With the fender for Gary Long's...
With the fender for Gary Long's '57 Ford good as new, Manny Lawrence of Manny's Repair checks out the EMS catalog.
As street rodders continue to redefine the hobby, there are greater numbers willing to concede '49 and later rides are cool, and we couldn't agree more. After all, cars of that era make great drivers, can be built for a reasonable amount of money, and there are a surprising number around, particularly when compared to the pre-WWII vintage tin to be found.
One of the cars from the '50s gaining in popularity is the '57 Ford, but as they say, what goes around comes around. When they originally hit the showroom floors, Ford found they had a winner on their hands. By year's end the newly restyled lineup outsold Chevrolet, making Ford the number one automaker that year with over 1,600,000 vehicles produced.
But while there were lots of '57 Fords made, the ravages of time and abuse have taken their toll on many that remain. Like most cars that are five decades old (give or take a few years), rust can be an issue, but thanks to our friends at Engineering & Manufacturing Services, repairing the areas that are most commonly corroded is easier than ever. Well-known for their quality repair panels for early cars and trucks, EMS is constantly expanding their line and now offer a variety of products for '57-58 Fords, including quarter panel sections, floor pans, trunk floors, front fender caps (above the headlights), and lower fender sections. And they're adding new part numbers all the time.
Randy Lawrence prepares to...
Randy Lawrence prepares to fix the rust damage typically found in the fenders of all types of cars. This example happens to be a '57 Ford, but the procedure he used is applicable to virtually any repair panel.
Although repair panels vary in size, shape, and location, the process used to install them is virtually the same. Generally repair panels will be larger than the area being replaced, which allows the installer to cut out the rust completely and end up with solid material to weld the replacement to. Although repair panels are sometimes butt-welded to the surrounding metal, flanging--or putting a step in one edge so they overlap--makes the process easier. Once the panel is positioned correctly it's tack-welded in place, then, to prevent warping the panels, the spaces between the tacks are slowly welded solid.
After the welding is completed the next step is to grind the welds flat, and this is where many novices make mistakes. Always use a rigid disc so only the weld bead is ground away. A flexible disc will tend to follow the surface and may remove metal from areas adjacent to the weld, which is not what you want. And don't grind too long and hard in one spot; you can warp the metal and create thin spots. Once the welds are ground down, a flexible disc can be used to blend the area, but do not grind excessively, as it will remove precious metal. In some cases hammer and dolly work will be necessary to straighten a repaired area, and more often than not a skim coat of body filler will be required to get the area ready for paint.
We followed along as Randy Lawrence of Manny's Repair put an EMS patch panel in the front fender of Gary Long's '57 Ford. Check it out and see what it takes to go from rotten to redone.
This is typical of the rust...
This is typical of the rust damage found in the lower portions of the fenders of '50s cars.
Debris that holds moisture...
Debris that holds moisture collects between the outer skin of the fender and the inner bracing, and the fender rusts from the inside out.
The EMS repair kit for the...
The EMS repair kit for the lower sections of '57-58 Ford fenders included the outer skin (left) and inner support (right).
The first step is to lay the...
The first step is to lay the outer repair panel over the fender. Note that EMS has flanged, or put a step in the replacement piece that will fit inside the fender.
Using the repair panel as...
Using the repair panel as a guide and allowing for the overlap of the two, Randy marked the front fender for cutting.
An abrasive wheel was used...
An abrasive wheel was used to cut away the outer skin of the fender.
The skin was also cut along...
The skin was also cut along the fender; it wrapped around the inner fender panel. The small remaining section with the bolt through it will also be removed.
With the skin peeled away,...
With the skin peeled away, the rust damage to the inner support is obvious.
An air chisel was used to...
An air chisel was used to separate a portion of the fender that remained attached to the inner support.
A critical step is removing...
A critical step is removing all the rust before the new panels are put in place. Randy used a wire brush to clean the outer skin.
Another great way to remove...
Another great way to remove rust without grinding away the base metal are the abrasive wheels from Norton we found at our local Sears tool department.
With the fender trimmed and...
With the fender trimmed and cleaned, Randy made a test fit of the replacement panel. Note that a portion of the lip on the replacement panel will have to be wrapped around the inner panel.
Satisfied the outer panel...
Satisfied the outer panel fit properly, Randy turned his attention to the inner support. Like the outer panel, the new inner section overlaps the old. It was tacked into position, then a body hammer was used to straighten the edge of the original support.
This is how the old and new...
This is how the old and new inner panels should fit together. The tight joint makes welding much easier.
This is a backside view of...
This is a backside view of the inner and outer panels in place. The tab on the bottom of the inner panel is used to secure the fender to the body. The hole will be drilled when the fender is being installed.
Before welding the outer panel...
Before welding the outer panel in place, a careful measurement was taken off the front edge of the door from the character line to the bottom of the body and checked against the fender. It was right on.
Randy took his time making...
Randy took his time making a series of tack welds to attach the replacement panel. He then went back and welded the panel solid by filling in the area between the tacks.
Using a rigid disc, Randy...
Using a rigid disc, Randy ground the weld bead flat. Note that the grinder isn't touching the areas adjacent to the welds.
Thanks to a good fit between...
Thanks to a good fit between the new and old panels and careful welding, the repaired area was almost good as new. Randy massaged the edges of the fender with a body hammer to eliminate any high spots.
After sanding the area with...
After sanding the area with 220-grit, the repaired area was given a skim coat of body filler.
Sanded and primed, the repair...
Sanded and primed, the repair is impossible to detect.