When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I've been around the block and then some on panel truck rust repair. My truck came to me in very poor condition. The rear wheel arches and tubs were especially bad. If you click on my user name, you can access some of the threads generated documenting my journey. I received excellent advice from some of our best exports. In the end, however, I ended up cutting some corners due to budget and time constraints, and not following through as thoroughly as I would have liked to have done. That being said, four years out from the repairs my truck still looks respectable, is reasonably structurally sound, and I feel comfortable taking it on extended trips.
The threads that deal specifically with rear wheel arches and tubs are: "Compatibility Question", and "Dustless blasting and some complications". Good luck!
As an after thought, I did some checking on the threads I recommended to you and realize they don't tell the end of the story. They imply that I was going to replace all the previously brazed and bad metal and opt for a "proper" permanent repair. That was my intention, and I even went so far as to acquire most of the replacement metal that would be needed to graft into the problem areas.
The actual work, however, never got done, and I ended up going for a "chemical" fix which was one of the (less recommended) options I was considering. I didn't follow through on replacing the metal because I ended up getting laid up with a broken leg just about the time when I was going to start doing the work. Impatience and concerns about the amount of money being spent set in, and I decided to just seal up the exposed brazing with BJ Weld. I sealed up the insides of the wheel arches with bed liner and roofing cement. I was skeptical as to how long this "low budget" repair was going to hold up, but so far so good. I have the metal stored away (and maybe the funds) for a better repair if and when it's needed.
If you look at my thread, "Is This Rust or Patina?" you can get an idea of the amount of rust in my truck compared to yours. Post 46 of that thread talks about the decision to go the "chemical" route. Good luck and post up some pics of your truck. Experts here will guide you every step of the way. All they need are questions and pictures.
Sure, lots of ideas, but I need more info. Your post was of interest to me because I have a '56 panel for my next project and I might learn something.
So I am going to make some assumptions because that either I don't know or am to lazy to look it up. that's your job. I think that all the panel trucks from '48 to '56 are basically the same body and that the rear fenders are part of the body and are not replaceable as a individual part or that patch panels not available from the aftermarket. I do not know if the wheel-well profile is the same as on the pickups (your job) for used parts.
You can not make a decision on how or what to repair until you know how bad the damage is, it might be possible using fibreglass reinforced body filler that is waterproof, probably not and the metal is not waterproof and if the damage is extensive will have to be replaced. Do you have a mig welder or can pay someone to fix it? A metal fab shop can make new wheel-well panels for you. Grind out the old rust first to see what you are faced with.
Are you building a daily driver or a show truck , this is important not only for the dollars but for the type of repairs, bone stock original costs almost as much as a show truck, a daily driver not so much as other options are available. (Purists take a Valium) If 100 percent original is not needed then a little thinking outside the box is required.
My current other-make project also needed rear wheel-well patch panels and they were either not available or very expensive but there are a lot made for the more common vehicles, I used some early GM pickup ones, cheap and hard to tell the profile difference but because my replacement diff was too wide I had to make it bigger, the second patch panel was from a mid year Gm pickup, cheap. A WORK IN PROGRESS.
A lot of vehicles are not totally symmetrical from the factory. Years ago I was working on a 70's Plymouth Duster that a guy was building a drag car out of, modifying the rear wheel openings for his slicks. The rear end was square with the chassis, but we trimmed 3 inches off the front of the opening on one side, and 3 inches off the back of the opening on the other side to even out the openings for the tires. That always made me chuckle, even 40 years later.
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
lol
