Bodywork done in the '60s and has lasted this long. The PO layed some bondo over the '60s work and it began to crack. Gound out all the new stuff plus some of the '60s work and found this crease. The old bondo was an inch deep in the crease (but still hadn't cracked). Problem is, the whole panel is where it needs to be. Measurements from bottom of panel to level ground are exactly the same on both sides and the other side is good. If I were to pull the metal down with a slide hammer or pound the crease out it would shrink the measurement on that side making the right quarter closer to the ground. I have a couple of ideas but I don't like any of 'em! What do you guys have to say?
NO...patch required..! As Wanderlust sorta says... 1. Cut it open in the middle of the crease with a disk. 2. Hammer (hot..!?) and dolly to flatten both sides. Overlap one side 3. Recut where the two sides will overlap. 4. Rehammer to flatten. 5. Weld, hammer & dolly while hot. 6. "Lightly" sand to finish. Mike
If flattening it out really would change the shape of the quarter so it no longer matches the other side (odd, but possible) I think I'd cut the crease out in a big strip, then weld in a new piece of flat sheetmetal in it's place. Would be an easy patch to make. It would also work to split it down the middle, hammer flat, cut out the overlap and re-weld as was suggested but that sounds like a lot of hammer and dolly work in a difficult to reach area, albeit with slightly less welding.
I like those last two suggestions! Let me give it some thought and I think I'll implement one of those two! Good advice here on the HAMB!
Well, I took some of the advice here and I sliced the crease open. Pried out some of the metal the best I could but there wasn't much access to it on the back side. I decided to just patch it. Need to fill some low spots with mud but nowhere near the inch or so that was imbedded into the crease by the bodyman back in the day!
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