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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
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For helping keep this great
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on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down
with Ads!  Again, thanks!
| | | | Joined: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,232 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,232 | I need a quick course in body work ...
I pulled the running boards off of my '54 3100 to paint. When I stripped them, I found that the outside edges were slightly dented (long shallow creases) and had been filled with body filler. I ground the white filler out pretty easily with a wire wheel on a 3/8" drill. A couple of spots were about 1/8" deep. Most less than 1/16". No rust. I've had the truck for 13 years. The previous owner probably did the work 15-20 years ago. They looked good. I didn't know they had filler. They did not have cracks or ghosts showing through. If I had known, I would have scuff sanded and painted.
Now I gotta re-fill the creases and prep for paint. The boards were painted flat black. I want to paint them semi-gloss black enamel or urathane, so I'll have to do a good job on the prep.
++>> What filler should I use? Any tips? Never done this before, but not afraid to try. Current plan to shoot with epoxy primer before filling. Is there a how-to website for "dummies?"
++>> Or should I let a body shop do the job and move on to tasks that I know that I can do? Need to complete and mount them before a show in mid-October.
Thanks for your help and advice,
- Lonnie My '54 3104Photos that I have shared on Stovebolt via PhotoBucket are no longer available. Please contact me if you want a photo from an old post. lonniecook [at] aol [dot] com. I sold my '54 3104 12/12/2017, but I still visit Stovebolt. OLD STUFF ... houses, furniture, cars, wine ... I love it all | | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,718 back yard wrench turner | | back yard wrench turner Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,718 | Why not try to straighten the creases out. Work them from the back side a little at a time.
If you decide to use filler, use one that is waterproof.
Wayne1938 1-Ton Farm TruckStovebolt Gallery Forums1989 Silverado 1996 Mustang GT convertible When I die, I hope she doesn't sell everything for what I told her I paid for it! | | | | | Joined: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,232 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,232 | Thanks Wayne -
I started to bring one of them to the Longwood show last weekend to show you and get your advice. You are my idol on body work and paint!
The steel on the running boards is pretty thick and I'm pretty inexperienced. I'm starting to feel that I may not have time to learn how and do it well before my mid-Oct deadline.
I may get some estimates from a couple of body shops today. Not looking forward to the price. I wish that I could find a shop that will allow me to do the grunt work and they do the rest - to save some $$.
- Lonnie My '54 3104Photos that I have shared on Stovebolt via PhotoBucket are no longer available. Please contact me if you want a photo from an old post. lonniecook [at] aol [dot] com. I sold my '54 3104 12/12/2017, but I still visit Stovebolt. OLD STUFF ... houses, furniture, cars, wine ... I love it all | | | | | Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 785 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 785 | I agree with Wayne, while the paint and bondo is removed, use the opportunity to hammer out some of the dents. Even if you still need a small amount of filler to get them straight, less is better  | | |
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