We had to resort to the torch and anvil method to pop the crinkle and dents from the front fender. Wanna know how?We had to resort to the torch and anvil method to pop the crinkle and dents from the front For those of you who are following the CC/Rambler build ('67 Rambler American with a Jeep 360 and stock Gremlin parts), it ran an uncorrected 12.75 at 112 mph at LACR in Palmdale, California. Call it a glory run if you will because we first broke the stock rearend then shattered the overrunning clutch in the transmission when the engine was at 6,400 rpm and the tires were at zero for a millionth of a second. Fortunately, we didn't oil down the track and the Rambler made it back to the trailer in high gear and safely back to the shop. So while the transmission got a repair and a tweak from Racetrans and axles and a Sure Grip arrived from Moser, we got to fixin' dents. To recap, before we owned it, the Rambler had been cocooned in a garage in Southern California after someone's grandmother parked the right front fender into the garage wall and simply never returned to the scene of the crime. Car Craft spelunkers excavated the prize and noticed it had been hit lightly in the right rear and repaired as well. Other than those mishaps and a few small dents and scratches from bicycles and kids, the body was in pretty good shape. We wanted to go to the paintless dent repair guys to fix the front fender, but they told us not only was the paint already cracked and flaking off but also they don't really handle metal with such a huge crease. We'd need to repair this thing the old-fashioned way, by stripping paint and panel and beating until the dent went away. Watch us play with fire and hammers. Paper and Grit24-grit is used to sand away existing paint and filler; it eats everything..40-grit on a body sander/grinder is used to rough-up the bare metal before applying filler..40-grit on a DAQ orbital sander or a straight-line DA sander is used to rough-cut the filler..80-grit on a flexible sanding block or board sander is used to sand out 40-grit scratches and add the body line..150- to 320-grit is used to sand down the 80-grit scratches in the filler and add the final finish. To the untrained eye, this looks like a wrinkle above the fender lip (A) and a pushed-in dent in the middle and lower half of the quarter (B, C). If you want to get behind the dents and force them out or grab the lower section and bend it straight, you'll never get it right. This is really one huge dent that covers the entire area rather than three separate ones, and you have to work it that way.To the untrained eye, this looks like a wrinkle above the fender lip (A) and a pushed-in d ToolsToolSourcePriceComplete hammer and dolly setEastwood$79.99Metal-bumping how-to bookEastwood12.996-inch DAQ random orbital sanderEastwood49.995-inch high-speed body sander (grinder)Eastwood32.9924-grit RhynoFibre 5-inch resin grinding disc, 25 packEastwood24.99Flexible sanding block, 3 packEastwood14.99Hutchins 800 orbital sanderTool Crib225.92Board-sander kitEastwood69.99Sandpaper, 8 packEastwood6.99 As a comparison, you can see the driver-side wheel lip and body line intact. The theory we are using says to start by repairing the body lines, increasing the strength of the natural body contours and weakening the strength of the dents, making them easier to pound out.As a comparison, you can see the driver-side wheel lip and body line intact. The theory we We started with the wheelwell because it is the most rigid shape on the fender and therefore the strongest. The lower lip is supposed to be flat, perpendicular to the side of the car, but it was rolled under by contact with the tire during impact. We used a shrinking hammer with a slide hammer as a dolly to flatten the lip, adding strength to the original shape and taking strength from the peak above it.We started with the wheelwell because it is the most rigid shape on the fender and therefo After the lower lip was fixed, the contour directly above it began to take its original shape without our even touching it. When the fender was first hit in the front, a peak was formed on the lower portion of the fender (A). This peak is directly connected to the peak above the wheel lip (B). As the lower peak was pounded flat with the pick hammer, the damage above the lip contour began to weaken and take its original shape. Cool, huh?After the lower lip was fixed, the contour directly above it began to take its original sh This is where the gym membership or the couple of beers come in handy. Most of the pressure has been relieved from pounding out the two peaks, but simply grabbing the fender and pulling it finishes the job. Note how flat the original cracked area above the lip contour has become? Time to finish it off.This is where the gym membership or the couple of beers come in handy. Most of the pressur HammersHere is a quick lesson concerning body hammers. The top hammer is called a shrinking hammer because its waffled face contacts less metal per swing, therefore causing the metal to be stretched less. The hammers with flat faces could also be called pick hammers. Both can be used with a dolly on the back side of the panel to pound an area flat, or in some cases, make it concave.Hammers Here is a quick lesson concerning body hammers. The top hammer is called a shrink There are two techniques for using the hammer and dolly. Shown here is off-dolly; it gives room for the metal to be pressed through to the dolly to get a bulge to lie down. You guessed it; hammer-on-dolly is used to flatten small ripples on an area of metal.There are two techniques for using the hammer and dolly. Shown here is off-dolly; it gives Using hammer-on-dolly, we worked the peak above the lip contour. It didn't take much because we had already relieved the pressure in this area. Unfortunately, we also uncovered a pile of filler from a previous repair.Using hammer-on-dolly, we worked the peak above the lip contour. It didn't take much becau The problem with the filler is that it was used to cover previous damage instead of fixing it correctly and prevented us from releasing the rest of the stress. We tried a bigger hammer. Nope, the filler in that area had to come off.The problem with the filler is that it was used to cover previous damage instead of fixing Leaving the filler mess for later, we switched to a contour dolly and went after the big push-in dent. The trick here is to go for the high spots around the dent rather than trying to push out the dent itself.Leaving the filler mess for later, we switched to a contour dolly and went after the big p A couple of quick strikes and the tension was relieved and the lower dent began to come out. The dolly can also be used as a small hammer behind the dent to help it along with several small blows. It's important to do this in order. If you try to pound out the dent from the back then move to the top and work out the high spot, the dent below will bulge. Always start with the peak to push metal back into the dent area.A couple of quick strikes and the tension was relieved and the lower dent began to come ou We didn't want to try to work the metal any more than we had to. Look at sheetmetal like pizza dough; the more you work it, roll it out, and pound on it, the thinner and therefore wider it becomes. Thin metal where the dent used to be will pop in and out like an old oil can and end up making the dent huge.We didn't want to try to work the metal any more than we had to. Look at sheetmetal like p The last part of pulling the upper push-in dent was relieving the stress on the rear of the fender by pulling it with a slide hammer; the more we pulled, the less the dent was evident.The last part of pulling the upper push-in dent was relieving the stress on the rear of th There was no getting around the huge flakes of paint sloughing off the car and the fact that the filler was gluing the damage together, so we had to grind. Forget chemical strippers and sandpaper, a 24-grit grinding disc on a DA with the wheel locked out will blast through paint, filler, and even metal if you are not careful. It won't get clogged either.There was no getting around the huge flakes of paint sloughing off the car and the fact th Under the filler, we found a little pool of waves caused by a previous repair that had been simply paved over. Ancient bodymen stretched the ripples into the oil-can consistency we were trying to avoid. So out came the torch!Under the filler, we found a little pool of waves caused by a previous repair that had bee Using flame to straighten waves is called heat-shrinking. The idea is simple: Heat the metal without cutting a hole in it and spread the molecules as far apart as possible. Then beat the molecules back into their original shape and slap some cold water on it. Simple!Using flame to straighten waves is called heat-shrinking. The idea is simple: Heat the met Move the torch fast and in a circular motion around the waves in the metal then use the pick hammer and dolly-on to pound the metal flat while it still glows. Then cool it off with cold water. Repeat until the area is marble flat.Move the torch fast and in a circular motion around the waves in the metal then use the pi With the dents relieved and the stretched metal heat-shrunk back to normal, we skim-coated some Evercoat Rage filler along the entire panel. It seems like a lot of filler, but it really isn't. One coat ensured an evenness we couldn't get by spot-filling each area. The tape is there because filler doesn't really stick to anything but bare metal. If it dries on paint, you won't know it until if falls off.With the dents relieved and the stretched metal heat-shrunk back to normal, we skim-coated After the filler kicked off, we cut it with a small DA and a 40-grit disc to get it 90 percent there.After the filler kicked off, we cut it with a small DA and a 40-grit disc to get it 90 per For large areas, we used a DA air file with 40-grit paper. The combination of the long board, DA action, and the 40 gets you right to the point of the detail work.For large areas, we used a DA air file with 40-grit paper. The combination of the long boa For a clean body line, we used a sanding block to sand up and down toward the tape without actually touching it. When block-sanding, always use a crosshatch or figure-eight pattern so you do not create lines from the front edge of the sanding block. Low spots will be dark and high spots will thin to metal. Always use long strokes; they create a straighter panel.For a clean body line, we used a sanding block to sand up and down toward the tape without Since we are going to do bodywork between dragstrip flogs (while parts are broken), we fogged the bare metal with SEM etching primer to keep it from rusting. Coming next, more drag racing.Since we are going to do bodywork between dragstrip flogs (while parts are broken), we fog SOURCES Eastwood 263 Shoemaker Road Pottstown PA 19464 1-800-345-1178 www.eastwoodco.com SEM semproducts.com Gold Coast Customs Ventura CA Tool Crib Brooktondale NY atoolcrib.com Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
