The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Taking out a Large Cowl Crease?

I’ve got real solid sheet metal but, I’ve also got my share of dings, dents and this big old crease in the cowl from where the door was folded back.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/129182914/large

What I’m asking is some advice from a real body man as to how to go about working this out. I don’t really want to here from a Bondo pusher. I want to straighten this panel if possible and remember I’m retired so the time for the task isn’t a factor.
Now I could drill and screw the slide hammer but then I’d have a hundred holes to fill. I can’t get at it from the backside so paintless dent removal is out. I could cut out the old panel and put a replacement in, probably the fastest solution. Pulling it with welded studs might be a way to go, but the crease could be a problem. So have I left out any possibilities?
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Ouch, that is worse than mine was. I went with the slide hammer. If you are considering patch panel, why not cut it out straighten it and put it back?

In order for you to bump it and metal finish to your standards you have to have access to the back side, so you have to remove the inner cowl... ouch.

Replacing the outer cowl might not be a bad idea. You could cut it right down the flange fold and weld it there and then take a file and file the radius back in. That would be my suggestion. Simple fix.

Mine had the same thing but the PO knocked a bunch of holes in the door flange and used a pry bar to push it but only to save a few bucks on bondo.
PICTURE OF MINE.

Hi Denny,

I have really enjoyed reading the metalmeet forum. http://www.metalmeet.com/forum/index.php These folks are metal workers with very high standards. Also there is an International Metal Meet in Oblong, IL coming up Oct. 12-19th, 2010.

So not being a professional body man I am a bit reluctant to make any suggestions but since it's only a bit reluctant I will anyway.

On some of the inaccessible panels on my truck I have drilled large 3 or 4 inch holes with a hole saw in the interior panels. That allows me to clean things out and get a good coat of rust protection sprayed on. Also allows access for a curved dollie. The holes can easily be welded back up or left as permanent access panels. Since I'm hoping my trucks will last another 100 years or so I have just installed covers with screws so I can be sure thing stay nice and rust free.

Now that’s one I didn’t think of Vern, I’ll add that to the list of considerations, tks.
I don’t have the rust to contend with so I might be able to cut the spot welds and break the upper lead seam. Probably won’t get to it till next year some time. I still have a ’50 to finish up. In the mean time I’m gonna rebend the upper hinge to give me clearance and live with it. I have a lot of dings and dents to take out so I’ll get it figured out by the time I’m ready to get the hammer and dolly out.
Denny G

You may be able to work a spoon through the side of the hinge mounting bracket.

Pretty sure the pocket is pretty much closed at the back. About all that you could get thru there is on of the Paintless Dent-removal tools and even then I don't think you could get it to all the places the you would need to.
DG

The top one I can slide all four fingers in up to my hand. The dolly will fit and if it had a handle I could work it. You could cut a hole behind the ID plate. Then weld it shut and cover it up with the plate when you are done.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2522822030103315458mGfWzL
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2496255030103315458LSgYND

So, that is what big cans of bondo are made for!

That is a tough one. I wonder if the door post has moved a bit.

I was wondering if that truck has a flaw!

Oh yeah Fred, there are plenty of flaws, it didn't set much out there on the farm. But not having to deal with rusted floors, cowl, doors or bed parts makes it a jewel in my mind.
The door piller looks fine. I think I might try the stud welder and slide hammer when I get ready. If that won't do it then I'll just replace the outer. Not that big of a deal when I get into the body work.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I have no useable advice, only a similar problem. My door was torqued the same way. My neighbor who is an experienced bodyman told me that we would cut the whole section out at the flange where it mounts, get it straight, and weld it back in.

I have found that finding a single patch panel that goes top to bottom is not available as a repop, so its a donor cab required.

On mine, since the roof is pretty well collapsed, the drivers cowl is destroyed, and there are enough miscellaneous dents and dings, that I would go ahead and just replace the cab with another that is in better shape. Then use this cab to practice my bodywork skills. Or else beat on with a hammer when frustrations get the better of me.

I tried the "fill er with bondo" trick on another truck. result was not satisfactory. IF you have to, use the fiberglass filler w/ the strands. Then fill the waves with bondo.

My $0.02

I'll over look you "bondo pusher" comment, I started doing bodywork just when lead was on its way out 1966. When your trying to make a living and getting paid by piece work, bondo done right is just as good as lead!!! Your best approach is the pull studs/tabs. You should be able to walk that crease right out. Start from the bottom and work up. Another approach would be to remove the door and drill access holes in the door jamb, using pry tools to work the crease out, then weld the holes shut. One more possibility, remove the fender drill access holes and using pry tools to work out crease. You can't make an omlette without breaking some eggs LOL.

Thanks Yaki, gonna borrow my buddies stud welder and give that a try first. My game plan was a little different though. I was gonna start the pull from the ends and work it in toward the center since that's the way the crease developed. Of course I'm not a bodyman, I'm just a backyard mechanic.
DG

the studgun would be my first choice; I've burnt up 5 of em in my 17 yrs in the business! with the stoutness of that metal, start small, just use light pulls...better to not pull enough and have to make another than to pull too hard and stretch it! Once again, the metal in those trucks is pretty tough, so with the studder you should be able to work most of it out and keep any bondo work strictly as a smoothing coat-the way it should be!

Thanks for the incouragement Bendr, I'll sneak up on it. I'm not a big fan of filler as a substitute for working the metal. Since I'm retired and not doing this to put bread on the table I can afford to take as much time as it takes to do it right. I've worked with lead and prefer it to bondo if I need to level it a bit, especially in an area like this with short compound curves where there isn't much worry about warpage.
Never used the studs in body work but it seems that just using a slide hammer to slam out a low spot would localize the the pressure and create a bunch of bumps. Seems like it would be better to hook the stud and put steady pull pressure on the low spot while you bumped the high spot.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL