Straighten panels - Body work question

[Cuda Cody]

Use weldthru primer when you're in those situations.  Avoid putting chemicals that eat rust or convert it in those spots you can not get in easy.  For the same reason I don't like to chemicals dip cars.  Once you have bare metal in the area between panels you can never get seem sealer or protection back in there and rust comes back faster and stronger.     

[soundcontrol]

I use a weld thru primer on my repairs, on the spots I weld. But I was thinking of all the seams that I'm not gonna open.

[Cuda Cody]

That factory used sealant between the panels before they welded them whenever it needed to be sealed.  If the panel does not need to be removed for rust repair, then I would not worry about it.  If it has made it 45 years without rusting during the first half of it's life, it's going to to be fine now that you are taking better care of it. 

I use a weld thru primer on my repairs, on the spots I weld. But I was thinking of all the seams that I'm not gonna open.

[jimynick]

Use a heel dolly that has both a flat base and edge and work the bar from both sides. Using your eye or having made a marker mark in the low spots, take your hammer and gently work the low spots from below into the flat of the opposed dolly on top and then work the top the same way, down. You can use a cross peen hammer to widely pick up the low spots and then dolly any pick marks out. As for the rot between the rad support side and top panels, you've got 2 choices- replace or repair and I repaired, by surgically slitting out the rotted section and then carefully cutting patches and welding them in with the attendant grinding and dollying. Don't forget to hammer those swollen panels with the flat face of your hammer and the dolly to knock the caked on rot, out before cutting the piece out. A wee bit of short strand fibreglass filler both waterproofs and smooths it out and then I seam sealed the SOB so that I don't have to do it again, please God! Hell of a way to build a car, eh? 

[soundcontrol]

Thanks jimynick, yes, I tried some more hammering, went a little better, I can see it takes a lot of patience and it helps to focus on a smaller area. The hight spots on the support are pretty easy, the low ones I have a hard time getting to with the hammer, I will try to use something in between to hit it from under. Hopefully I will someday soon add a picture of a nice looking radiator support here!

The small rust in the upper part, I'm replacing patches, driver side had the same rustspot, even went thru the support, and it was very bumpy so I cut a bigger section out, working on that piece now.

That grey weld thru primer I got (2:nd pict, zinc based) does not work well with my TIG, it screws with the arc, I can weld thru it, but it welds so much better if I just use a dremel to remove the primer just in the hole for the plug weld. Can't find the copper based one here, anyone knows the brand? (I see MCR uses a copper one all the time).

[RUNCHARGER]

Nice repair. The weldthru primer is a misnomer I think as well. I do remove it from where I want to weld however it does protect the hidden surfaces beside the weld. I haven't tried the copper stuff but it does look like it works better.

[Cuda Cody]

You keep making progress!  Nice job. 

[soundcontrol]

Nice repair. The weldthru primer is a misnomer I think as well. I do remove it from where I want to weld however it does protect the hidden surfaces beside the weld. I haven't tried the copper stuff but it does look like it works better.

The primer might work better with a MIG, I use a TIG and it is so sensitive to all kinds of contamination. I will borrow a MIG when I do the trunk floor next, lots of plug welding, and I find that difficult with the TIG.

[RUNCHARGER]

With a Mig it seems to spatter as well, much better weld if it's bare metal where you weld. The fumes aren't too good either.

[JS29]

I have found A thin coat of weld-thru primer works better. thick and it dose not weld as well. copper weld works the best for me.

[jimynick]

You've got this. Mine also went through the upper tie bar. Don't you love working around those damn wiring clips? In your quest to straighten the upper tie bar, you can use a corner of the dolly or a pointed bar to push up in the middle of the depression while hitting the top side with your hammer. You'll see the mark it makes and you then "walk" the bar around the depression picking up the low areas until you're where you need to be. Then, use the flat dolly and gently hammer smooth the pick marks. Straighten the edge until it's nice and that makes bringing the rest of it up a little bit easier as you have a guide as to how high you want it. Moderate force blows are usually best, but there's a place for light and heavier ones, too. A 40 grit RoloLoc disc on a whizzy wheel is your friend here also. Don't sweat it, you're doing well, it just takes time.