We began the metal part of our project truck makeover by smoothing out the gas filler area on our 1970 Chevy C10. In this second installment, we will clean up our original fenders by removing the factory side marker lights. There were several options that were available to us on this. The easiest would have been to contact an aftermarket company like Brothers Trucks (www.brotherstrucks.com) and order a set of 1967 replacement fenders (part number FF67F00), which come with the side marker lights already deleted, and list for under $150 each. Our original fenders were in good shape and already had fairly good alignment so we chose to retain the factory metal, and just metal work the marker lights out. We turned again to the folks at Strange Daze Rods and Customs in Forney, Texas, to work their magic. Danny and Kim Day do such a great job over there that when they are finished working the metal, we won’t have to use any plastic filler. Keep in mind that this takes time and time equates out to more money, so weigh your options. It also needs to be said that with a little practice, patience and some basic welding skills, you could do this in your own garage. CCT
Here is our factory fender,...
Here is our factory fender, removed from the truck. In order to give our project truck a clean look, we will shave the marker lights on both fenders. First, Danny from Strange Daze, grabs an air sander and grinds down the area that we are going to work on.
Next, Danny grabs a can of...
Next, Danny grabs a can of Nissen blue layout fluid (also known as machinist dye - www.nissenmarkers.com), this will help us to mark our area to be cut out on the fender.
There are many methods to...
There are many methods to mark the line, but Danny prefers using either a dial caliper or a metal protractor. We are going to set the dial caliper at 0.0250” (1/4-inch).
We run the dial caliper around...
We run the dial caliper around the marked light area which scribes a line into the blue machinist dye.
The protractor can also be...
The protractor can also be used.
Here is our fender with the...
Here is our fender with the cut line marked.
Next, we grab a cutoff wheel...
Next, we grab a cutoff wheel and cut along our line we scribed.
Here is our vintage marker...
Here is our vintage marker light fixing to find its way into the trash.
Next, Danny grabs an air sander...
Next, Danny grabs an air sander and smoothes the edge out, around the area we cut out.
Now we need to make our filler...
Now we need to make our filler piece, so we grab a piece of 18-gauge steel and spray some blue machinist dye on it again.
We place the filler piece...
We place the filler piece behind the fender and using a metal scribe, etch an outline onto the metal.
Danny uses a ruler to draw...
Danny uses a ruler to draw the lines out across the metal. This will help us to make our cuts.
Here’s our patch panel ready...
Here’s our patch panel ready to be trimmed to shape.
A shear is used to cut along...
A shear is used to cut along the length of the marked lines.
A pair of tin snips rounds...
A pair of tin snips rounds off the corners.
Our edges need to be smooth...
Our edges need to be smooth so we grab a hand file to grind down the rough edges.
Here is our filler piece ready...
Here is our filler piece ready to go.
Danny loads a Scotch Bright...
Danny loads a Scotch Bright pad onto a die grinder and cleans the area of all the machinist’s dye. Here, the filler piece is in place and ready to be tacked in.
Danny begins tacking the piece...
Danny begins tacking the piece in by moving from one side to the other, in a slow manner so as to not warp the metal.
During the process we use...
During the process we use a metal dolly (under the filler piece) and hammer (on top) to make sure the area remains flat.
Danny uses his hand to feel...
Danny uses his hand to feel for any high and low spots as the panel is welded up.
Here is our filler piece completely...
Here is our filler piece completely welding in.
To remove a low spot in a...
To remove a low spot in a sheetmetal work piece, Danny will use a slapper on top of the metal and a steel dolly underneath to raise the area as required in the direction illustrated on the panel.
To remove a low spot in a...
To remove a low spot in a sheetmetal work piece, Danny will use a slapper on top of the metal and a steel dolly underneath to raise the area as required in the direction illustrated on the panel.
Next, he grabs the can of...
Next, he grabs the can of machinist dye and sprays it over the area. Again, this will help in finding any high and low spots.
A hand file is used to knock...
A hand file is used to knock down any high spots, revealing the low spots as well.
More hammer and dolly work...
More hammer and dolly work further works the panel to perfection.
As you can see, we still have...
As you can see, we still have a few low spots to be worked.
Alternating the hammer and...
Alternating the hammer and dolly with the body file gets the panel nice and smooth.
As a final check Danny runs...
As a final check Danny runs his fingers over the metal, his years of experience will tell him whether the area is smooth or not.
Satisfied, Danny loads the...
Satisfied, Danny loads the DA sander with 80-grit sandpaper, which is used to take out the scratches and file marks on our filler piece.
Our fender is now complete...
Our fender is now complete and ready for final sanding and primer. As you can see, it will require very little body filler.
Our fender is now complete...
Our fender is now complete and ready for final sanding and primer. As you can see, it will require very little body filler.