I Need Help With a Massive Dent repair

[AMCguy]

I had to cram four vehicles into my 32' wide carport while I was getting my new driveway done a couple of weeks ago. I had no room for error. Well guess what. I made an error. A big one.

I got an emergency call out in the middle of the night. I got in my rig and started backing out while I was doing up my seat belt. I didn't remember my wheels were turned and I hit my Javelin. I never even felt it but my truck stopped after it made contact. I gave it a bit more gas and that's what did all the damage.

I need to work this dent out as part of the bodywork I already have to do so it's not the end of the world for me, but I don't want to make it worse.

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. I have some body tools and some very basic experience.

Thanks.

Included is a picture of the truck that did the damage.

 

[Joweebananas]

If you dont have a stud welder you can get one fairly cheap on amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002...tud+welder&dpPl=1&dpID=41CvqcUCXzL&ref=plSrch

So grind down to bare metal along that gouge with all the paint missing, tack on a few stud welds & pull until its close, then putty, prime, paint. Quarter panels are always hardest for me but ive only been at it a couple years.

 

[Musicinabottle]

Be sure to document the fix too!

 

[mrolds88]

You can always use the stud welder and some water to heat shrink if you need also.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I've saved this link to look at when I have more free time. It probably has the answers you're looking for.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=182565

 

[creativecars]

First thing is to remove the interior trim panel from that side and open the trunk to see what you can get to from either end. The Javelin is old enough to have some real metal in the 1/4's so it is not going to be simple. Get a baseball bat, 2x4, oak ax handle or what ever you can find to push the biggest part out from the back side. Usually there are cutouts in the inner panels that will allow some access from the inside. Body work is a last in, first out kind of thing. As the big part comes out you will want to hammer down the high ridge (at the back of the dent in the first pic). It is best if you can get some help to push out from the inside at the same time as the high spot is hammered down.

 

[creativecars]

There will also be some stress from the body lines that will need to be worked out after the big portion is pushed out. I can see a curve that starts at the top body line (curved) curving down and goes to the rear, as you apply some pressure from the inside pushing out, tap along the ridge with a big faced body hammer. It will allow the metal in the center to move out where it belongs. The last part will be the hard straight body line in the middle. It may require a prybar or something with a more pointed end 'tool' to push out just in the body line. You could use a stud gun, but on something that has some metal in it, it won't be easy like a newer vehicle.

 

[bigguns69]

That *****. Work the dent from the inside out just like creative cars mentioned. The stud guns are a last resort in my opinion. Baseball bats and curved ended wood 2x2, 2x4 can work pretty good too. I feel bad for you.

 

[ChevyEFI]

So grind down to bare metal along that gouge with all the paint missing, tack on a few stud welds & pull until its close, use a shrinking disc to finesse the metal flat again with shrinking then putty, prime, paint. Quarter panels are always hardest for me but ive only been at it a couple years.

I added a step I would personally use.

 

[creativecars]

I added a step I would personally use.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joweebananas View Post
So grind down to bare metal along that gouge with all the paint missing, tack on a few stud welds & pull until its close, use a shrinking disc to finesse the metal flat again with shrinking then putty, prime, paint. Quarter panels are always hardest for me but ive only been at it a couple years.

Have you personally used a shrinking disc on a pre-1977 vehicle to fix a large dent like he has? Just asking.

 

[MP&C]

IMO a shrinking disc will give you better results resembling "finesse" if they were smaller, and outward protruding dents. As it stands you have some stretching and some relocation of the sheet metal. Hard to tell which is which in its present state. In my experience the shrinking disc is less manageable inside a deep valley like you're showing. My attempt here would be to get the damage moved outward before attempting a shrinking disc. Some well placed off dolly manipulation, preferably with the striking device on the inside pushing outward, would do quite a bit in itself in removing some of the dent. Make use of that air dolly while it still exists.

"The Key to Metal Bumping" is a good resource, sold in reprint by Eastwood, IIRC. There is another vintage publication available online for download, will try and find that when I'm on a laptop.

I think you'll find with either of these, first in, last out on your repair process. On dolly stretches more, so use methods that limit further damage.

 

[MP&C]

Online resource:

http://www.hnsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/metal-body-repair.pdf

 

[dadsEH]

Do your own heart surgery too do ya??

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Online resource:

http://www.hnsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/metal-body-repair.pdf

Thanks, saved.

 

[MarlynOC]

Did the dent actually pull upward where it separated from the wheel well molding? Separation shown in 3rd photo.

 

[KenC]

Of the two general approaches mentioned, I'd start with a stud welder. But do not work the middle/deep part first. start with a row of studs just a couple of inches inside the outer edge. Pull, gently, a little at a time working around the stud row, while massaging the little raised ridge on the outside with a body hammer. Repeat with another row inside that one. Once you reach the center you'll probably find the center has stretched.
Remove the studs and start a little hammer and dolly work. That's where the shrinking disc is useful. Smooth with the hammer/dolly and shrink as you go.

It's repairable, but you'll need patience to prevent making the stretch worse.

 

[AMCguy]

Thank you for all the advice. And thank you MP&C for the link.

I've got a steep learning curve ahead of me, but I'm going to fix this myself.

MarlynOC, No. the trim piece was in bad shape to begin with. It popped of and downward.

 

[kerrynzl]

I've got a steep learning curve ahead of me, but I'm going to fix this myself.

This'll will help shorten the learning curve . Watch all his vids

 

[EdT]

The bumping sheet metal book recommended above is pretty good. The biggest take away from it that I got was undo the dent in the reverse of the sequence that it occurred. That is, don't start beating on the deepest part of the dent first. Work your way in from the outside edge and in toward the middle. If you start in the middle it's likely that you will push the edges out and then you'll have another problem to fix. Study the damage, decide what happened LAST and start fixing there. Ideally, the last thing you touch will be the first point of contact. The other thing I have learned is don't hit the metal hard enough to stretch it more than it already is. A million light taps is more likely to get you where you want to be than a few big ones that dent the metal more. AFA shrinking goes, the amount of "extra" metal needed to make a big oilcan type dent is amazingly small so not much shrinking will be required if you don't add any more stretch moving the dent outward. Resist attacking the middle of the dent first, work it in from the edges. It might be worth spending a few bucks on a paintless dent guy to work out the bulk of the dent. They have a lot of special tools and trick for getting to the places you can't reach. Obviously this is not a paintless situation, but they can do some amazing stuff. Good luck with it.

 

[DenisG]

I think that I would bend up some 1/4" x 2" strips of steel to match the shape of the curve on the other side of the car. Weld up stiffeners if you want to used them as a dolly, but at least use them as a guide to get you where you want to finally be. (Just my opinion.)

 

[arrowhead]

My guess is there will be little to no access behind the quarter panel unless you cut some access holes. So there won't be much you can do there. It's going to take a heck of a lot of studs and lot of hours with the slide hammer to pull a dent out that deep if you go that route. You could get a little creative and drill a few holes so you can bolt through the panel to a spreader bar behind the panel and pull the dent out with a ratchet strap to the wall or the bumper of the offending truck. I've even used a floor mounted winch in a few cases. The holes can be welded back up, they are the least of your worries. The other option is to go ahead and cut some access holes on the back side of the the inner quarter to the trunk and use the cylinder off an engine hoist. If you can brace it in the trunk and make up an extension for the ram if you need it, you can push it out that way. Put a piece of wood at the head of the ram to spread out the pressure along the dent as you push. Just some random ideas.

 

[AMCguy]

The inner wheel well is directly behind this damage and even it is pushed in a couple of inches.

My first efforts will be from the outside before I'll be able to get at it from the back.

 

[Trey T]

Youtube Arthur Tussik and watch his videos to get an idea on the job.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joweebananas View Post
So grind down to bare metal along that gouge with all the paint missing, tack on a few stud welds & pull until its close, use a shrinking disc to finesse the metal flat again with shrinking then putty, prime, paint. Quarter panels are always hardest for me but ive only been at it a couple years.

Have you personally used a shrinking disc on a pre-1977 vehicle to fix a large dent like he has? Just asking.

No, more 80s. I wouldn't say the shrinking disc is going to fix his "gouge" damage. Just help straigten remaining small spots.

My car I last used a SD on was stolen last year or . . . Yaknow.

 

[Spareparts]

What about a new quarter from OPGI might be less work, that is stretched bad and going to be a ***** to fix for an experienced body man. Can you say shrinking hammer.

 

[AMCguy]

There are no aftermarket body panels for AMC cars. When Chrysler bought what was left of the foundering company, they destroyed all the dies. All they wanted was Jeep. Once in a great while an NOS piece will show up on ebay, but the seller will be asking a fortune.

 

[gahrajmahal]

All good suggestions. Here is one from me from the old days. First I would attempt some practice on another quarter panel. Second, before stud welders we would braze on a flat plate standing on edge with a hole in it to connect our come-a-long hook. The difference between this and the stud welder is you can have a much larger pulling surface that runs the length of a crease instead of several small spots. Hook your come-a-long to a tree or that big truck. You can have a nice steady even pull while hammering a crease and also continue working the dent from the trunk and interior side. When done grind all the brass off before continuing on with the bondo.

I also ran into my own car. While driving my avitar home late one evening, I backed up the driveway as it is easier to maneuver into the two car space. Well, my Ridgeline is black and I did not see it in the dark. Dented bumper on the Chrysler and banged up rubber bumper on the Ridgeline. Waa, Waa.

 

[jhelrey]

Had to Google what a shrinking disc was...

 

[Motorman55]

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...5784D0C9D0AB57C36D5A5784D0C9D0AB57C&FORM=VIRE