How Would You Repair that Drivers Rear Quarter Dent?

[BJM]

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/d/1955-cadilac-coupe-deville/6738703985.html

On the photo of the drivers rear fender I see what looks like something dropped on it. How would a person "remove" that dent?  From the trunk "pounding" up. then fill sections that could not be smoother?

[J. Skelly]

Some shops now use a strong magnet to pull out dents instead of drilling and pulling.  I'd be more concerned with the severe rust on top of the quarter, the rocker rust, and the rust surrounding the area under the fender skirt.  It looks like a fun car to get going again, but from the looks of the interior, I suspect it was stored outside for a while and probably smells musty.  Hopefully someone saves it.  I'd rather have this than a '56, and almost as much as a '54.

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

My observations are the same as noted by Mr. Skelly.
Lots of rust in all of the usual places.  Judging by the
state of the interior, the floors could be problematic
as well.

With the gauge of metal they used back then I
can't imagine any magnet that would pull that
dent out. With todays sheet metal (what little
there is vs. plastic) that may be possible.

After all, they use now is the same gauge as
soda cans.

Mike

[rajeevx7]

Stud gun mainly. Welds small studs that are slide hammered outward. Those quarters are accessible, so they would also be gently pushing up to get the big ‘pop’ done. Thick metal is very forgiving!
Some final hammer and dolly work should leave only a skim coat of filler. It’s hard to tell if the jamb is tweaked or if a body line is creased....say it isn’t and that’s about 13-20hrs of metal work.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Repairing that dent would be a simple task for a good panel man.

Port-a-power from the inside and basic shaping tools and a knowledge of working metal, and it could be done.

The good thing about these dents is that the metal is workable, not like modern cars with different types of steel.

The other day I removed a piece of floor pan to put into my other road car, and using the Oxy-acetylene welding process was disasterous as welding up a simple hole showed that the metal wasn't normal steel, but some high tensile stuff.   The only way to do it was with the MIG.

Bruce.

[76eldo]

Porta power jack from inside of the trunk with wood bracing on the trunk floor.
You have to put pressure on it from inside and hammer it as you jack it out.

I’d much rather deal with dents than rot.

[BJM]

I do not see a whole lot of rust through in terms of perforation.  I see the rockers are toast, but last time I checked, rockers were available.  $3500 offered for what appears a complete, low mileage 56 that a person could probably get for $2500, does not sound bad unless that dent is a non starter.  Which you guys seem to think is not a deal breaker. 

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

If the car was free I wouldn't get involved with it. Nice presentable & fully operational '56 Coupes go in the low $20s these days, which would not being to scratch the surface the needs of this car.

Projects like this are best left to the advanced restorer (or checkwriter) who can afford the price of being underwater, or simply doesn't care.

[wrench]

I wouldn't want to say anything that may be construed as critical of the vehicle or the seller.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

The pointing out of the factual & the obvious is not a slur upon the seller- of which he himself is doubtlessly aware.

[BJM]

I wouldn't want to say anything that may be construed as critical of the vehicle or the seller.

Jim:
I understand.  My initial inquiry was just whether that could be done and the skill level involved. My personal philosophy all these years is I will buy ANY car with dents to the front clip.  I can replace those, or rust.  I once bought a car I wish I still had - a 1961 Buick Electra 2 door hardtop.  It had a hard crease dent in the drivers front fender and I believe issues with the drivers door. 

The rest of the body was A.O.K.  Oklahoma car.  I located a door and a fender in Texas and Oklahoma. On a small trip, using my dad's S10 pickup, I drove down and got the parts. 

But rear clip stuff like this, I avoid.  My posting was educational in purpose. For every knowledgeable carefree forum member there are 10 of us like me who would not touch that dent. 

It was not necessarily a comment on price.  But, all 1950's cars save a couple of halo cars, are upside down cars.  I would never buy one as a money store of value.  I would buy it to have fun restoring.

But, I always thought, if I could restore a 55-58 Cadillac especially a 2 door hardtop, I would do this - restore it over 5 arduous years. Spend, what? $50,000 plus personal labor value (time has value, even if it's a hobby) and then extract the "fun" out of that ownership by applying a metric to it until you get down to market value. 

So IF I bought this car and had it restored by age 60, drove it and showed it and enjoyed it until age 70 to 80, then I think it's more of a value.  If not, a person is essentially saying the restoration arts are dead, and no more will be added to the gene pool.  Right now, it's a trickle....

[novetti]

GO for it !

Offer 2,800 cash and get wrenching. The car seems quite complete.

All 50's cadillacs should be saved...not many still left.

[Jim Stamper]

     Twenty years ago I re-discovered "metal bumping" and used it very successfully on a 37 LaSalle coupe with 4 seriously dented fenders. A few weeks later I discovered Eastwood sold a little re-print book called " Metal Bumping" or something close to that, for $8. Don't go banging on anything until you read that book. The goal is no filler, moving metal back where it belongs.

     Basically, if watched in slow motion a dent has a beginning of the bend and the end of the bending. Exactly reversing the order of bending of the metal through light tapping from behind the dent with a finger on the outside to guide the tapping around the dent. No Banging, your fingers will register metal movement through light tapping. Patient fender magic.

      The crease in that fender would be an interesting challenge but it looks like there is reasonable access in the trunk. It is all about access.

           Jim Stamper  CLC#13470

 

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

The crease in that fender would be an interesting challenge but it looks like there is reasonable access in the trunk. It is all about access.

...and talent. 

[carguyblack]

Stud welds and a slide hammer worked wonders on a severe side swipe dent on my previous 1956 Coupe rear quarter. Not a top crease like pictured here but a really damaging creasing along the jut out spear molding area. Takes some finesse but didn't stretch the metal when all was said and done and it relaxed into it's original stamped form with very little body work needed afterwards.