The front panel bolts to the bedsides and the front cross sill bolts to the front panel. That was my first repair, patching the rusted out lower section of the front panel. I learned how to remove warping and oil canning on that panel. Got it pretty straight, but it will take a skim coat to make it look good. I've looked at shrinking disks but never tried one. I'm just using an O/A torch for shrinking. Not familiar with a bullseye dent remover. on edit: I do recall seeing those, but forgot the terminology.
Take a look at the photos of the process here:
Bed Front Panel Repair (Start here and scroll to the right)
Bummer that someone bonded over the riveted fender crown brace. I have a front fender that someone did a lead repair on that I removed and easily metal-worked it out to need next to nothing afterwards. Another had a "woodpecker repair" around the headlight opening, They just got underneath and pecked away at it.
Here's more of my restoration.
Patch Panel FormingI may have you beat on resurrecting a crusty rear fender.
Fortunately(?) no one had "fixed" those before.
