First time replacing QP's, worried about alignment

[PachecoJ]

I got my new QP skins and new fenders yesterday. I hung the fenders last night (no alignment or anything yet) and am going to start cutting out the old QP's today. I have done lots of metalwork on the car but this is my first exterior body panel I've done and I'm nervous (except the tail light panel which came out great). My main concern is, what is the proper technique for making sure all the body lines match while I'm doing this.

I know I'm supposed to align the doors and base everything off of the doors. I am probably going to get new doors but right now I have the originals and I will put those on. The gaps weren't really correct when I got the car so I'm not so sure I can align the old doors with the old QP's and get the gap right, but I can try. I was going to hang the doors, put the new fenders on (no sense in putting the old ones back on) and get the door-fender and door-QP gaps as close I can get them and match the body lines up. Do I have to worry about the gaps or just the body lines right now?

Also, is it sufficient to just match the lines on the QP/Door/Fenders? How much of the car do I have to put back together when I do this? For instance, should I put the bumpers on too? Hood? Grill?

Thanks in advance...

[vadimb]

Buy alot of tiny clamps at home depot, and some self tapping screws, use them to hold the panel in place, put the rubber on the door seal, put the door srtiker on, put the bumper on, the trunk lid...... Basically you have to try everything on, before welding it, otherwise it might look good at first, but when actually finished, the alignment might not be as perfect, especially because of the door seal and trunk seal pushing out.
As they say, ten times measure, one time cut :)
Good luck

[PachecoJ]

When you say use sheet metal screws to hold it in place, how would I do that assuming I'm butt welding it? The way I see it, there's basically three ways I can weld it... I can 1) butt weld it 2) lap weld it and flange the edge and drill some holes for a rosette weld 3) use Len's backing strip method, which is essentially the same as #2 but without having to cut the backing strip.

If I lap weld it I could use the screws on the overlap, but if I'm butt welding it, I can't really see how I'd use them, unless I use them on the tail light and door jam areas where I have a lip.

When you say "door seal and trunk seal pushing out" do you mean like the rubber weather stripping-type seal?

[vadimb]

I usually use a flange tool, and overlay the panels.
I use screws at the edges of quarter panel, where you drilled out the spot welds.
The seals are the rubber weather stripping that you mentioned.
Good luck
vadim