The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Fender Restoration - WOW!!

I thought my passenger side rear fender (pic 1) was bordering on unrestorable, but I ran across this video by Carter Auto Restyling. This guy is either certifiably crazy, extremely talented, or both. But it shows what's possible if you're faced with a really ugly fender (pic 2).

If you've got a few minutes, check it out.

Kyle has several videos on repairing our old trucks ,Very talented he had a video doing the cowl area (he makes his own inner cowl and he showed how the panels are off a bit

From the point of view of a shop owner- - - -the guy's metal bumping, welding, and finishing skills are impressive. But- - - - -when all is said and done, we've still got an elderly piece of tin approximately the thickness of a Kleenex- - - -and what would I have to charge a customer to make it possible to pay the guy for his skills, pay the rent and utilities, taxes, paint and materials, and still make enough profit for myself to keep the shop doors open, and feed myself and my family?

Just because some things are "possible"- - - -is it really practical to attempt to do them? Now, if you're a retired old geezer working in a back yard shop and living on the income from the investments you've made over the past 50 years- - - - -that's a different ball of string!
Jerry

Can't argue with anything you said Jerry. Even as a retired old geezer, I found a better RF fender than the one that was on the truck. I could have fixed it, but didn't want to try or spend that much time hammering and welding. It would be interesting to know how many hours, days, weeks he spent on straightening that fender out. AND he didn't even deal with the lower front section of it that had a big rip.

Yes would not want to pay a body shop hourly rate but on the other hand for doing it yourself it’s worth a try especially when the fender and shipping would be over a grand in my area .

@Hotrod Lincoln I reckon this fender overhaul is probably like the man hours you've spent in figuring out which Toyota pistons and sleeves, BBC connecting rods, later model Chevy exhaust valves, and all the other etc. which can be made to work with some machining to go along with the billet/not billet distributor gear/billet camshaft you're welding together for roller rockers. (Ingenious way around the no billet cam blanks problem, BTW).. I think many to most of us have gone with our labors of love, well and truly beyond what any of us could afford to pay someone to do.

That guy definitely has skills and allot of time to invest. His return will be from the YouTube following he amassed.

I think like many of these channels , you can take a way a bit of knowledge or a "how to" that can help today or perhaps into the future and , it's fun to watch. AND, I suppose I've wandered off topic and must now.......STOP.

Indeed Ron. Now that all the "Retired old geezers" have self-identified, there must be *something* technical worth sharing in this conversation ...?

Peggy.....

To what Jerry said- Do not hammer "on dolly" , you will stretch the metal and reduce it's thickness, also causes "oil-canning".

True (although it's usually referred to as "oil canning" - you know the "doink-doink" you get pushing on the bottom of an old school oil can), but once you've stretched the metal, you can then become accomplished at shrinking metal.

I found that heat and quench was a good way to shrink metal when removing dents.

I have a friend that is the rare coachworks restoration business. They have to save every piece of original metal they possibly can. It has always amazed me how much work they can get done in a couple of hours using old school tools.

I understand doing that work on any part of a J Model Duesenberg but not on an AD truck fender.