Would You Use AMD or Mint OEM Quarter Panels?

[Old Moparz]

I know that a lot of people like the full AMD quarter panels & I assumed I'd just buy them when the time came. Right now I have a chance to get an OEM pair of full quarter panels at a reasonable price that are in excellent condition. (Cut off correctly with drilled spot welds from a car years ago, not NOS) Of course I will look them over in person before forking over the cash, but lets assume they are mint for now. I couldn't help but to wonder if you body guys have some opinions on which might be better to use.

Originality isn't the issue, just fitment & labor costs really. It might be cheaper up front for the OEM panels but the labor involved is not something I am familiar with since I never did any major body work or even welded sheet metal on a car before.

Price is not a huge factor since a pair of AMD panels will run about $1150 & I can pick them up to avoid shipping. I can get the OEM panels for a fair amount less, but will need to drive quite a bit to go get them & stay overnight. I may save about $200 in the end but that savings isn't a factor as much as finding out that the labor involved will drive the overall cost up.

So.......Would you body guys rather have the original OEM quarters or would you just order a pair of new ones?

[cdr]

OEM   

[bill440rt]

I think I'd prefer mint OEM quarters as well, as long as they are mint (rust/dent-free as stated), and they were cut off correctly and neatly. Not torn up at the spotwelds and stuff.

Some body guys might prefer new over used any day though in a more modern collision repair situation. 

[Old Moparz]

I like the idea of the OEM panels, too.   I think.     

I think I'd prefer mint OEM quarters as well, as long as they are mint (rust/dent-free as stated), and they were cut off correctly and neatly. Not torn up at the spotwelds and stuff.

Some body guys might prefer new over used any day though in a more modern collision repair situation. 

I'm supposed to get some close up photos emailed later & I did speak to the seller on the phone a short time ago. He seems willing to take an offer but I'd rather wait until I see the pics to decide if I want to drive that far.

I bought a brand new AMD fender for my Satellite a couple of months ago from a local guy. It was dinged on the top corner & he only wanted $100 for it so I grabbed it. I have a pair of OEM fenders I will probably use, & even after having them dipped to bare metal they still seem more rigid & maybe a heavier gauge to me. Maybe it's the same for quarters.

[twodko]

OEM

[73rallye440magnum]

OE!

[Charger-Bodie]

I would love to have a chance to experience installing an Nos one,but Oem used would be a close second. I'd just like to see if they fit up easier and all that compared to the amd ones.

[cdr]

Brian, has amd fixed the problems around the rear window ,i had to slice mine about 6in  & build the bottom corner to the dutchman ?

[Mopar Nut]

OEM

[green69rt]

Yeah, OEM.

[Bobs69]

Brian, has amd fixed the problems around the rear window ,i had to slice mine about 6in  & build the bottom corner to the dutchman ?

6 inches.  Wow.  Maybe AMD didn't intend for them to be put on a Charger.  How do they build something that far out of spec.

[hemi-hampton]

  Obvious no brainer, OEM for sure.  LEON.

[Charger-Bodie]

Brian, has amd fixed the problems around the rear window ,i had to slice mine about 6in  & build the bottom corner to the dutchman ?

Mine fit the Dutchman panel good. Little shaping at the corner of the window opening though. Just seems like they have to be hog wrestled more than some others.

[Dans 68]

I just picked up two used, but great shape, drivers and passengers side front fenders (I really only needed the drivers side) from a member here for my '68. In all honesty I would have gone with the AMD if the left front was available (it is still out of stock and has been since some time last year). I think I would prefer the OEM fenders given a choice - and luckily a choice presented itself. I feel good....  

Dan

[Old Moparz]

Thanks for all the input guys.  

The seller is going to send some additional photos. If all looks good I'll be sending the seller a deposit after I see them & planning a road trip to go get them in a few weeks. I wish they were closer but the bright side is I'm dragging a good friend of mine along to ride shotgun that I haven't had the chance to hang out with much.

[Nacho-RT74]

I'm getting some problems trying to fit AMD dutchman and trunk gutter drip rail panels on my 74. They are Nice, better than nothing but not perfect. They look AMAZING on hands, but need massaging when trying to fit

Didn't know "OEM" panels were available someday in the past. Just have thought on NOS

[Old Moparz]

I'm getting some problems trying to fit AMD dutchman and trunk gutter drip rail panels on my 74. They are Nice, better than nothing but not perfect. They look AMAZING on hands, but need massaging when trying to fit

Didn't know "OEM" panels were available someday in the past. Just have thought on NOS

They were always available Nacho, it's just a matter of cutting up a rust free car to get them. The dilemma all those years ago was you basically had to find a car that was in better shape than the one you wanted to fix. At that point it made no sense to fix yours because it was a lot cheaper to just buy the clean car.    

I tried to find a pair for my Charger in the early 80's but gave up after months & months of finding cars more rotted than mine. I sold the Charger, bought a GTX instead & figured one day I'd get another Charger. Later in the mid 80's, & with more knowledge of where to look for OEM, I bought a pair for $300 for my Satellite convertible from someone local who had them cut off a car in Texas & shipped.

I paid $300 for 2 quarter panels to put on a car that cost me $450 & happy to get them. It took about 6 months to find them & there were no after market panels back then. I'm sure some NOS sets were probably floating around but Hemmings was the only place to find those & they were rare & expensive even then.

[bill440rt]

I'm getting some problems trying to fit AMD dutchman and trunk gutter drip rail panels on my 74. They are Nice, better than nothing but not perfect. They look AMAZING on hands, but need massaging when trying to fit

Didn't know "OEM" panels were available someday in the past. Just have thought on NOS

They were always available Nacho, it's just a matter of cutting up a rust free car to get them. The dilemma all those years ago was you basically had to find a car that was in better shape than the one you wanted to fix. At that point it made no sense to fix yours because it was a lot cheaper to just buy the clean car.    

x2
When we restored our '68 back in the mid/late '80's, there were no repop quarters. Not even quarter skins. I remember there being some real shi++y patch panels available, we ordered but didn't even use them they were so bad.
Clean, used panels were the only choice. Found one in TX, the other in AZ. One was a '70 quarter, too. 
Took a while to find them, too.

Bob, hope these quarters work out for you! 

[Old Moparz]

Bill, I remember the so called, "patch panels" when they came out & they were no better than giving a flat piece of sheet metal, a hammer & a bottle of vodka to a chimp & telling him to beat it into the quarter panel.   

[Nacho-RT74]

ok, so you call OEM to an original USED one ? LOL... weeeeeiiird... to me is simply an USED one LOL

[green69rt]

ok, so you call OEM to an original USED one ? LOL... weeeeeiiird... to me is simply an USED one LOL

Yeah, the terminology gets a little loose.  For myself, a OEM panel is one produced by the original manufacturer, if it came of a donor car or out of what everyone calls NOS (new old stock.)

Probably NOS panels are as rare as hens teeth, so when someone says an they bought a OEM panel I assume they mean it was removed from an existing car.

Given how much repop stuff there has been around for the last few years, I would guess there will come a time when people will start to cut repops off of a car to use on their projects..

[Brock Lee]

Yeah, the OEM versus NOS is pretty straight forward. Nothing to confuse. Truth be told what people tend to mean when they talk about NOS is OEM/NOS. Lets face it, a set of crap 20 year old aftermarket quarters that were never installed are NOS.

People get confused using NOS. I have seen fenders, hoods and other removable parts that were once replaced in a cars life with OEM parts, be removed and sold as NOS because they have the part number stamp. Once installed a part no longer qualifies as NOS. Just OEM as it is now used.

[Old Moparz]

Got 'em. 

Okay, they aren't Charger quarters but I needed them for my Satellite ragtop. Now, what are the chances of finding Satellite quarters with nice mouldings in the same, original B3 blue as my car? 

[green69rt]

Ah, hens teeth?   

[jaak]

Very nice quarters!

Jason

[Old Moparz]

These panels are even nicer than the ones I had bought around 1986 or 1987 which was the first time I was getting the car done.  

Back then there were no after market panels but I found a guy who had advertised an OEM pair shipped from Texas to NJ but never used them because he sold the car. The restoration shop I was using screwed me over by taking money for crap work. It was unknown to me until it was supposed to be getting prepped for paint.

I was doing some renovations in the building of the resto shop & saw red flags on other work being done so I scrutinized the work on my car & found problems. I brought it to the owner's attention, was promised it would be corrected & then the car sat in his shop untouched for months. I was pissed & talked to a lawyer, got my car out of the shop, then sued the shop 2 weeks before he was closed & went out of business.  

So now I have to have the 1st pair of OEM panels removed, have whatever needs to be corrected on the car, then have this newer set installed. No idea where yet but maybe during the rest of this year I can narrow down my choices & get it done right this time.  

Thanks again for helping me decide on the OEM panels. It was worth the 1220 mile drive to go get them.  

Here are some pics of the Satellite.....