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There is also some adjustment in the position of the fenders forward and aft in relation to everything else.

Also, sometimes, the leading and rear corners of the fenders in the wheel wells can get slightly bent inwards, which causes tire fitment issues. So they need to be checked to make sure they are even with the outside plane of the fender.

Finally, make sure the fender braces are in place and not bent, which can suck the fender's wheelwell corners inward. That includes where the fender tab in the wheel arch bolts to the radiator yoke. If the tab is broken or the bolt there is not tight or wasn't tightened with the fender held up, then it can sag, which then sucks the wheel well corners inward also.

Usually, if you see an excess gap between the bottom edge of the hood and the top of the fender, then the fender is sagging on that yoke connection. Loosen that bolt, have someone hold the fender up, and retighten the bolt. It's incredible how quickly that reduces that hood/fender gap and, by proxy, pushes the wheel well corners more outward.

Thanks, Kevin.

There are definitely areas I haven’t looked at closely, but of the items you mentioned, there isn’t anything obvious. I’m confident the shop will find it when they get to that point. I’m also confident that the fender being rounded over is at least part of the issue.

It’s exciting to see my car getting put back to how it should be…ie damage repaired. It’s also been an opportunity to learn more about the stories from Dad. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the trunk damage happened with a push start gone bad.

I’ve now been able to narrow the time line down a bit. Dad bought the car in November of 1960. He said this incident happened in the summer time and before he and Mom got married in August of 1963. So, that means this happened in 1961, 62, or 63. Dad mentioned that it was a little while before they got married, but not a long time. So, I think that further narrows it down to either 1962 or 63.

I never noticed it in the wedding picture before, but if you zoom in, you can see the damage on the lower right size of the trunk peaking through the decorations. I also noticed that there was no left tail light lens. I need to follow up with Dad about that.

Here’s the wedding picture vs how the trunk area looked last week. Still a more to do to get it right, but its’ getting there.

I got back to the shop today. More progress. The front fenders are coming along. It turns out that Dad’s recollection of wearing a hole through the right front fender was not correct. The ridge was indeed rounded over by being pounded out. They have brought the ridge part way pack, but have a bit more to do.

Looking really good Don!! Seeing yours I am so glad I did not have to deal with a roof!
Bob J.

It’s pretty exciting. It’s kind of strange for me. The car really looked decent before I started, but even in pieces and stripped down, it somehow looks better to me. I think it’s because I have a vision of how the car is going to look and I can see it finally getting there. And, I can see all the areas being taken care of with sheet metal being replaced where needed, etc..

We’ve definitely come across a number of areas that needed attention that we didn’t know about when we started. But, nothing that is overly surprising. So far, all the areas of unknown rust or previous lead repairs have been in areas that are relatively easy to fix. Everything else has been solid underneath 88 years of dirt.