So my queston is how would you fix something like this? Quick story first. Last year a 54 Bel Air came up for sale, I called and talked to the guy about it, but I was not sure if I was going to buy it. Well on a friday night I though I will look at it in the morning, Hour later I see it on a flatbed going to the new owners house. "Dam it thats the car" as my heart sank, it look good. But I notice something, Above the back wheels on the quarter panels there is a big flat spot in the metal, no curve in the panel about two feet wide, how would you fix this? The car is up for sale again buy the new owner and I am going to stay a way from it but I can't figure out how you would fix it. You can just make it out it this pic. I can't not get the link to work fo me but if you want to look at it, its on kijiji in Edmonton Alberta AD ID 269397859
Start with an intro before someone jumps in your ***......its all there in the sticky's on the 1st page.
As far as fixing the flat spot, you could probably work it out with a could hours of basic body work. I haven't done any work on that specific year, so I don't know what kind of access there would be to the back side of the dent, but a little hammer and dolly work would have it back into shape farly easily, maybe a little metal shrinking if the metal was stretched when it was damaged. All total, and ***uming the whole side isn't full of plastic filler, you could knock the damage back out, do any light body filling needed and have the car back in black paint again in a weekend pretty easily.
Also, if you are just advertising this car through a random post, expect this thread to be gone within a couple hours.
Did a lot of those screwed up licence plate buckets in the 90's. No idea why they were popular, but make a lot of money doing them for the mini truck guys.
i'd look that car over very carefully before buying. that could be simple fix or a real disaster under a pile of bondo $3500 sounds high to me
No I am not the seller and not a friend. I wanted one at the time and when I seen it on the flatbed I was glad I did not buy it cause I think it would be way to much work for me. The reason for the question is I have know idea where to start fixing something like that. I am betting that is just the start of problems with this car, thats probably why its for sale again. (If the owner is on here, sorry man its not personal)
So if you're not even considering it, what is the question? Is this thread purely hypothetical? Am I missing something?
I forgot to say, I never did get that license plate thing. As far as the lack of intro, guy joined years ago, and has an 07 Silverado? I'm really confused
i do not see the problem in the pic . i do see the bad deck lid!! you can always fix the deck lid. post pics of problem spot?
I would first get a gallon of bondo and two tubes of hardener to fill in that an abortion of a frenched frame in the deck lid.
Hey, Jus from the photo, my wag would be that a flat piece of sheetmetal has been let in above the wheelhouse, and mudded over. That's a real common spot for rust out in the quarters of these. Depending on how much of a ''total-butcher'' job was done welding it in, if it was welded in, you could work some shape into the panel by prying with a s**** and/or pry pick from above the wheelhouse. Given the address & the black primer ''paint job'' those panels are probably the least of that vehicles' problems! " Humpty Dumpty was pushed "
I am trying to learn something new, thats what I come to this form for. I don't have a car right now, I have my truck. I like reading what everybody is working on, I have been on here for a while but I never had a question for anybody till now. I just wanted to know how you would fix something like that.
it's hard to tell exactly what's going on with that dent just by looking at the photo. one thing too many people do is start pounding where the deep part is, when that is not where the metal is damaged. the way to fix a dent like that is to push (not beat) out the middle from behind and do your hammer and dolly work around the edge where the metal is actually stretched. shrink the stretched metal back into shape and the center will pop back out to where it belongs. dude came here with a bodywork question... what are you guys beating on him for? why not just answer the question? I'm saving my intro for post number 10,000. that's how important intros are to me.
that looks like a common spot for damage on that style car. i wouldn't let that spot ALONE decide on the deal. the plate pocket is a relic of an era of bad decisions and as such can be repaired away..... if there are a BUNCH of bad decisions.... now THEN it's time to walk away. keep track of it, and note the repairs each new owner makes; once it suits ya, BUY IT!
From the look of the picture the 1/4's have been patch over the wheel arch and the weld has sunk the panel. You may find a real mess when you take off the filler. (Flat Black hides the Sins) Or the car has been hit in the rear and the 1/4's need it be pulled back to relieve the pressure causing the low areas. Nothing 20 or 30 hours shouldn't fix. The Old Tinbasher
Maybe the guy welded in new inner fenders and it heat warped the metal. A good bodyman could heat and cool that to fix it. I wonder how many body shops converted cars to a license frame like that, and now get paid to undo it.
Ha, I just got off of super secret probation from the HAMB "powers that be" for inciting a riot or something equally stupid, just making sure the guy knows the rules before he ends up on the same bad path I went down.....
3500 does sound a bit rich for a car that you are certain is going to need quite a bit of work to get the way you want it. The deck lid thing isn't a big deal as one either replaces it or cuts out the offending plate box and fills it in. I could live with the flat slab sides quicker than the deck lid thing though. I'm always a bit spooked when I see a vehicle (or body part) for sale with a fresh coat of primer of flat paint on it. That is because it is usually used to hide some indiscretion or suspect repair. That wouldn't entirely stop me from buying it but I would want to investigate what I was buying first. On that one a guy might be able to look at the panel from inside the trunk to see what was done to it.
Ok, now I know where you are coming from, shoulda stated that right in the 1st post. So anyways, as said before.....could be as easy as a little hammer and dolly work and a little heat.....or as bad as riveted street signs over gaping rust holes covered by newspaper and bondo....or actual cement or bricking mortar like I have seen in a couple "restorations". You never know what the P/O's did to the thing over the last 50+ years. On another note....if you want to learn some basic body work, go to the wrecking yard and pick up an old step side fender form an old dodge truck (chevy or ford would work to, but the dodge is more rounded and a little more complicated to make look round again), swing by harbor frieght and pick up their "auto body tools" kit, and order up a book on basic body work from your vendor of choice. Then take a big hammer and wack that fender a couple times and practice working it back into shape. Anyone can do body work, all it takes is time and practice, and this is the same way I started out learning it 15 years ago. I am violently alergic to "bondo dust" so I have to stay away from fillers when ever possible....means I had to get pretty good at the metal working side of reapirs....I also learned how to lead from an old timer....but thats a story for another time.
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