1955 Nomad Quarter Panels Repair

[scorpion1110]

This is for a friend who makes the sign of the cross when he sees a computer.

He has a 55 Nomad that was an old drag car run in the Delaware area. It must have been low-buck because the racing mods are pretty primitive.

It has pretty good quarters, except they cut the wheel openings, radius-ing them for slicks. They cut about the last 5 inches on each side facing the front (yes I know pics would help but I am not near his car presently and I just spoke to him about it) up from the bottom of the rocker. The outer wheel arch is intact, but its the area that wraps around the quarter that's gone. Think the piece of the arch that would generally face the tire tread, the wrap around transition.

So we need to fix both sides.

I read once that you could flip fenders and that the left front contains a wheel arch pattern that approximates the rear passenger quarter arch, and vice versa. However, when he spoke to a local "Nomad guy" he was told since it was the bottom five inches up from rocker bottom that a standard sedan quarter patch would work. Yes I know they make full quarter skins, but I dont like the idea of sawing off otherwise good quarters. I also am skeptical that the "gasser arches" they sell would work to patch. Oh and let me mention my friend doesn't have a ton of money so he wants to get a pretty exact idea of what he needs so he is not buying extra stuff.

I will end up helping him with the work, as my shop is set up to do it, but I want him to source the parts.

So Nomad-ers, thoughts? Best way to patch the lower 5 inches of a 55 Nomad rear wheel arch?

I will try and snag a pic and post it.

Scorp