Hi all , I am working on a 73 Mustang fastback and the roof is very flimsy , wabbles all over in and out , what would be the best way to stiffen the panel up so I can work on it , even just to block it after primer will be a challenge .
"When you have a large flat panel that is flexing the first thing you need to do is find out why. Sometimes you can stop it, other times you can’t. But if you can stop it, you’ll have a much easier time with the body filler work. Hoods, decklids, and the roof are particularly difficult because the heat and weight of the plastic filler can have an effect on the metal. The good news is many times it is very easy to repair. First off, there is no such thing as a “flat” panel. All panels that appear flat actually have a slight crown or gentle bow up in the middle. "
Do you have any flattened body creases in the roof edges? Like Martin says, there is a roll to the metal, it gives it strength. The body lines, where the metal has a crease in it at the edges of the roof give it a little strength. If I remember right you have a lot of roof to work on, not a lot to keep it from flexing. You're also in a situation where it will take a trained eye to figure out where you have problems or if there are areas that need shrinking, not something to try without knowing how it should be done. You can do some serious damage that way. Dan
For oil canning metal, find the center of the area and use the "torch & quench" method of shrinking. It's pretty neat to see it actually working. Try it on a scrap panel first.
Thanks for all the coments guys , I stripped the old paint with a wheel and it seemed real soft , but now it's not as bad , it's still probably not good enough to run a block over so I will have to investigate closer to see why it is this way . I'll read over the info at that link MARTINSR as soon as I get a minute , thanks !
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Hot Rod Forum
2.2M posts
175.7K members
Since 2001
A forum community dedicated to hot rod owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about restoration, builds, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!