I have been fixing up a few small blemishes getting ready to paint the fenders, tailgate, hood, etc. As is typical with the old trucks (cars too) when you start picking at something suddenly you find a bigger problem than you thought you had. And that a PO had not done a very good repair.


The RF fender looks pretty good from a distance but there were a couple suspicious cracks above the wheel arch.

These cracks were behind some reinforcement panels. I seen them when I had cleaned and painted the underside of the fenders (truckbed coating) while I had them off. For me I think that it is easier to fix small blemishes when the fender is mounted.

But when I sander off the paint and started poking around I poked a screwdriver through the crack. Here is what I found.






A PO had been generous with the bondo. It looked good from the outside but bondo doesn't stop rust.

I cut a patch of 16 gauge, fitted and welded it in. I'll finish it tomorrow and you won't know it was there and stronger than before.

On to the next crack.

 

That'll be good once you're done Pete. How does the other fender look?

The previous owner of my '51 had so much bondo on the cab and front fenders I think he used a masonry trowel to slather it on. It was 3/4" thick in places.

 

We had a 1949 Chris craft 42 foot boat. There was a small step a foot wide and six inches high on the side of the cabin going to the bow. The face board had a little dry rot so I thought I would take it out and replace it. To be safe I reached in to check the area around it for dry rot. 178 board feet later I had replaced all the dry rotted boards. There was a brass screw every four inches along the top and bottom of each board. I put them all in by hand so as not to ruin the brass. I would arm wrestle anyone that year.
Don’t go looking for problems unless you are really ready to do a lot of repairs on old trucks or boats. Have fun.

 

Remember this thread? https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...e-outside.html

 

Here is that spot with preliminary finish. Still needs a little fill but it is solid now. Also some prime and paint on the back side to prevent rust.

 

I had forgotten about that one Ross, a harsh reality lesson.

 

I read that thread, and it makes me madder than hell. I will never understand how folks can do that to someone. It is only money, and you can't take it with you. If you are not happy with what you have, then work a little harder, or change the way you spend. Hell, change your career. But don't fleece another person/business, don't lie, cheat steal, defraud.

Makes me appreciate that old rust bucket Gertie all the more. I KNOW where all the rust is on her. And it will get replaced with real steel when I get the chance.

 

Yeah, those were the times. To do it right, I learned to whack good dents into the rusthole area, for the bondo to build up and not crack away because it it to thin a layer....

This is sad to see, and we cherish these old Trucks. But there was a time when they were literally worthless and people couldn't care less if someone will restore it 30 years later on and will face a big problem then. Glad you fixed it the really right way.

I like the look of you rims, Pete. What year are they?


Wil

 

Thanks Wil, Those were made by WheelSmith and are Artillery-style.
theWheelsmith.net Home for Custom Wheels and Accessories

 

Are ultra sonic testers available to check metal thickness from one side? I used them 30 years ago to measure thickness on large steel oil storage tanks
Ed