Hey, it’s looking pretty good…looks like lots of patience involved.
Thanks, Todd. It’s pretty hard to get behind it, but I’m going to try to find something to use as a dolly to get that edge a little sharper.
I want a friggin’ dent puller now. :dammit:
Adam, work the back edge from inside. Do ya have a large screw driver or cold chisel? Pull the tire and work that dent with a hammer and cold chisel or =. Go slow and work from the deepest part of the dent out.
You can borrow my stud welder any time. Just drop on by.
I can’t access the wheel arch from the wheel well. I can only get to it from the inside.
Ahhhh… my apologies Adam! I thought you were talking about the inside of the wheel well lip. I thought maybe the lip was crushed up/in. You know, kinda like Elvis. Didnt realize exactly where you were working. Any vocational schools near by? Anyone with a body pick? Any chance you could MAKE a body pick?
http://www.tptools.com/pl/Images,MT-PICKS_L,170,1825_Martin-Auto-Body-Picks.html
You could probably make something similar to that with a meat hook.
I found a pair of 1971 Mustang spindles on eBay for almost nothing. The previous owner painted them flat black right over all the surface rust. I stripped them down and powder coated them with Eastwood Hotcoat cast iron powder. I’m pretty happy with the results. When I finish collecting parts for my 1970 trans am brake kit, I’ll use these spindles.
Here’s my progress on powder coating so far.
Hey, nice work Adam! Judging by that rust, I’d say you qualify for no questions asked accceptance into the ECI fraternity! I’m liking the pictures and the work, rock on brother!
Thanks, Bob. ECI? That is quite an honor. Although I did my time in NJ, I’m no longer an east coaster and the rust is isolated to that quarter panel. Do I still qualify?
Speaking of rust, how far up would you cut? I’m not particularly fond of the body line on the patch panel.
Adam, get yourself a copy of the April (yes, '12) issue of “Classic Trucks” mag. There is an excellent article loaded with pics on patch panel installs. Also, get some panel clamps from Harbor Freight. Gimme a sec…http://www.harborfreight.com/8-piece-butt-welding-clamps-44751.html
Those bad boys. You may not need 'em, BUT you’ll want 'em!
Thanks, Todd. I’ll add it to my shopping list. While I’m there, I think I’ll pick up a couple contour gauges and I’m out of 2mm studs.
I bought Kevin Tetz’s Paintucation Body Panel Replacement DVD. It’s pretty good. I think it covers everything I need to know. I know; “Famous last words”.
The lower six inches of my outer wheel well needs to be patched. What do people do about a patch panel? Cutting up a repo mustang outer wheel would be super cheap (less than $70), but I don’t think it would work.
I would think cutting a patch out of that, and modding it “to fit”, would be a good way to go.
Other than that, my only suggestion would be, fab your own patch.
I’ve got the shear, brake and bead roller down from working in an HVAC shop, but I need more practice with the English wheel and planishing hammer (and maybe a class) before I think about fabricating one myself.
Oh yeah, you worked in HVAC? Got a good friend that works in HVAC…installed my mini-split in my shop for me…
…
HVAC to smashing atoms…that’s a light speed leap!
It was just a summer job while I was home from school. I spent a lot of time beating AC ducts together. By the end of the summer, my right arm was significantly bigger than my left. Rolling a pittsburgh flange on a curved duct was especially brutal. I’d have to say, I really enjoyed it.
I dont want to take this off topic now, but are you sure you want to admit that in public? 
I was recently married at the time, so it wasn’t from that.
Did you get better?