Looks Pretty close. I’ve been contemplating a Stud-Welder for some time, but never bought one. What brand did you get??
Pete
I picked one up at Harbor Freight on sale for $100. It works pretty well. It has a 2% duty cycle, which is supposed to be poor compared to higher priced guns, but I was able to lay down 5 studs in a row with no problems.
And now for the rust…
When I picked up the car, that side of the trunk was filled with pine needles, leaves and other junk. The hole was only about the size of a dime before I started poking and grinding.
Here’s the patch panel I plan on using. The contour isn’t perfect, but this C code isn’t going to spend too much time parked at the fairgrounds.
I still need to get a trunk drop off and a wheel well patch.
Looking much better Adam! I guess you used a slide hammer to pop that out?
Disclaimer: I am a self taught n00b and not an autobody pro. This is just my first attempt at body work and I am not too proud to take advice from those who are more experienced.
I started with a dead blow and a few different blocks of wood to push the tail panel below the fender extension and next to the tail light out. It was shoved in about 3/8" to 1/2". That helped the crease out. I tried to used the slide hammer first, but that resulted in a small hole that I will have to weld up. Then, I started from the top of the crease with a small flat block of wood and worked my way down. I resisted the urge to start from the center. Once I got it close (about 3/16" deep) and the block of wood was difficult to position properly, I used the stud welder and a slide hammer. After that, I used a mini-puller and a body hammer to work the ridge next to the crease down. I took out my dolly and continued to work out the ridges and valleys. Between each of the studs is a small dimple. Once I remove the studs, I’ll address those points. I still have more work to do on the tail panel to get it to look right including welding up a crack.
Lessons learned: (1) I heard somewhere to put a pin in the deepest area of the dent. This is wrong! If you start with a slide hammer with something this deep, you end up with holes. Start from the shallow points and move to the deepest point slowly. (2) The stud will not hold if the head has not changed color. It takes about 2 to 3 seconds to properly weld the studs to the body.
This dent has bugged me for a long time.
Finished… well close enough. It just needs a little filler.
That took about 15 minutes.
Here’s the next one on my list.
Ouch, but the repair looks nice! Keep it up, Adam…:y:
I’d say That tool is a Winner! 
Pete
BTW, Really good for a Newb! I practiced fixing dents in the junk-yard when I was a Teenager. (Made a LOT of them Worse before I learned how to do it.) I’m trying to learn now how to smooth them so I won’t need filler…
LOL, teach me how to do the “no filler required” method when you learn! IMO, the sucky part of filler, you end up with more on the floor than on the car, after sanding it!
Todd, That might take a while. 
Haven’t quite got the “Shrinking” part down yet, But I can make one heck of a steel bowl! 
I hear that…when doing mine, I just banged till it looked “close” then filled! Didn’t know what I was doing then, nor do I now! But, it turned out ok…:shrug:…besides, if I made it too perfect, I’d be peeved when it got road rash!
If it was anybody else I would let that comment go. 
I’ve noticed every time I have painted a vehicle of mine, I might have been better off just painting a big bullseye on the primer! It usually ends with a dent somewhere on the car. 
It’ll be a while before I buy that stud welder, HF’s website says it’s on back order! 
Ah mahself suh was shocked, SHOCKED ah say at the sexual innuendah contained in this heeya thread. Talk of “banging an’ pulling” “Shrinkage an’ filling”. Why, tis 'nuff ta make a southern gentleman blush!
Thankfully, I’m a yankee and not subject to such a “delicate nature.”
By the way, someone said “nice tool”. Pfffffbbbbtttt! Snicker. Guffaw…snort
At least I was nice enough not to comment about the “didn’t know what he was doing” part. 
True dat!
I spent a little time pulling the dent out of the passenger side quarter panel today. Starting from the back, I used the slide hammer to pull the lip back out, then I used my mini-puller and body hammer to get the high spots down. I’m about half way through.
Adam, I like the custom look. 
I looks like you put whiskers on your Cougar. 
Edit: fixing broken links.