Customs Need Input: Filling Headlight Bucket/Mount 1940 Dodge Pickup

Hi HAMBers,

I'm trying to give my '40 Dodge a facelift and would like your advice on the best way to approach making a sheet metal patch for filling the headlight depression. It also includes the peak of the fender. Please let me know your thoughts.

Cheers,
J

 

I think 46 Chevy buckets look alot better on Dodge

 

Cut it out, turn it over and weld it back in?

 

I would hammer and dolly the low area until it had the correct shape of the fenders, fill the holes, shrinking any area that needs it. Once you have this area perfect, I would make the fender peak using a bead roller and weld in the piece.

 

...just pound the dent back out, that's how it was made with a machine,...fine tune with the crease, what you gonna do for headlites?...39-40 Dodges had the lites in the valley between fender center and hood, look much better there.

 

I've done this. Cut the dish length wise from 12 oclock to 6 oclock. Hammer the low half dish's up to contour. Weld the cut and mount holes closed. It can be metal finished if the metal has not been thinned excessively due to rust.

 

A headlight dish can be formed in a non dished fender by cutting 12 to 6 and hammering the dish halves down.
Done that too.

 

Like Rusty1 mentioned. That isn't a '40 Dodge but '41 or later. My brother did this modification years ago, just pounded it out from the backside.

 

I have a '42 and I like the look much better than the '39-40. Just be careful what you replace them with. I've seen some really hideous conversions.

 

I like those 46 chevy lights on the dodge myself.

 

paintman27 Headlights look really good. Nice work.

 

Why not use a floor jack, and a wooden block, and a little heat on the topside ? a little pressure, a little bumping, and you should see results.