Decklid high in the middle of the front edge vs the front corners, how do I bend it without damaging it?
- Thread starter jtfx6552
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I thinking about my options. Looking at it more, the flange which I thought bent, did not. It's just that added dent. Basically as you move away from the edge of the panel, the inner structure moves away from the skin, leaving the skin unsupported, so any force in that area is going to first bend the skin down to the substructure. Only trying to bend the part of the substructure thats under the flange would have never worked. The only way to do it I think would be to separate the skin from the substructure then bend the substructure separate and put the skin back on. I believe taking the skin on and off is at the limits of or beyond my pay grade, even if I wanted to spend the time.
As far as trying to raise the panel on the car in the middle, I think it's too risky to start pushing on it hard to make it move assembled. I think I could reshape it fairly easily if the substructure there was not connected to the outer panel. But it's plug welded not spot welded. The way I do my plug welds is not conducive to being able to drill them out and ever reuse the pieces. The removed plug would be too large.
I could put some relief cuts in the sub structure of the lid as you suggest. That would allow the crown to come down, then welding the cuts back up would shrink more, also pulling it where I want it to go.
I'm going to let it roll around in my head some more and see what suggestions come in before doing anything.
1A Rock
Promoted Users
Think about this; the only thing about this part of your car that is the correct shape and contour is the lid. I would spend more time thinking how to make my car fit the lid then how to make the lid fit my incorrect car. JMO don't mean nothing.
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theastronaut
Promoted Users
In the first pic it looks like the panel between the lid and window has a nice flowing curve that blends into the quarter panel tops very well. I'd leave that alone. Use thin/springy aluminum c-channel to check the overall left to right shape of the filler panel from quarter to quarter, then check the lid itself and compare which shape fits against the quarter tops the best. It looks like the deck lid has too much curve in comparison. If you made the panel between the window and lid match the trunk it won't flow into the quarter tops as nicely as it does now, the lid seems too convex compared to the quarter tops from what I can see in the pics provided.
I made a wide/flat hook to go on the end of a slide hammer that hooks under the hemmed edge of panels like this to pull up on the inner structure, not just the very edge. A bunch of light/medium taps around the low corners would go a long way in making the panel shapes closer. You might could hit the skin just inside of the edges with a shrinking disk before bumping with the slide hammer to keep the skin from dropping into a low spot/crease from the inward compression tension of the corners being pulled up by the slide hammer- the problem Chris was describing when hitting the edge with a hammer.
Another option since it's dented now is to de-skin it and bend the inner brace to fit the opening correctly. You'll have access to both sides to work the dent out, the skin isn't getting weird stresses in it from being twisted/bent/moved around together with the inner structure, and the skin will fit as it should when its back on the inner structure. With the seam unfolded, if there are any gap size problems you can hammer and dolly the 90* edge crease in or out to compensate and open or close up the gap when the edge is folded back over the inner structure. You'd also be able to get epoxy between the inner and outer skins.
I made a wide/flat hook to go on the end of a slide hammer that hooks under the hemmed edge of panels like this to pull up on the inner structure, not just the very edge. A bunch of light/medium taps around the low corners would go a long way in making the panel shapes closer. You might could hit the skin just inside of the edges with a shrinking disk before bumping with the slide hammer to keep the skin from dropping into a low spot/crease from the inward compression tension of the corners being pulled up by the slide hammer- the problem Chris was describing when hitting the edge with a hammer.
Another option since it's dented now is to de-skin it and bend the inner brace to fit the opening correctly. You'll have access to both sides to work the dent out, the skin isn't getting weird stresses in it from being twisted/bent/moved around together with the inner structure, and the skin will fit as it should when its back on the inner structure. With the seam unfolded, if there are any gap size problems you can hammer and dolly the 90* edge crease in or out to compensate and open or close up the gap when the edge is folded back over the inner structure. You'd also be able to get epoxy between the inner and outer skins.
Yes hinges were removed, pretty much the entire back of the car was replaced.
It's a shame, I really tried to save the original glass to deck lid panel, but in the end gave up and used the repro.
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Big Dave
Promoted Users
I’m with the astronaut on de-skinning the lid since it needs work anyway. The rest of your work looks good and the lines flow nicely.
However, we are all looking at pictures. I’d try to find another complete car to look at and make templates if possible. At least to get some good pictures for reference.
However, we are all looking at pictures. I’d try to find another complete car to look at and make templates if possible. At least to get some good pictures for reference.
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I kept it for a long time, but I had to move and sent all this to the scrap bin.
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I thought about that, may be worth a shot.
If i had the skills, this is the ultimate answer. I'm trying to do this car so that no one can tells the repairs that were done. The spot welds on the parts that wrap around like the deck lid are super tiny, which on the one hand seems like it would make them easy to drill out. On the other hand, some are on the edge of the wrapped around skin. Those aren't even round. In the past, I've always decide one side or the other wouldn't be reused and just used the edge of a cut off wheel. Any hints how to release those so that I can put the same two pieces back together? Any hints how to unwrap the edge without messing it up? Any hints how to duplicate the look of the on the edge spot welds?
I should go look at, I think it was Crashtech's recent thread (edit it's actually '68 Coronet R/T http://www.spiuserforum.com/index.php?threads/1968-plymouth-gtx.5783/post-107381) where he unwrapped the hood, and maybe some other panels from his GTX. Edit: I wish mine had no spot welds, lol.
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Considering the mess you are in, this is very inexpensive.
Filler panel
But I would search Facebook market place for an original, I found two NOS quarter panels, nice original hood and deck lid for my 66 coupe. Quarters were expensive, but the others were cheaper and better than reproduction.
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theastronaut
Promoted Users
A round carbide burr can be used instead of drilling to release the spot welds, especially the ones on an edge.
The best trick I've seen for replicating spot welds is to use a pencil eraser to dab still-wet high build primer, but that works on flat flanges and probably wouldn't work on an edge.
The best trick I've seen for replicating spot welds is to use a pencil eraser to dab still-wet high build primer, but that works on flat flanges and probably wouldn't work on an edge.
I decided to rig something up to try to see how hard it is to move the transition panel. Car is surprisingly, at least to me not very rigid there. I could move it around without putting much stress on the frame rails/trunk floor.
The middle is now good for most of the way across. Just the corner of the lid may need to come up a little. I think it's now within the adjustment range. I can do some more if needed. I hadn't adjusted the lid very precisely in the opening to do the bending, just well enough to see what's going on. Weather strip is cheap enough I may glue some on to see how good I can get it.
The middle is now good for most of the way across. Just the corner of the lid may need to come up a little. I think it's now within the adjustment range. I can do some more if needed. I hadn't adjusted the lid very precisely in the opening to do the bending, just well enough to see what's going on. Weather strip is cheap enough I may glue some on to see how good I can get it.
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1A Rock
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Good deal, who would have known?
I wanted to add, theastronaut is correct that the "raised" transition panel doesn't have the correct contour to meet up with the deck lid. If I was a superman like some on here I'd try to fix that. But I'm not, so I'll just let it be. Just need to fix my dent that I added in the skin. I think a stud puller for that.