First off, I think it's going to be necessary to explain that I have ZERO body experience. I have a decent set of body hammers and dollies, but don't know how to use them, and am still learning the basics, such as the difference between the terms shrinking and stretching, so please forgive the dumb questions. I've recently scored a pretty nice '32 5W. It was a former low boy, bobber fenders welded onto rear quarters. In the link below, titled "Post #1", you can see the worst of the two sides. It's stretched and shrunk. I was THINKING about cutting out about an inch on each side of the line (top to bottom) where the fender was welded on, and cutting it out in 6 inch long (or so) sections and replace as I go. What say you? Post #1 (fourth picture) http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=576720 In this post, you can see the large dent I tried to remove today, with limited success. BEFORE pic is Post #93, the AFTER pic is Post # 95. I've been told by F&J that I might want to use a wooden dolly for this? What would be the best course of action for removing a dent such as this? Post #93 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=576720&page=5 Anyways, enough rambling. Thanks for the help. JL
I would lay the outer edge on a shot bag (sand bag) and hit the inner edge of the belt line out with a lump of soft wood, get it close to the shape is meant to be. I made a dolly from round bar to get up into that belt line, so maybe try making one with a handle and start to try and tap it back into shape. Thats what I would do, wrong or right......the secret is to know to stop if its not working
from what I can see in the photos the flange area inside the trunk is holding the face in. Get the curvature of the channel right and the face will follow for the most part. Grind some small blocks of steel to match the bead after you've restored the edge of the panel it should be fairly easy to plannish the bead smooth. Its a good start. go slow. pay attention to how the metal reacts. If you're beating on it and its not moving you're doing it wrong.
Hey, Given what you've got there, I'd cut the quarter apart @ the ''weld'' straighten the quarter & the wheelhouse panel, align, clamp and reweld, hammerwelding as I go. This way you can straighten & planish the panel as you go for a top notch job requireing little ot no filler. As for the quarter to deck lid opening damage- I'd straighten & aligh the frame to the deck lid panel, then bump down the ridge @ the crown & straighten inward towards the bead/swage line. Cut a templet from the other quarter to use as a guide as to the shape of the bead/swage profile. Looks like a fun project. " Meanwhyle, back aboard The Tainted Pork "
I'll have to have you PM me some pics of that gadget! Thx again HF! that is good advice, I probably would have jsut kept beating it into submission For the quarter-you mean cut along the bead (beauty line)? Then, fix that, and weld it back together? Shit's scary man! I'll practice on my buddy's '31! Cheaper that way! haha-he doesnt read the HAMB anyways. definately, this is why I come in this site! Tons of good advice. A guy at a body shop said to just beat the hell out of it and fill it with Bondo. "Nobody will ever know..." It's funny on how I find out why NOT to take my car to people to repair. Cheaper too. Learning curve is steep, but very rewarding.
Hey, Given what 32s are bringin these days, I'd suggest you sharpen your metalworking skills on some other vehicles. On these you'll learn about straightening,shrinking, stretching & weldingof sheetmetal. With these skills, repair of your 32 won't be a biggie. 32s arn't squirtgun weld & putty builds anymore! On the repair of the quarter: I missread the photo and thought the quarter had been spliced where the 'bodded' fender had been welded. I'd suggest you grind all of the weld bead off the panel, and begin to straighten from the undamaged area @ the rear of the quarter and work into the larger low crowned areas of the panel. Level the highs, whyle bringing up the lows. You'll have both shrunken (where the weld beads were) metal as well as stretched areas to deal with, but again, once you've brought up your skills these will not be a problem. You'll also have to figger out what you wanna do about the missing lower quarter & how it mounts to the sub rail. On the deck lid/quarter damage: ya don't need any ''porkqpine gun''...a 'Tee dolly' made from some bar stock, and a piece of strap for a handle, with the bar stock bent in the arch of the swage, will raise 85-90% of the damage using on dolly & off dolly methods. For the rounded areas of the arch the Tee won't reach, grind an old screwdriver to shape, and pry and drive as necessary to straighten. Again, think of any work you do to the 32 as ''value-adding'' and as a result, only top notch work should be your goal. " The problem with America is the people who really know how to run the country are all cutting hair and tending bar " - George Burns -
You need to spend some time over at www.metalmeet.com or www.allmetalshaping.com they teach good and for free. you will learn all kinds of stuff you might not be back for a while once you go there. just a tip they like first names not internet handles IanH
definately! I really wantto do this car justice, and learning metal work on a '32 gets pricey. I havea buddy 1ith some beat up '31 fenders that I'm going to borrow and fix up for him. Thanks for the inputs and tips about tools! Good stuff. I'll get on that. I posted a link (being lazy-and wanted readers in this thread to be able to see what I meant in my other thread) I've seen people reference that site in here for a while, never went in, because my last body was 'glass. Didn't need it, I guess. EDIT: Just registered. They sure do like to protect that site! Registering wasn't as easy as 1, 2, 3, but, it's done anyways. Guess it keeps the riff raff out...
the first four pics (left to right, top to bottom) show the BEFORE carnage. the last three pics show the AFTER. Obviously, I need some practice. Let me know if I can provide any other information. Thanks again.
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