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I am going to spread some of the body glazing compound in the back area of my tr3 where the license plate light is. This area gently rounds out with a small dent at the license plate light in all directions from the center left and right mostly. Nothing is flat on a tr3; my past body work has been filling places where rust pits and low spots are. The spot has epoxy primmer on it and I will do some roughing with 80grit. My plan is to gently spread out a thin layer large enough to feather in all points out and try to achieve the rounding of that area. Fortunately the light hides some of the area and the rest is kinda down under. All suggestion are needed because this a new frontier for me.
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TR2/3/3A back area body work
- Thread starter sp53
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It looks to me like you car needs a proper repair and since you have access to both sides of the dent, it would be nice to pound them out. Perhaps you can find someone at your local club to get you started on it. There are also a bunch of videos. Adequate Chinese hammers and dollies are available. Also might need some heat on the upper dent. Get the shape right and then spread a skim coat of filler.
That said, you can hide things with putty and an awful lot of block sanding.
Tom
That said, you can hide things with putty and an awful lot of block sanding.
Tom
Thanks Tom I guess I have not got the hang of using the hammers and dollies completely down. It seems I sometimes create collateral damage around the area I am trying to fix. I will try a little more on the dent that should up so well in the picture. It actually did not look that big before????????
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Not all that big but rather deep and it is, of course, easy to make matters worse than better.. Those dents stretch the metal so the repair requires shrinking. You can shrink to some extent with hammer inside and dolly outside but a bit of heat makes it easy.
If you do decide to repair the dents rather than just fill them, I'd recommend that you use the primer that's on it as a guide coat and sand it with a stiff long board (I like the foam type). That will show you the highs and lows. Better yet, remove the epoxy primer from a wide area around the damage and work with a commercial guide coat (I use any rattle can available). Some experts use body files instead and no guide coats until final sanding but I just use the sanding board.
Actually, you can use the same technique if you decide to fill in the dents.
Tom
If you do decide to repair the dents rather than just fill them, I'd recommend that you use the primer that's on it as a guide coat and sand it with a stiff long board (I like the foam type). That will show you the highs and lows. Better yet, remove the epoxy primer from a wide area around the damage and work with a commercial guide coat (I use any rattle can available). Some experts use body files instead and no guide coats until final sanding but I just use the sanding board.
Actually, you can use the same technique if you decide to fill in the dents.
Tom
charleyf
Luke Skywalker
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The backside is not all that available as there is a verticle brace immediately behind. That said it is best to try (if you can) to bring the metal back out as much as possible. Another method is to find somebody with a tool that welds studs onto the face and pull the dent out.
Charley
Charley
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True enough but But that brace might be used as a fulcrum if reinforced with scrap of hardwood or it can be removed, if necessary. Granted, that adds the complication of a bit of welding to put it back in.
Tom
When I started in that area last summer, I removed the putty that was there and tried to knock out the dents, and I had big problems with that brace. I left the area and keep moving into areas that were clearer. One of the areas was the truck floor because the floor oil canned and had heavy rust pitting, but was good enough to save. Especial when face with a trunk floor replacement. I did that once and now try to avoid it. Anyways, I shrunk the trunk floor with heat and rags and that took out the oil canning. However, later I noticed how uneven the trunk floor was and started to see how the trunk floor problem was connected to the brace in the trunk and the damage to the license plate light area. Now I can see where the brace is tweaked a little where it is weld to the channel. I am gaining knowledge, and the hindsight is clearer, but painful.
At the time I felt I could easily do more damage if I push the back area out with a Porto-power and the area seemed rigged and small, so I opt for filling it back with putty because I saw how it was before I removed the putty. but you guys kinda pushed me into trying more, cool.
Yesterday I got more dedicated and angrily motivated at myself and this projected and just let go some and tried using what I thought would work best with personal experience. In carpentry old craftsman often used dimpled headed hammers for carpentry finish work, and on big construction jobs we made and modified tools. I took one of the tools I got in my little body shop kit and ground it down into a kind ball-peen hammer deal that match the curve of the rear panel. This let me give a glancing blow to the area where that small dent was and it came right out.
In the picture you can see how the around where the light goes is knida squared off and vertical. I want to maybe put some of the curve back in there, but at that same time leave it kidna flat and vertical for the light, and again not cause more damage. The light in picture makes it looks worse, but I need the camera angle to show the area. I am really getting curious about how that area looked new. I believe it arched completely across the back.
At the time I felt I could easily do more damage if I push the back area out with a Porto-power and the area seemed rigged and small, so I opt for filling it back with putty because I saw how it was before I removed the putty. but you guys kinda pushed me into trying more, cool.
Yesterday I got more dedicated and angrily motivated at myself and this projected and just let go some and tried using what I thought would work best with personal experience. In carpentry old craftsman often used dimpled headed hammers for carpentry finish work, and on big construction jobs we made and modified tools. I took one of the tools I got in my little body shop kit and ground it down into a kind ball-peen hammer deal that match the curve of the rear panel. This let me give a glancing blow to the area where that small dent was and it came right out.
In the picture you can see how the around where the light goes is knida squared off and vertical. I want to maybe put some of the curve back in there, but at that same time leave it kidna flat and vertical for the light, and again not cause more damage. The light in picture makes it looks worse, but I need the camera angle to show the area. I am really getting curious about how that area looked new. I believe it arched completely across the back.
CJD
Yoda
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You are right, it was initially arched from the boot lid all the way to the tire lid.
If you take an empty soda can and push in near the middle until it dents, you'll notice that not only does the dent go inward, but the metal pushes outward above and below the dent. That's going to be the problem you're facing with that area...if it is pushed inward where the light mounts, then it will be pushed outward just above the light. It would push outward below too, but the trunk floor likely prevented that.
Fixing it would normally be easy...but you've got that center brace right in the way. It is going to restrict the room you have to work.
If it were me, I'd put a chair where I can see the area, pop a beer and study it a while.
Usually when I'm faced with something onerous, like taking the time to remove that center brace to gain access...some time with a beer makes it seem less onerous! So, I guess I'm saying you may have to pop out that brace, and then you should be able to get your new, custom shaped hammer behind the flat area. Or, if you have a dolly that matches the curve of the valence panel, you can use that to tap outward from inside...while backing it on the outside with a flat dolly.
The bigger the hammer head or dolly you have to tap out with, the less dimpling you'll get.
By this point I bet you're thinking that just using filler sounds better! To return to the soda can analogy...the problem with using filler is that it fills. Remember the high spots that developed when we dented the can? Those cannot be fixed with filler. You would have to use even more filler AROUND the high spots to fair them into the panel. In the end, it would be a whole lotta' filler and the panel will be a different shape than intended.
While you're having that beer, think if you have any way...or any tools handy...that can pry on the flat portion with the center brace still in place. You very well may be able to just "shove" the flat portion back into shape. And, doing that will pull the high spot above back down too. Win/win and no hammering if you can figure out a way to get to it!
If you take an empty soda can and push in near the middle until it dents, you'll notice that not only does the dent go inward, but the metal pushes outward above and below the dent. That's going to be the problem you're facing with that area...if it is pushed inward where the light mounts, then it will be pushed outward just above the light. It would push outward below too, but the trunk floor likely prevented that.
Fixing it would normally be easy...but you've got that center brace right in the way. It is going to restrict the room you have to work.
If it were me, I'd put a chair where I can see the area, pop a beer and study it a while.
Usually when I'm faced with something onerous, like taking the time to remove that center brace to gain access...some time with a beer makes it seem less onerous! So, I guess I'm saying you may have to pop out that brace, and then you should be able to get your new, custom shaped hammer behind the flat area. Or, if you have a dolly that matches the curve of the valence panel, you can use that to tap outward from inside...while backing it on the outside with a flat dolly.
The bigger the hammer head or dolly you have to tap out with, the less dimpling you'll get.
By this point I bet you're thinking that just using filler sounds better! To return to the soda can analogy...the problem with using filler is that it fills. Remember the high spots that developed when we dented the can? Those cannot be fixed with filler. You would have to use even more filler AROUND the high spots to fair them into the panel. In the end, it would be a whole lotta' filler and the panel will be a different shape than intended.
While you're having that beer, think if you have any way...or any tools handy...that can pry on the flat portion with the center brace still in place. You very well may be able to just "shove" the flat portion back into shape. And, doing that will pull the high spot above back down too. Win/win and no hammering if you can figure out a way to get to it!
John_Progess
Jedi Warrior
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When I did my car the back end needed a little work and the brace was in the way so I cut it loose, just below the top spot welds, with a cut off wheel and bent it forward to the floor. That made it easy to do the hammer and dolly work. Then I carefully bent it up and re-welded it to the body. Have a good day!
John
John