Welcome back to the channel! This week’s video features a Tesla Model 3 where we will be replacing a quarter panel and outer wheelhouse. The Collision Repair process will be showcased over multiple episodes in the coming weeks, so make sure to hit that subscribe button in the upper right-hand corner so you don’t miss new videos every Friday.
The process for removing the quarter panel begins by grinding off the spot welds and SPRs using a belt sander with 80 grit. The wheel arch is now grinded to remove the rolled hem, followed by cleaning off the seam sealer covering where the quarter panel mounts to the taillight pocket. The remaining spot welds are grinded off the lower quarter charge port area and the trunk gutter.
Next, the two upper quarter panel sectioning locations are cut using a three-inch cut-off wheel and a mini cut-off wheel attachment. These locations are cut into two below the dedicated section locations marked as the rough cuts, as the new quarter panel will be overlapped and trimmed in a future step when final fitting.
The lower quarter panel sectioning location is now cut on the marked rough cut line using both cut-off wheels. A seam buster and hammer are used to separate the lower rocker flange. A torch is then used to warm up the structural glue in the wheel arch before separating the panels with a seam buster.
The rear section of the quarter panel is warmed up before separating the panel from the lower quarter extension, tail light pocket, and the charge port area with a seam buster. The rear door opening flange and the flange in the quarter window opening are both warmed up to help release the structural glue, and a seam buster and hammer are used to separate the outer quarter panel from the inner.
It’s time to remove the quarter panel, revealing the extent of damage to the outer wheelhouse. To change the outer wheelhouse, both the upper wheelhouse reinforcement and the c-pillar reinforcement must be replaced. The c-pillar reinforcement is grinded off with a belt sander using 80 grit, and then warmed up to help release the structural glue before being separated with a seam buster.
The striker reinforcement is double-layered, so the first layer is separated and the flange is hammered over to gain access to grind the second layer. The rest of the panel is warmed up, separated, and removed from the vehicle.
With both the upper wheelhouse reinforcement and the c-pillar reinforcement removed, we now have access to start removing the outer wheelhouse. Spot welds are grinded using a belt sander with 80 grit, and a Mac torch is used to help release the structural glue. A seam buster and hammer are used to separate the outer wheelhouse from the wheelhouse extension.
This Tesla Model 3 is now fully cut apart, stay tuned for the continuation videos coming soon. Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button to follow along with the repair process. Thanks for watching!
