New Patch Panel Question-Rear Quarters on a Roadster

[Model A Fan]

I need to patch the rear quarter on my roadster and was looking at these from Bratton's:

https://www.brattons.com/30-31-roadster-rear-quarter-patch-panel.html

and these from Mac's:

http://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_m...-panels-roadster-5-1-2-tall-1930-31-only.html

Is one company's better than the other? I purchased patch panels from Bill Stipe for my cowl and liked them more than the cowl patches I bought from Mac's as Bill's were curved. Any idea if the two offered above are curved or if Bill makes rear quarters that are contoured to the body? I'm hesitant to buy from Mac's again due to the panels I bought last time being nearly unusable if you're not a body work guy.

 

[Kevin in NJ]

Just make them from scratch.

You make the bead with an arbor press along the bottom them the well bead on a hard round by hand. Takes a like a hour tops.

hand make a die, the male side needs the details and the female side just needs to be a notch. The female side gives you the proper upturned edge at the bottom. Mine was about 1" wide.

Start by turning up the front edge and the bottom edge.

Put in the bead. The run the edge. I used the end of around a 3" round stock I had laying around to form the bead curve. Keep in mind I ran all the welds into where the fender covers the welds so I could screw up a lot and not worry cause it was hidden.

 

[Tinbasher]

The 1/4 patch panels are only close. The bead is the wrong shape and the radius at the rear is usually short where it joins the original panel. They can be made to work but takes about 6 hours for an experienced metal fabricator.

John Poole

 

[wrndln]

The panel from MAC's looks like it is made wrong - the bead it too flat. MAC's typically doesn't have the best parts, in my opinion. If you decide to buy a panel, I would go with Bratton's as it looks closer to the original. Like Tinbasher and Kevin in NJ wrote, none of the patch panels are exactly like the original Ford quarterpanels in this area, it is just some are better than others. BTW, if the panels are made by Howell's it probably isn't right, again in my opinion.
Rusty Nelson

 

[waltere]

I got mine from Brattons and the wheel well was ok but the lower quarter was a near miss. I had probably 10 hours per side and still not very happy. It would have been easier to start from scratch. If I had it to do over I would buy an entire Brookville quarter and use it. IMO

 

[Kevin in NJ]

FWIW, there is no such thing as a cabriolet patch.

I was forced to make my own. It turns out to be way easier then it looks to make a decent patch. Though it may appear to be complex, it really was pretty quick to do.