Hey guys, i cant seam to find any really good pics or threads on the best way to repair this area. I have a 47 chevy coupe and the area rusted out is where the rear quarter meets the body. They have been patched before, but are rusted out again and need some attention. I have some bodywork background and have put in patches before. I cant imagine im the first with rust in this spot. Just looking for the best solution. Any help would be great.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
Hey, The " best solution " is to cut out all of the rusted metal and replace it with well shaped patch panels. If you can weld well, and use tin snips well, you're half way home. 'doubtful you'd find replacement quarters, and probably don't need them. Cut patterns from thin cardboard in as large a pieces as you feel you can shape & weld, easily, transfer them to some 18-19 gage c.r.s. sheet, cut out, shape to fit & weld in. The best protection against future rust out is to prep, prime, paint & rust proof the back of your welded patches, once you've finished the out side of the repair. " Humpty Dumpty was pushed "
I feel your pain, Eheine20. I will have to do the exact same thing when I peel my rear fenders off my '47. I've been looking at the best way to tackle this, too and I came across a HAMBer who posted a link to his photo album where he fabbed up some new rear fender flanges after his '47 got smashed into. I saved the photo link, but can't remember the member's name! So If anyone recognizes the HAMBer who owns this car & did the work, feel free to chime in so we can pick his brain Here's his photo album link... http://public.fotki.com/sawzallshop/sawzalls-rides-past/1947_chevrolet_coupe/page10.html Here was his bad spot: Here's some new metal with the arch he fabbed up: Between pages 10 and 13 are some shots of him cutting new metal & welding it in like Pimpin was saying. When I tackle my own, I plan on taking a ton of pictures and sharing the 'lovely' experience I'm sure this will be. In the mean time, snap some pics of yours and share them if you care to. I'm sure a lot of us could learn from this since there's no 'off-t******lf' solution for this repair.
I have the same problem. Most of the lip inside the first couple of inches rusted away, To make it worse some previous bad repairs consisting of ramming some sort of bondo and tar in the rust holes. Just have to cut,splice and dice and try to save as much good, origional metal as possible. Here are a couple of shots of the start of my repair attempts. Haven't got much more done in this area lately, but you get the idea.
Hey, As you form & shape your patch panels, be sure to reinstall your fender, even if you just hold it in place for a minute or two, to check the fit up. Any patch panel you shape & weld in, must fit & flow well, with the fender, once it's rehung. Thick layers of filler, to blend in shapes you should have formed into your patches, arn't really what you're after if you want a long lasting repair. "Life ain't no Disney movie "
So this seems it may be my best option. Sorry no pics but will try soon. How do you get the curve in the bent piece of 18 ga without cutting slits in the top side?
Many people have done it just that way.... but it's kinda like a dog chasing its tail. Just about the time you think you've got it shaped about right, you start welding and away it goes again. The shrinker/stretcher pictured comes at a very reasonable price. You'll wonder how you ever got along without it.
This might help us understand the process. Lazze using a shrinker / stretcher combo. I'm sold. http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=CLyk9IvueyY To get the sheet metal for the rear fenders with the 90 degree bend in it nice like that would you have to also have a press? Or could you buy sheet metal strips like that already bent?
To get that arch, on that leg it needs to be streched. strecher is the best for that particular piece. You could make a hammer form and beat the metal around it. You can also strech it by hammering one leg of the bent piece on an anvil or vise. Every hit will thin the metal by pushing it out from under the hammer and make more surface area, thus stretching it. You could make it out of two pieces, one cut to follow the arch and another flat piece welded together. You could cut slits or purchase that generic slotted piece and that would be a last resort and least favorable.
hey' Here's a method to turn that flange that won't require the purchase of a shrinker/stretcher,cutting out wooden hammerforms from ply or MDF( medium density fibreboard), or slits into each leg of the flange: With the fender removed from the quarter, bend & form a piece of 3/8''-7/16'' o.d. h.r.s. round stock to the exact arc of the fender flange. Hot rolled steel bends easily by hand, and an arc should be no trouble to bend by hand. SAy if the patch area you need is 12''-15'' long , cut & form your h.r.s. to 20''-25'', leave alittle extra area at each end to tape/clamp the h.r.s. to your work bench. Now, once you've bent and formed the arc, tape it flush, to the surface of your bench. Use 200 M.P.H. tape or postal packing tape, and tape it well, ya don't want it to move. Next, cut some 18-19 gauge c.r.s. sheet to follow the arc you bent the round stock to. A paper pattern would be helpful to get a clean shape, say 3''X the area of the arc's sweep-15''-20''. Now, center the cut out sheet you've deburred over the c.r.s arc you taped to the bench, and tape it so 50% is above the arc & 50% below. Now, with a plastic, rubber, wood or small ball pien hammer gently start to bend down the lower leg of the flange, whyle holding the piece level with the bench. Hit the sheet ONLY BELOW the center of the c.r.s. arch you've taped to the bench. If you work the piece carefully, and keep your blows over lapped, you'll produce a patch that looks like you ran it thru a bead/swage roller or hammer form. " Meanwhyle, back aboard The Tainted Pork "
The Jalopy Journal
