Projects How would you fix this? Rust holes in weird spaces!

I am looking for the best method to repair this damage on my 34 Ford Project... I know I need to do it with metal... etc. But what is the best method for doing this.

I am good with repairing flat or slightly contoured metal, but these area's seem more complex.

These are the only real "bad spots" that I need to deal with.

 

You should remove the paint from the area surrounding the holes to see just how far the hole goes. Then I would make thin cardboard templates to fill each hole. For the more complex pieces, you will need a shrinker/stretcher and some good old know how on hammering on a leather bag.

 

There are more problems with this then the surface rust.
There is an incomplete weld in the last image, rust along the top of the
windshield frame (has to be removed. and rust UNDER to outer sheet metal
that needs to be addressed with sandblasting or removal.

 

Think about it like this-
Cover those curves with paper, and make it lay flat like wall paper. The tucks will be where you need to shrink and the nips are stretched.

Or you could cover the area with masking tape - Three layers multi directional. Then peal the tape off in one piece. Lay that tape on some steel and cut the tape pattern where you need it to lay flat. Might need 2,3,4,5 pieces. Cut the metal exactly like that and force the metal together like the tape was before you cut it. That should be real close for hammer and dolly work Into shape with some mud to finish it off.

 

You need to dip or blast that cab clean first then see if you have anything left. I know, I had one better than that but it still took ages to fix.

 

Edward Lloyd has it right on this one! Get that thing clean before you spend one more minute on it and see how far all this really goes. I hate to say it, but I have a bad feeling that you won't get too much back. It wouldn't be the first time, trust me.

 

Looking at the pictures, you have some serious rust issues to deal with. I'd say you are going to be learning a great deal about metal shaping and welding to repair that body properly.

 

The whole thing is gonna be sand blasted and I have all the time in the world... lol

I just gotta figure out where to begin.

 

creek bed car ?

 

Looks like some tough areas. I would wait till after it gets sand blasted then reevaluate it.


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You may want to consider soaking in a dip tank. Blasting may not get it clean enough for ya.

 

Unfortunately these areas are pretty bad... The rest of the truck is actually pretty solid. I don't know what happened here in the front, but all the stuff underneath will be cut out. We are not going for a concourse restoration, just a hot rod driver

 

Once it is cleaned up completely like stated, pick small sections to replace, as a whole it looks pretty complicated but if you beak it up into smaller sections suddenly it becomes much less intimidating. It would be defiantly be a "more time than money" project but still doable.

 

What everyone is saying is.

Sandblast it, or whatever your preferred method is and report back.

Once we can see the true extent of the damage we can give you better instructions on where to start.

 

Yup! Small sections at a time...or simply ONE section at a time and eventually it will be done.
Truck looks like its gonna have a good look to it once you get it finished.

 

I would sandblast the entire truck,,there is more hiding underneath. HRP

 

looking at the pictures it is evident that it has rusted from the inside out. the damage will be much worse after you get it blasted.

""We are not going for a concourse restoration, just a hot rod driver"" the repair process should be the same either way.

 

If you blast it, you are likely to get back more hole that metal in those bad areas, once that happens you have nothing, zip zilch to go off of to get the contours right. You can't make patterns, you can't measure, and you gotta be damn good to get things close out of mid air. If you could do that I don't think you'll be asking questions. Blasting it will loose the little you have left, not that it's worth saving but its quite a bit to go off of.

If I were doing that or doing that for you, I'd talk you into doing the obvious patches first to reestablish some structural integrity, clean and prep the areas being worked on, what's exposed and needs covered by patches and where you need to weld to. Then after that go get it blasted.

 

Here's a trick for you - Shop the used clothing stores or yard sales for an old Leather Purse. Fill it with "Dry" sand and you've got an instant cheap shot bag. Make yourself a couple of hammers out of hardwood table legs and/or baseball bats.
Beat and pound to your hearts content and when the metal starts to feel harder to bend - heat it up with any kind of torch and let it cool to take out the work hardening from the beating.
Then beat it some more until it starts to look like a coupe.
When it finally looks like a coupe you can get in it and drive away....LOL

 

I agree with Mike...find a parts-cab at least for the trickier compound curve areas.

 

My 32 truck was rusted in the same places as yours, I pretty much show step by step how to photos in my build thread. I don't know how to create a link but you can search rob bobs 32 truck hope this helps.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=817410

 

Thanks, I will take a look at it...

The pics make it look much worse than it is... I have a ton of time and I do know where there is a parts cab but would rather put in the hours to make something out of nothing.

I have seen much worse be repaired... lol.

 

Like 31 Vicky said, make some flexible shape templates before you blast the cab. These are some tricky pieces to make, but with all the time you say you have, you can accomplish this! Study these places and think where the easiest place would be to break them up in smaller, easier to do sections. You can do the reveal sections with a bead roller. You may have to make some dies to match the profiles.
When you get going, don't be afraid to ask questions! There are plenty of guys on here to coach you through it

 

Leather purse filled with dry sand works well. Stacks of tightly bound newspaper and old telephone books work well too.

 

Find another cowl. They built zillions of them and they're easy to find. No much of yours will come back from the blaster. Remember to brace it inside beforehand.

 

Thanks for all the info! I probably wont be starting the project for at least another couple of weeks as I have one more to finish first. Once I get started, I will make a build thread and update with pics as I go. I am a pretty good TIG and MIG welder, so that part will be easy, it is the metal shaping I will need some practice at.

Unfortunately, this is what you get when you buy someone elses project, not only do you need to fix what is bad, you need to fix what they did wrong... lol.

 

Please post pictures of what you wind up doing.