I spent my Saturday with the SS today. I'm a tired camper.
I started with the fender. I blocked it with 150 to get a view of what needed to be fixed. Three main areas. The top of the fender had some waves, the back where it meets the door and the front edge that meets the headlights.
I used a spitznagel gun to pull the worst of the dents out, I then used a couple different body hammers and dollies to beat the remaining low spots out and then slung the mud. It's similar to what i've used on my mustangs, just a little more old fashioned. The gun welds on the small studs that you use to pull the dents out.
I hope you understand the mud is not very thick at all. Compared to what the PR did, it's positively scanty
. These panels were coated with mud and Z-chrome (a polyester spray filler).
The fender took me about five actual hours to fix. I hope this doesn't sound too weird, but repairing these panels is almost like a love relationship. I want the best for each panel so I go over every inch of the panel slowly with a soft touch and varying degrees of sandpaper and different blocks that will allow me to bring each curve, each straight surface, bodylines, whatever back to at least as good as original, hopefully better.
Just so you know, I've spent literally hours studying photos of '62 impala SS convertibles studying every line and curve on these vehicles. This one will be better than the previous restoration.
Then it was time to play with the driver's door. The door was perfect as far as the edges matching up, except for the lower edge that matches up to the rocker panel from about 10 inches from the front edge to and through the curve where it transitions into meeting the quarter panel. It stuck out by a good margin.
What to do? Two 2x4's and a five pound sledge hammer. I blocked the door from behind with one 2x4 and used the other to help reduce the blow strength of the sledge hammer. Then I went to town beating the hell out of the lower edge to bend it to the lines of the rocker. It took about 200 hits to form it to the correct shape. Have any of you every swung a five pound sledge a couple hundred times within a 5-10 minute period? It really sucks the life out of a person. Anyhow, it worked. The bodylines match up all around other than that pesky upper quarter line we've discussed before. So I have the edges for the final paint job.
A moment on edges. When fitting up your panels after stripping a car and putting on the protective coating of primer. You want to get the connecting edges and lines between panels to match up. Then you straighten the panel. The quarter panel will be brought into submission to the lines of the door in the case of this car. So, all I needed to do to the door was to change the lower edge to match the rocker.
I took the door off to begin the general straightening of the panel now that the edges are aligned. I knew after walloping the crap of the bottom edge that I would need to spend time on it. Also in the lower door was this wonderful crease.
I used the spitznagel to pull the majority of the low spots from the crease and the waves in the very bottom of the door. Then i ground the lower part to bare metal and slung the mud. I didn't take pictures at this stage because I was so freaking tired.
I primered the fender and the lower half of the door and called it quits for the day.
So the fender bodywork is done and primered and I made good headway on the door. I'll finish the door next tuesday night and reprimer it. Then off to the passenger's side.