel until all of the spot welds are removed. Be Careful with the ones in the wheel well, those are tricky and are also held on by a glue like material which I used the wired drill bit and knife to clean off. Don’t forget the spot welds by the door latch, there are 2 hidden ones there.
- Once all spot welds are removed, you should be able to pull it off and see the internal structure of the car, aka the skeleton.
- Inspect the inner structure that attaches to the wheel well. Is it rusted out? If so, measure, cut out and replace/weld. Mine was rusted and I was able to use material off the replacements. I messed up my measurements so that’s why I used patches.
- If you have not already, remove the skins off the replacement quarter panels.
- Be sure your measurements are good and test fit them to the car.
- At this point, you will need the welder to put them back on. Never bondo or glue them because the metal has a lot of tension and will break the material and ruin your project. If you don’t have a welder, get the cheap HF welder for about $100.
- You mainly want to weld in all of the spot welds back into place. Take your time & don't use a lot of heat.
- Once the quarter panels are welded on, take your grinder and smooth out the welds.
- Take some bondo and apply it to the weld spots to fill in the imperfections and gaps. Follow the instructions to make sure you have a nice transition between both sides of the welds.
- Take a step back and enjoy your handy work.
- Find a good paint shop to complete your work before you put your quarter windows on. I opted to rattle can it with Rustoleum Acrylic paint.
Where I sourced my quarter panels:
JDM Ohio Direct JDM DC5 Integra Type R Rear Quarter Panels (those are my exact quarter panels)
Other sources for quarter panel replacements:
1. Used 2002 Acura Rsx Rear Body Rsx Quarter Panel Assembly Parts |
2. JDM Dc5 Integra Rear Quarter Panel Skins
Props to these two Youtubers for giving me hope:
This is probably the last time I do the entire quarter panel. Next time I'll be doing sections at a time which is what the guys in the videos above have done. Results are just as good and takes much less time.
