Hot Rod Forum banner

I damaged a body line, and unable to fix.

8K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  deadbodyman 
#1 ·
Hello,
I hope the pictures are not annoyingly large. I installed the quarter panel patches and I am not sure if it was caused from heat or how I damaged the metal but I am stuck and I am not sure if I can fix it. What happened is that there was a vertical crease that went through a body line. Using a hammer, dolly (best I could, see below) and shrinking disc I was able to work most of the crease out but that has left me with a really rough body line. The body line is a horizontal inward bend, and as it sits is more of a buldge.

To make it more difficult, there is no way a dolly will fit behind the area that needs to be worked on (dolly is too wide) but I did make a dolly with some flat steel and rod to help act as a dolly and since I have made it I am having better results but it still looks like junk. When I hammer it out (I have also used some masking tape on the hammer face) the metal is not smooth but body line looks better then to smooth it out I use a shrinking disc but I think that I am shrinking the metal too much because all that seems to do is raise the body line. Using air instead of water seems to be more controlling and I am using soap on the disc.

The pictures do not show the situation very well, but I hope it helps. Let me know if you would like some different angled pictures. Thank you in advance for any suggestions offered.

Damaged are is just above the wheel, and this occured on both sides of the car.







Thanks agian.
 
See less See more
3
#4 ·
that's an easy fix. The top of the line is curved but the bottom will allow you to run a block off of it at a 45 degree angle. THAT is how you'll get your line back with filler. Let it define itself. Hopefully the top isn't too curved so you can angle it less than 45 degrees and run it off the bodyline, but if not use tape to sand the top. Then sand on the body line last.

check out this video at the 4 min mark. Watch the part where I blade in filler on a bodyline and how I sand it. Again, not the greatest example.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoqM3bFzdDk


this technique works REALLY WELL on bodylines and especially curved wheel well bodylines without worrying about what they'll look like in primer. It's works so good you don't have to use surface cleaner to check to see what it will look like in primer cause you KNOW it's gonna be good.
 
#5 ·
The guys are absolutly right,its time for filler..The problem with metal working is that it looks so ez when a pro does it and it sounds ez when they explain how to do it. but it takes years and years to even half as's master,Dont expect to do a fillerless repair you'll only frustrate yourself...You gave it your best shot and it looks pretty good. now move on thats what we do...knock down your high spots and start with the filler...use a long, hard block.
 
#6 ·
This is great, thanks for keeping me grounded. One issue I was having is that this was mostly a high area, not so much of a low issue. This was right on the crease.So I used the porta power between a work bench and exterior part of the body to push the crease in a little with the chisel tip and I was able to hammer and dolly a lot of the high areas out. A straight edge and patience was used that this point (thanks Sam) and as all of you suggested I will move forward with the body filler. I do have a couple questions.


Tech69, when you say to "use tape to sand the top" what do you mean? I have heard of using tape to tape off a body line then apply filler over it. Also the bottom area (just under the body line crease) is not a flat surface, it acutally has a slight crown to it. So not sure if I can still keep it at 45 deg as the block. Any suggestion on how to handle that?

Deadbodyman, I don't understand when to use the long hard block.


Thanks agian
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top