Projects what caused these holes?

So, after much procrastination, I think I am finally going to start on body work for my 1949 International KB-3. Inside the cab, there are several holes above the rear window. I have no idea what may have caused them, was like that when I got it. I don't think it was shot at, all the other glass is 100% intact. Holes are on the inner skin, no dents on the outer skin.

Any thoughts as to what may have caused them?

Best way to fill them in beside welding a bunch of dime-sized patches?

 

Murder scene?

 

Weird.
What confuses me is the fact that the outside skin isn’t affected. I’d have to guess the outside skin was replaced many years ago. Any evidence of seams or welds that aren’t factory?
Yes you have a lot of patching and welding and grinding and sanding in your future.

 

old fashion air conditioning

 

Bondo loves that kind of adhesion , you could start with dura glass, but I really don't think it's needed..
i'd clean it upwith a 2'' ugly pad and mud it.. you could mig all the holes... then mud it... but not necessary... get the mud on smooth as you can then shit brick it.... never know it was there... looks like some/ kid shot out the windows with a pellet gun/ 410 shot gun????

 

No idea as to what caused them. Maybe a shot gun discharged in the cab. I would just use a stranded filler on those holes.
I would be more concerned with the rust around the window rubber

 

Didn’t you say you used to run a hot rod shop? And this is how you would do the repair?

 

No evidence of previous body work. I don't see anyplace where the outside skin would have been replaced. That's what stumped me. Right now getting things ready so that I can work on this over winter. Will see how involved the rear window repair will be. Maybe will make more sense to remove and repair inner skin and then put back in. Can't bang on it where it's at now. New to body work, will cut my teeth on the floor boards first.

 

No bondo. Been watching LOTS of body working videos. I have a welder, bought hammers and dollys. Not in a hurry. Will take it slow and easy.

 

Have a a headliner and panel cover made, hide it

 

On my chevy that inner panel is removable, is it on yours ?
If so hammer dolly the holes flat and weld them up, if you can't weld then a little screen and panel bond from the back side then finish the front side with filler.

 

We’ll definitely not “just” bondo anyway. I can’t believe someone would suggest that.
but….
I’d suggest welding in all patches at 1/8” below the surface and skim coat it with bondo.
It not like your working on an outside panel.
And you’re definitely not going to hammer it with no access to the outside.

 

If the holes are close enough to the size of some nail heads it makes welding them in easier. I go to the hardware store and buy some nails that are close and use the nails as plugs. Easy to hold the shank of the nail and put the head into the holes and tack them around the head. Then once they're all tacked just cut the heads off and grind the area smooth. Touch up with a thin coat of filler and it's ready to paint.

 

I know this is going against the grain of the guys on here that can build a car out of flat sheet metal.
If you grind that with 36 grit and slap in some stranded glass filler that repair. it will outlast the truck on an inside panel.
I was a young guy in the body shop when square body Chevy trucks were the #1 rust repair jobs. Any hole less than 1" got that treatment. It was surprising how long it lasted on everyday work trucks. I would not fix a rust repair that way on a restoration, but I would have no problem doing it on those holes inside that cab

 

My father spoke of a 36 Chevy roof he repaired that was damaged when a careless hunter discharged his shotgun in the back seat, not sure how the occupants might have fared.

 

yes, I did... not many people would give 2 grand to fix those holes... thats why filler was invented...but if people wanna spend dumb money... I was smart enough to grab it... thats body work 101.. slide hammer to pull the dents and filler to smooth it out... but that being said, how much would you spend to have those holes fixed...???? my time is worth alot../

 

some people here wanna grab at anything.... people would ask me... how much to paint my car,... I'd say 300 and you mask tape it.... they'd say when can you do it... drive it in the paint booth and I'll do it right now...

 

Couldn’t decide where to put the Easy Rider Rifle Rack?!

 

^^^ this. Thorough cleaning/stripping/prep and short strand 'glass filler will outlast any of us. There's certainly a place in the hobby for spending 100 hours of labor and metal finishing this, but there's also a place for expediency and getting a project finished and enjoying it. Making a headliner and just covering it all up, which someone else mentioned is also a good idea, as is fixing the rusty window opening lip. Get'r done.

 

a novice hitting that with a hammer will cause more damage then good, if the holes bother you, go to harbor freight and buy a welder.. tack the holes shut... just so you know... new cars have bondo... 65 mustang fastbacks have a bout a gallon where the top mates the body...


oops, I guess just use the welder you got... like said though... removing and metal finishing that piece for peace of mind??? I don't have that much life left..

 

#4 shot nearly matches the number of holes. Did you find any tiny steel balls in the nooks and crannies of the cab, by chance? Shotgun aid back in the passenger's side of the seat, big bump...

 

I’d think # 4 shot, since it’s a high base shell, would at least dimple the roof, if not go completely through.
Besides, pretty spread pattern anyways.

 

My guess is this is a removable panel, and that it came from a different truck that had a shitload of bullet holes through it. The original probably went missing from this cab at one time and this replacement was found in someone's target practice truck.

Even if I had to drill out some spot welds, I'd take the panel out and dolly the holes shut, then do a little welding to finish. Bullet holes are rarely missing material, usually it's just spread out, and you can hammer them back closed with a little work, then they need minimal welding.

 

Looks like it may be nailed to the wood above it as well. Also looks like more unused holes around the perimeter, that appear to be used for something.

 

I'd leave it and make up some bullshit back story as to how it happened.

 

then do the bondo??? right???

 

this is the best post so far

 

Thanks for the replies. The wood slats are supports for the headliner. The holes around the perimeter are for the headliner fasteners. Buck shot makes the most sense. But the skins are not easily separated, joining at the door jams, and spot welded all across the bottom. It all appears to be original paint.

I know you won't be afraid to call me dumb, but I have thought of making a custom curved spoon to slip between the panels to maybe flatten these as much as possible, then bondo.

 

you have to use bondo, or a form of it to prep a car... most custom car refinisher will some times skim a whole panel to have something to block... also there is no such thing as a painter that uses bondo..a painter works in a booth and squirts paint on the car... if it don't go in the gun they can't use it... I use to use feather fill.. shit brick it,some time multible times, during that process I used glazing putty... primer is a form of bondo... they all have talc to build up low area...painting a car vs refinishing a car are 2 different things...