Well, shit happens. I was visiting a friend last night, parked in there driveway, got out of my car, walked up to to the front door. No one answered so I went around back to see if there was any activity (the shop is behind the house). I heard a crash, went around front to see my friend's Wife had backed her Lincoln town car into my 41. They are an older couple and I am sure will make it right, but it's still really irritating. The fender top is savable, the bottom is in question. It buckeled the cowl, and destroyed the new tire I just put on it. Also taco'd the plate, but I think that will straiten. I love that car due to the clean look it has, althouh the paint is shot, it all matches. Sorry for the rant, just thought I would let you all know.
I had my 54 Chevy get hit not once but twice years ago,and the last one was a hit and run a week after i put another fender on it from the first accident (new fender ruined again) .Nothing worse than an old car being damaged by a late model ...
the cowl buckle would be what concerns me most. someone who knows how metal reacts in a collision and the proper way to put it back into shape could knock the fender back pretty close to original shape so you wouldn't have to lose your patina with bondo and a priner spot. keep it away from sledge hammer wielding bondo kings and you should be allright
What a bummer,one would think he was safe in a driveway.But the damage ain't that bad on the fender,I am working on one a whole lot worse on my 41 so if you do replace it I would like to get your old stuff.Let me know,Ken
that sucks hopefully your friends will do right by you and as the others have said it does look fixable ..
NOOOOOOOOO.............................that really sucks. And since you are friends you cant even take out your frustration and scream at her/throw stuff. Go home and take a baseball bat to something, it'll make you feel better.
i had the same thing happen to my 51 a few years back except the person who backed into it was across the street. tore the fender up real good but it too was fixable. but the fact i had to fix it is what made me mad. and the fact that nobody would own up to it
I like your '41 too, it'll fix! This won't help, but when I was in the 7th grade, my step-dad loaned our car to our neighbor to run an errand or two, she (neighbor) backed out (with our car) and hit our other car on the way out of our driveway. What can you do?
Hey, Sorry 'bout the '41......A guy that knows metal "should" be able to bump out 90% of that damage without "messin" the patina. With the headlamp removed, most of the fender damage will be fairly easy to repair. The cowl panel damage will return to shape, once the pressure is released and some spring hammering is done on the ridges. Swankey Devils C.C. "Meanwhile, back aboard the Tainted Pork"
Thanks guys. I know it is fixable, but like lostn51 said, I don't want to have to deal with it/fix it. This is my dependable driver, and like I said was very strait. Now it's gotta be torn apart right when the weather is good! My Buddy said just to turn it into their insurance so it gets done, can't wait to start that process. I have no idea how they are gonna value an orriginal car with repair or replacment pannles. It has to be put back to "pre-accident" condition, but how do you do that with shitty old paint??? I guess you can't, just gonna have to prime it. The bottom of the fender does not look bad in pics, but is pretty streched and actually gouged, so I'm guessin the paints gonna have to come off to fix it. Again, thanks for the coments, the car will get fixed, and the earth will still revolve.
If you wouldn't have lowered your front end so much it would have just been a bumper to bumper tap... damn hot rodders, what are they thinkin'?!
You have a ... Minor problem ... Been there ... had that happen. I would be worried more about the cowl damage than the fender ... It's only metal ... a good metal man can straighten it ...
I hate to see this. I love that car. I'd have the best body man I knew repair the fender & cowl then I'd seriously consider sending the fender to Josh Shaw for paint. Josh is one of the few that you could justify that he can "restore the finish to the condition it was before the accident". It would be "fake patina" but it would be far better than a big primer spot... AND you could legitimately say that you earned it. I don't think anyone could fault you for that. I'd seriously get an estimate from Josh. Whether the insurance covers it or not, that car deserves to be put back like it was. JH
On the bright side, you got a flathead that should be headed your way from Fresno! (Not stocking you/I help greasemonkey palletize the engine.) But, sorry about the fender.
Do what harrison said. If it is a insurance claim it doesnt matter how much it cost to fix it if it goes on your friends record it doesnt matter if the repair bill is 1000. or $5000. Get a estimate from Josh Shaw to paint your "new used" fender to pre damaged condition. It can be done.
that is really to bad,always hate to see that kind of situation. hey i see you have a y.o.m. plate that says 54' how in the hell do you get away with that? thats one trick i would like to learn.
Bad news. Just got my sedan fixed after a truck hit it. Came out good, you'd never know. Yours will come out ok too.
Dude........when i saw the post i was so bummed and my computer froze, i frantically got it going and saw it........i am so bummed. i love that car.. i have a 41 fender ill give you for free, its in really good shape..........might have to spray maroon then primer on it, sand it a little..... or hey ill bring my hammer and dollies.... bang her back out...... Dude, im sorry!!!!!!!! -jordan really if you need another fender, even the bottom let me know ill send ya one.
I HATE fake patina. and the cowl does bother me more than the fender. But I know that it can be fixed. I do however really want the car to look the same again. The lower part of the fender was mostly just grey, but it was really dull and almost grainy, I don't know how you would go about reproducing that. I do have a hood that I just louvered that I was just getting ready to put on. I was just gonna do it primer grey and call it good. A hood I could deal with. It would look like it just got louvered (because it did), a fender makes the car start looking like a pieced togeather car...something it is not. I just don't know what to do. If I wanted to get a hold of Josh, how would I go about it? Thanks Harrison, Chris
Thanks Jordan, and maybe. I gotta talk to the insurance company first, see what there gonna try to sell me on. I have a friend who is an excellent old style body man who I know can fix it, and as long as he is willing (he is getting old) I will have him do it. I just am not that good to do it myself and want it fixed pretty fast...this is the car I drive everywere I will keep it in the back of my head though!
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