The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Do I remove my 1952 fenders to paint?

I'm new to bodywork. So with that said I assume you should remove the fenders to straighten dents and paint my 1952 GMC. W
hen I install these do you reccommend using some kind of webbing?

The door hinges on my truck are sloppy. Is there a kit to replace the hinge pins and bushings or do I need to replace them? Is there a prand to look for?

You don't have to take anything off of your truck to paint it... if all you want is a fresh coat of paint. Keep in mind that the range of projects discussed on this board can be anything from the simplest fix-what's-broke-and-drive-it to complete restoration. Only you can decide how much work you want to put into your truck.

There are kits for fixing sloppy hinges and they are commonly available from vendors selling parts for your truck. If you look in the Tech Tips there is a good tutorial for rebuilding your hinges.

If you're wanting a quality paint job you need to remove all panels in order to do the proper prep & paint. Leaving the fenders on will allow any rusting areas on the mounting flange(s) to keep rusting. I've seen a lot of folks cut corners & leave panels on to save time and money but IMHO it's a substandard paint job. To answer your original question it's often easier to do the straightening while the fenders are on the truck then remove them for paint. If the truck didn't come from the factory with welting there's really no need to put any on unless you just like the look.

Agree with the above. It is easier to do the dent repair and hammering with the fenders attached to the truck.

IMHO, pull the fenders. I thought mine were fine in behind there, no rust, no problems. Boy was I wrong. Pulled them off, and half a 5 gallon bucket of dirt, rust, and "other materials" fell out. It also exposed quite a bit of otherwise hidden rusting metal, which, if left to its own devices, would have most likely crept out of the little hole they were in and showed up on the paint or under the floor. Then you get to paint it all over again!