The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Where do you draw the line on fender repair vs. replacement?

Should I also add...not at the bank account? I found my 53-3100 for sale in a guys yard last fall, ponied up my $750 and drove it home. It's painted white so it hides a lot of ills, yet I can still see and feel some of them under the paint. I'm confident if has a lot of Bondo under that paint and I can feel the roll of bondo around the lower edge of the wheel well on the R.F. fender. I'm not seeing any patch panels available for that arc, so I'm assuming that if it has succumbed to cancer it needs replacement? I'd like to use it as a driver until I get closer to my retirement, when I should have more time to do an off the frame assessment and rebuild.

I would strip the suspected areas with a Norton paint stripper disc on a grinder to see if the fender is rusted out or just dented up. Then if you feel that you are up to the task of fixing the dents, have at it. If it is banged up beyond your ability to fix it, find a better used one. I am in the same boat as you are. I fixed all the rusted areas and now I have to decide whether to bondo the many rippled areas on the rest of the fender or look for a better fender.

I'm going to going through this myself, truck got hit today and crunched the left rear fender pretty bad. Not sure it can be fixed.

LONGBOX,
I reckon anything can be fixed...but at what cost in time and money? If it was made it should be repairable, if one has all the metal stretchers and rollers, etc. Real world is that I hate to think of spending almost as much of a pair of fenders as I did for the whole truck!
Here's what I'm envisioning: A steel patch panel arc that is the same shape as the fender well opening that could be spot welded into the inner surface and probably wire-fed along the outer edge. Then ground smooth and covered with bondo to get a real metal edge. I'm thinking that someone with the right equipment could make such a piece...but it appears not yet. Maybe I'm the only guy with the arc rusted off my fender?

I used the cab patch panel corners back in 1966 when I fixed up my first '50 1/2 t. I was hoping that patch panels had progressed far enough to bale me outta this one!

I agree with Carl. Strip it down, access damage and go from there. The fact you got the truck for a good price gives you some wiggle room to find a better fender...and unless you can do it yourself, or a friend, then spend the money and move on. In the end you'll be glad you did and sleep good at night.

Don't they sell a patch panel for the bottom rear corners of the front fenders? Don't like to be a downer, but usually one thing leads to another with rust..... But access the fender first then decide....
John

Yes, there are some good patch panel options for the back/bottom, but I have a 12 inch chunk missing in the upper arc of the wheel opening. I'll wear the paint off and see what is...or isn't under there.
Good responses, guyz, Thsnks!