Started Fender patches today

[mmagic]

Only got 4 hours on the Speedster today and I spent it on the right fender patch.

Several days ago I made a confirmation line on the fender 12" from the door edge fold. Marked a second line where the cut should be using the patch as a guide and using a metal blade in the angle grinder cut off the damage. I then used the grinder to remove the fold at door edge freeing up the "L" channel. .... about an hour.

Today I began by wire (in angle grinder) brushing the heavy scale off the L channel then treating it with OSPHO. When dry, coated it with MS. Opened up the fold on the patch panel so that the L channel could seat. Then fitted the patch to the L... without attaching. Used the hammer liberally to make all the curves match as most of the patch will get a bondo skim anyway.



Tested the patch against the car and discovered top fold was 1/4" too high, straightened and refolded.

Turned to the fender and fit the patch beginning at the mid line crease and working out, measuring from edge to the confirmation line all along the way. Attached the panel at a number of points with self tapping screws and temporarily attached angle irons to maintain lateral straightness. Didn't use the angles on the Champ and consequently needed way too much bondo.... about 4 hours.


In the AM I plan to weld the patch to the fender, front and back, grind, clean, OSPHO and bondo the joint; insert and weld L in place.

Planned on 10 to 12 hours on fender patches and still in range despite having to move fold at the top of the patch. They do require a bit of panel beating and fitting but I'd hate to think how much time I'd need if I started with a blank piece of 18 gauge.

[58PackardWagon]

What year and model is the fender for? Wouldn't it have been more cost effective to buy a nice used rust free fender?

[JimC]

What year and model is the fender for? Wouldn't it have been more cost effective to buy a nice used rust free fender?

I may be wrong, but I've heard that if you have a NOS c/k fender, you can write your own price tag. They're hard to come by, and have a value reflective of that. Spending several hours and hundreds of dollars on patches may in fact be the more economical deal.

[mmagic]

The car came with a Hawk front clip and I traded for the 55 President (C/K) clip and one patch. the clip is straight but has severe rust pits and the normal A pillar rust. I did them on the Champ and that was the first time I had ever touched a welder...

As far as I'm concerned the CE patches are no big deal and only about 4 to 6 hours each... Even if I had got a good '55 front clip, unless it was NOS, it would only be time before the rust genie would have shown up so I believe I'm better off just doing the fix now. I know that the '55 is different from the Hawks and I've heard that '55 is unique to all C/K models. The difference is inner panels at the front.

I spelled out my process because I sense from comments on the Board and all the Studes I see needing front fender patches that a large number of Stude drivers are intimidated by the thought of the process.... not the $150 for a pair. I've been tempted to start buying ebay Studes, do the fender patch they all seem to need and flip them right back to ebay. If it wasn't for transportation, I bet you could bump the price of most ebay studes by a thousand or two just with fender patches.

[Bob Andrews]

Isn't this the car you painted the other day?? I'm confused

[mmagic]

Isn't this the car you painted the other day?? I'm confused

Yes, we painted the shell sans front clip. Now we're finishing front clip then on to mechanical.

[Bob Andrews]

Got it. Kind of unusual way to do it. Hope you don't run into color match problems, which frequently happens when panels are painted at different times.

Agree about fender patching. I have a few sets of Lark fenders that I plan to patch and use or sell.

I assume you are going to trim and butt weld the patches, right? Overlapping is not a good idea.

[mmagic]

Got it. Kind of unusual way to do it. Hope you don't run into color match problems, which frequently happens when panels are painted at different times.

Agree about fender patching. I have a few sets of Lark fenders that I plan to patch and use or sell.

I assume you are going to trim and butt weld the patches, right? Overlapping is not a good idea.

I would have preferred to paint it all at once but circumstances did not permit. The ivory should not have the risk as much as the gray. I'll might end up re-shooting the gray if there is a match problem.

I'll overlap and seal real well as my welding skills are still learning and my butt welding attempts have been only marginally successful. I'd hate to leave half a fender beside the road!

[jclary]

Great work! And, thanks for sharing!

Permit me a couple of humble observations.

Patching rather than bolting on a used fender....anybody can turn a wrench... having the gonads to conceive, imagine, cut, hammer, weld, grind, {sweat}, sand, sculpt, and paint...takes guts. The experience and skills gained, by doing the work yourself, go far beyond the obvious outcome. There are those who "buy" things, and those who "make/remake" things.

One night, my wife made a rare pilgrimage out to the man cave when I was in probably the fourth year of my six-year restoration on the '48. There I was, covered from head to toe in sweat,dirt, cobwebs, and debris from rolling around in awkward positions as I labored to patch, weld, and cajole a panel into position. She is a rather practical, "what you see is what it is," kind of person. Unlike me, she isn't a dreamer, and has difficulty "imagining" what something "can become." Seeing me in my "element"...she shook her head, rolled her eyes, and said something like, "I don't understand why you are going through all this trouble. No one will ever know how hard you worked or will see the effort once you get it back together." I simply gave her a big greasy smile and said, "that will be the best complement ever!"

To me, the self satisfaction, of doing my own work, even exceeds the rewards of paying someone else to do the same work better. I suspect others feel the same way. Since completing the restoration on the '48 years ago, I have won quite a few trophies. This past weekend, unknown to me, my wife went and registered the '48 for popular vote judging while I was just content to have the car for "display only." The "best in show" award, at her initiative, is all HERS! And...now there is someone, besides me, that knows how much work went into getting it done

Next observation...Overlapping...it is common. It is done from the factory. There are dozens of places where "overlapping" sheet metal exists on the cars. Door panels, fender edges, roof to body sections, body to frame, clamps, etc. It is not the overlapping that is so critical, but the "sealing" of the overlaps. Whether it is truly overlapping of two panels, or the "folding-over" of edges...it is still "overlapping."

It is the restorer's opportunity to do it better than the factory. Remember, it was the factory who slapped these things together the fastest and cheapest way possible. The restorer can take his time, seal, insulate, and "sound-deaden" in unseen ways that the factory could never do profitably. Take your time and enjoy.

[rockne10]

Wouldn't it have been more cost effective to buy a nice used rust free fender?

If it can be repaired, why not save those nice used rust free examples to save another Stude?

[mmagic]

Patching rather than bolting on a used fender....anybody can turn a wrench... having the gonads to conceive, imagine, cut, hammer, weld, grind, {sweat}, sand, sculpt, and paint...takes guts. The experience and skills gained, by doing the work yourself, go far beyond the obvious outcome. There are those who "buy" things, and those who "make/remake" things.

Well said.

[Corley]

Patching rather than bolting on a used fender....anybody can turn a wrench... having the gonads to conceive, imagine, cut, hammer, weld, grind, {sweat}, sand, sculpt, and paint...takes guts. The experience and skills gained, by doing the work yourself, go far beyond the obvious outcome. There are those who "buy" things, and those who "make/remake" things.

As a "maker/remaker" myself, I could not agree more. Well said!!! I don't always do it as well as some might, but I have the satisfaction of knowing I did it myself, and didn't just rely on someone else's talents.