On Fri, 31 Jul 1998, Trevor Boicey wrote:
> > I would go with the body shop method to make sure it gets done right. If
> > you do get a fender from the big three it should be a perfect fit, since
> > they are using the "original" sheet metal stamps.
>
> ...wish it were so, but unfortunately even the "factory" panels
> are somewhat variable in how they fit. No insult to the
> repro panel makers, just that the cars weren't made with
> robot precision.
That, and the fact that they *are* using the original tooling adds to this
effect. The original tooling is probably quite worn by now, so some parts
will be bigger or smaller, no matter how careful they're made. I think
even NOS panels have this problem- if Mr. Triumph Assembler didn't like
the way his wings (fenders) fit, he might have turfed them into the
"dealer parts" bin, and got new ones afresh.
> A good shop should be able to bang the dent out to where
> very little filler would be required. Again, filler has a
> bad reputation from hacks who put it on a quarter inch thick,
> but when used properly it works very well.
If I had a shop do my work, I think I'd request to watch them do it.
Pulling dents is a mysterious craft- to do it "right", you have to reverse
all the forces originally applied to the car- something you won't know in
a hit-and-run! Then the panel will have stretched a bit due to "working"
it, and will need to be shrunk... inevitably more difficult than
stretching it.
And there's always the possibility of warping it, etc. I got a nasty
buckle appearing in my rear fender- it's off so I can repair it. I welded
on new "hangers" so that I'd have something to bolt it to the car with,
and it has started to curve outward. Hope I don't find 1/4" of bondo on
the car when I start to bash it back together :-(
-Malcolm
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