Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Working on the Ford

Body Work

I worked on my 40 Ford Sedan this weekend. When I bought it at Iola the guy who sold it had lost interest in the rebuild. He had found a Cabriole in Georgia so he assembled what parts he had and I bought it.

It is in surprisingly good shape. He put in a Mustang front end with Independent Front suspension. What that means is that it will handle better and have a better ride than the original. He also put in a new 9 inch rear end. That is the rear axle which was also a product improved version of the original. In the middle of the rear axle is the differential (Pumpkin) and the gear cluster has been removed. This cluster allows the operator to decide on the trade off between torque, (Acceleration) and high end speed.

I won’t go into everything that is missing but rather highlight the rust issues.
In the rear side panels, over the rear wheels and in the rear fenders there are rust holes. This is not unusual in a car of that age and I have some remedial experience in fixing that sort of thing in my old trucks. The technique I use is as follows.

In rebuilding a fender the parts that are generally deteriorated the worst are where the sheet metal flange has eroded that attached it to the body over the rear axle. In some cases vestiges continue to stick up but in other they are completely rusted away. This is a relatively simple repair. You take a piece of light gauge sheet metal about two inches wide and six inches long and bend it in the middle along the long axis. The machine you use to do this is called a “Break.” Then you put it in a “Shirker/Stretcher and get it to bend, conforming to the curve of the fender. Once it is shaped you glue it in place and clamp it down. Then working quickly you drill out small holes and pop rivet the replacement flange you have created, connecting it to the fender. I say you must work quickly because this body panel glue sets up pretty quickly. Once the parts are bonded tightly together you take a welder and very carefully seal them so moisture can’t get into the repair. I have tried taking shortcuts on the process, however if I don’t get a tight and close fit to the seams I risk the dreaded “Burn Through.” Many body shops, I am told, eliminate the welding altogether.

Once the fenders are done I move on to the Running Boards. These are easier to patch up because there are no curves. Many today don’t even bother with fender and running board restoration and just buy new ones on the aftermarket. Unless you are independently wealthy that is an expensive option. I have been doing this long enough that I consider myself at the apprentice/journeyman level of body work. It isn’t a great skill level and won’t win any shows but I find it affordable where otherwise it would be beyond my means.

It is a lot like learning a foreign language or how to become a better writer. You do it, let your friends comment and keep plugging along as your skill level gradually improves….then suddenly one morning you wake up and say…”I can do this…” Like finishing a short story and exclaiming to yourself…“Wow! This isn’t half bad!” Or a Blog and wondering if anyone is going to read it. While we all like to get read the point is it’s good writing experience and you discover quickly what interests readers and what doesn’t.