I am 300 miles from my truck so I cant just go out and run a straight edge to answer my own question, so i thought i would ask the stovebolt brain trust.
I pulled of some loose filler and underneath, the drivers side door looks like someone took a ball peen hammer to it. see attatched Pic.
Before I go and get a new/old door I want to attempt to fix it myself. I know there is curvature in the door top to bottom.
Is there any curvature front to back, or is it flat?
Bonus question, any idea how this type of damage happened?
Chris.
Rock49 aka C-Rodg work in progress 1956 Chevy 3100 261 engine
Looks like there might have been a horizontal crease that a PO tried removing and decided the metal needed some "texture" for the bondo to stick. A new skin would probably be the easiest way to fix it (other than just slobbering bondo back on.) There are a few members who have the skills to metal work that kind of damage out, but it would be a month-long project.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Chris - Just a swag of an idea here, but it kinda looks like your door panel took a pretty deep hit that created a crease (and maybe a tear) in the door skin (see circled area of a closer snapshot of your door picture). Whoever tried to work out the dent/crease probably aggressively pounded it out from the inside with out any dollies on the outside, overstretching the skin out beyond it's original form. I'm guessing they used a pointed tip or ball peen type hammer, again without the benefit of any dollies to back the metal being reformed, to get the surface back below the original shape/form so they could apply bondo to fill and level the door surface.
To try and answer your question on curvature front to back, I looked at resource info from the GM Heritage Files 1955.2 Chevrolet Truck Data pdf and a scanned copy of a 1955 Chevrolet Truck Engineering book. Extracts from both documents below don't show any kind of curvature from front to back that I can see.
I also looked in a 1955-59 Chevy Truck FAM and couldn't find anything indicating a curvature exists on the doors from front to back. Other Bolters with Task Force trucks will probably chime in to offer their first hand knowledge soon.
Edit Note: Kevin beat me to the short answer version - LOL!
Last edited by Gdads51; 05/16/20265:06 PM.
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
"Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just leave me alone, you're starting to freak me out."
As long as the passengers door isn’t damaged, you can run a straight edge on that to get your answer.
Phil Moderator, The Engine Shop, Interiors and Project Journals
1952 Chevrolet 3100, Three on the Tree, 4:11 torque tube Updated to: ‘59 235 w/hydraulic lifters, 12v w/alternator, HEI, PCV and Power front Disc Brakes Project Journals Stovebolt Gallery Forum
A new skin would probably be the easiest way to fix it (other than just slobbering bondo back on.) There are a few members who have the skills to metal work that kind of damage out, but it would be a month-long project.
