Started removing paint. Is this body damage?

[MarctheDrifter]

I'm not a body guy, and I've never worked on cars this old. Just started the rust removal/paint stripping, and noticed this gap between the panels and a tear in the metal in the cut-out above it (most obviously in the second picture). Is the gap from the factory, or is it some kind of damage? Also, is that weld below it a factory weld? I'm not going for a factory concours restoration, I just want a car that will drive and not fall apart. Can I just hammer that gap closed and spot weld it back? 

Also, any tips for stripping off paint/rust are greatly appreciated.

[Cuda Cody]

Your frame rail looks totally fine to me.  I don't see anything that would scare me.  Many times the factory panels have little (we'll call them) "not perfect" areas that they just made fit.  Based on a quick glance of your frame rail and panel it looks really solid and good to me.

If you had any damage from a front end boo boo it would most likely show up in the cowl and firewall area.

As for getting rid of rust and paint, I believe in media blasting.  Just make sure you have someone that knows what they are doing handle the work.  I've seen many cars ruined because the blaster said "I've done a ton of them and I know what I'm doing".     Then they warp panels.

[Cuda Cody]

A gap there in the panel is normal.     (click to enlarge the photo)

[RUNCHARGER]

That's a good looking repair, Your car may have some rust but that area looks great, I think your car is probably a lot better than most that get torn  into.

[anlauto]

That repair may have been done at the factory if they found cold spot welds...

[RUNCHARGER]

I'm thinking afterwards because it doesn't look like a stick weld. I sure wouldn't worry about it anyway.

[Mopar5]

Once you get that car down to bare steel you will  find all sorts of sloppy factory welding that looks like person that did them that was just learning to weld . There are a lot of undercut areas on the factory welds but the amazing thing is that after all these years you will find the almost all of welds will still be solid unless the area is rusted.

[jimynick]

That's actually pretty good welding for a factory effort! He must've set down his beer and/or joint when he did that one. 

[70 Challenger Lover]

That's actually pretty good welding for a factory effort! He must've set down his beer and/or joint when he did that one. 

I agree on the long weld of the shock tower to the frame. It's actually really nice compared to the drunken monkey welds I've found on cars.

As far as the gap, sometimes a bit of rust forms between overlapped panels and pushes the metal apart but I'd actually guess the panel got deformed on the corner and they just welded it into the car anyway.

[Mopar5]

It can be really tempting to want to go over some of those welds and reinforce and pretty them up but then you are altering the nostalgia of the car and if they have lasted this long they will probably make it another 50 years

[Ifixmycarmyself]

Front rails are weak. Any kind of Duke of Hazard driving will show but not there. The damage is more where the inner fender is attached to the upper cowl. If the cowl part is not pushed in with a small deformation on upper side and the inner fender looks good, not bent, wher it's attached to the cowl , then youre good.

Media blast for sure but if your restoration will take some time, you whant to seal the blasted metal with epoxy primer or else it will rust again. A sanded surface can stay longer before starting to rust again.

[Topcat]

I honestly don't think they really trained anyone at the factory to weld or even check if they were good or not.

It was probably a 1/2 hour training class then off they went to the assembly lines.

It was all done with stick welders I'm sure.

Point and shoot.

[Brads70]

I honestly don't think they really trained anyone at the factory to weld or even check if they were good or not.

It was probably a 1/2 hour training class then off they went to the assembly lines.

It was all done with stick welders I'm sure.

Point and shoot.

propane torch and coat hangers!