Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

packprince -

Thanx for the additional views - especially showing the outer half of the wheelhouse. Most people see a little rust but can't understand why the quote is so high. Fact is, you don't really know what you're getting into without some exploratory surgey.

Some people think bondo and fiberglass is a cure-all (and it's surprising what you can find under previous repairs that used that stuff), but I prefer sheet metal restoration work be done with metal. While I do use bondo (in the minor shadetree work that I've done), it's very sparingly - just to level things out.

Keep up the good work!

When I worked in a body shop years ago there was a simple way to handle this problem.

Make your own wheel arches using a wooden pattern.

You need 2 pieces of MDF or plywood. Trace the shape you need and cut the shape in the plywood.

Now make your patch panel by cutting it from sheet metal. Leave a 1/2" extra where your wheel well lip goes.

Clamp the metal between 2 pieces of plywood with the 1/2" sticking out.

Now take a ball peen hammer and slowly and carefully tap around the edge. Bend the metal over about 15 degrees all the way around. Now go around and bend a little more. It should take 3 passes to bend the metal all the way down 90 degrees.

Once the metal is bent down it sometimes helps to work it over again with a round brass bar or steel pipe.

If you know how to work metal it is possible to make a wheel well as good as you can buy. The secret is to work little by little and not distort the metal. For sharp corners it helps to heat the metal with a torch, this allows it to stretch better.

Once you are done you can flip your formers over to make a mirror image piece for the other side.