Ugly body dent from rear fender ???

[40-A Twins]

If you are determined to fix this yourself, the best approach is to use a slapper hammer and dolly. Most of the hammering will take place on the outside where you have access. Find a dolly with corner radius that matches the wheel well to quarter corner radius and modify it using a belt sander or disk sander to make the dolly fit down in that corner. You will probably have to make one for each side. There are lots of videos on utube that show how to use a slapper. I made one using a piece of 1/8 x 2 flat bar and pretty much figured out how to use it in a few minutes. Slapper hammers can be found on Amazon, evilbay, Eastwood, and many other sites.

[lrf]

both of those dents are just behind where the rear fender brackets bolt to the body. I'd say the car was rear ended, fenders and brackets took the brunt of the damage along with the body. Fenders are easy to replace and probably were without someone repairing the body damage. Enjoy driving your "A" as is unless the damage REALLY bugs you. LRF

[al's28/33]

Thanks for the input guys, looks like another thing to add "if and when" I have the car repainted to original '28 color scheme Arabian Sand. I really thought the fenders were not the correct fit, now with your advice I can relax about finding correct ones, already got 'em.

[J Franklin]

A couple handfuls of bondo and your good to go.

[old31]

Originally Posted by Marshall V. Daut

Not to sidetrack the issue of whether the rear fender is correct to this car or how the dent got there, but since the subject of paint improvement has been broached (by me! ), here is what an acrylic enamel paint job looks like after color sanding and buffing. It started out with orange peel in the paint, too. It's hard to spray enamel without a little orange peel. The question is: how much orange peel is acceptable before sanding and buffing are considered?
I know that I have posted this photo before, but it can help illustrate numerous areas of Model A discussion, from paint quality, to color authenticity, to over-restoration, to placement of the pin striping, etc., etc. So, you'll probably see it AGAIN in some future discussion.
O.K. Back to rear fender compatibility and dent control.
Marshall

Very, very nice looking paint job Marshall.

[RDVAARK]

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PM sent, or maybe not. My 28 tudor had the exact same damage; hit in rear, fender tips bent under, widening the top of the fender, pushing in the corner. A lot of work with a slapper, a hydraulic ram "Porta Power", and some weird handmade dollies. Before ANY hammering is done, get an estimate from a well-equipped Paintless Dent Removal. I've used PDR techniques for years. What I did on this damage on my tudor did not really affect the skin. A skilled PDR guy could probably save you a lot work. Expensive? Factor in bodywork, color matching, paint,time, and the disturbance of a finished car, and it may be worth it. Really look at some PDR jobs on U-tube. Stay away from gypsies cruising the parking lots, go to a well fitted out shop and look at their work.
With your enamel paint, a localised hit like this with it's well defined stresses, and the position on the body, a careful PDR will probably pleasantly surprise you.Try to PM me, I have lots of measurements and methods to work on the dent. RDVAARK

[ronn]

A couple handfuls of bondo and your good to go.

not so sure about that. the dent is more then a slight bump- its everywhere.

[J Franklin]

Originally Posted by ronn

A couple handfuls of bondo and your good to go.

not so sure about that. the dent is more then a slight bump- its everywhere.

ronn, 'twas only a joke.

[Marshall V. Daut]

"ronn, 'twas only a joke."

T'were it only so, J. Franklin! Sadly, in our hobby, it's not all that uncommon to find "restored" cars and given-up-on project cars with Bondo slopped in two inches deep in an effort to fill a dent instead of fixing it properly. I have personally dug out deep, cracked Bondo a number of times from Model A and T bodies over the years. Anyone who has been in this hobby long enough could probably match my experience with similar tales of woe - and disgust. 'Sure is cheaper to glob a can of Bondo in a deep dent instead of paying to have it fixed correctly and permanently, isn't it? I'm sure that's the only corner that was cut during THOSE kinds of restorations. I wonder if Packard and Duesenberg restorations have this problem? (written dripping with sarcasm).
Marshall

[ronn]

J. my apologies. I guess I was out of form.

usually I spot the sarcasm 2 miles away. Today Im running behind the curve.

[WHN]

I would really like to see a few pictures of the entire car. What little I have been able to view leads me to believe, if it were mine, I might not try to fix it.

Enjoy.

[Marshall V. Daut]

"...usually I spot the sarcasm 2 miles away. Today Im running behind the curve."

Welcome to the club, the "Behind the Curve" bunch. You are not alone in that feeling here!
Marshall

[AYooperA]

I am working on my ‘29 Phaeton and posted a few pictures of that area of your damage. Not easy to get at the inside without removing backrest if that would be necessary to correct. The back spring locks in over triangular shaped metal tangs located on horizontal wood strips mounted to body. Top of back rest material tacked into tack strip with top material and would be a bugger to mess with. Mine is not dented but have to deal with issues from the rust worm. Body shows evidence of original Balsam Green but am seriously considering another color.

[nkaminar]

I think ADVAARK is right. (Post # 26) I hadn't thought about that but it seems correct. During a rearender, the fenders buckled and formed a fold that pushed in the body.

The paintless dent removal guys can probably do a lot but I think the damage to the starboard side is beyond paintless.

[al's28/33]

Yooper, your pics show the locations spot-on. I have had the car for 22 years and it was piece mealed together from previous owners. An amateur restoration that I have slowly replaced dozens of incorrect and worn-out parts with restored "28" components. That bend and angle of the rear body will be a doozy to bring back to normal. Someday, when I have found the pot-o-gold to disassemble and repaint it original '28 color scheme, there's a couple pounds of bondo under the seat risers and bottom of door skins. She runs good, though. All brakes, steering, engine/chassis have been re-worked, restored and rebuilt. It is the cosmetics that are still the ugly pig with uneven lipstick!

[Marshall V. Daut]

Nice car! Very attractive!
'Just a friendly piece of advice, though: When you repaint your Phaeton after body repairs, paint that chrome windshield frame lower body color. The car will look MUCH more authentic. You'd be surprised how different and better your Phaeton will look with the windshield frame painted the right color. See the photo of our December, 1928 Phaeton with outside door handles and two-tone Niagara Blue Light and Duchess Blue color combo.
Marshall

[al's28/33]

Marshall, yes the windshield FRAME was repainted black, not authentic, but better than bright chrome … thanks!

[Marshall V. Daut]

Interestingly, you were so close to being authentic by painting the windshield frame black on your 1928 Phaeton - but you probably didn't know it unless you are a student of the so-called AR Model A's (actually a misnomer, but a handy one)! You were too early in the year to be correct, however. Prototype open cars built in 1927 were fitted with black windshield frames. 'Dunno how many were built that way, but there is at least one surviving photo of a prototype Phaeton demonstrating this, along with a couple other features that didn't make it into production. Windshields in production 1928 open cars were painted lower body color and continued as such into 1929. I have the PPG Concept Acrylic Enamel formula for a very true Rose Beige if you want to have some mixed for spraying. It appears to be an exact match for the color of your Phaeton's lower body.
Marshall

[WHN]

Originally Posted by al's28/33

Yooper, your pics show the locations spot-on. I have had the car for 22 years and it was piece mealed together from previous owners. An amateur restoration that I have slowly replaced dozens of incorrect and worn-out parts with restored "28" components. That bend and angle of the rear body will be a doozy to bring back to normal. Someday, when I have found the pot-o-gold to disassemble and repaint it original '28 color scheme, there's a couple pounds of bondo under the seat risers and bottom of door skins. She runs good, though. All brakes, steering, engine/chassis have been re-worked, restored and rebuilt. It is the cosmetics that are still the ugly pig with uneven lipstick!

From the picture it sure looks like a very nice early Model A. If it were mine, I would enjoy it the way it is. She looks better than most cars I have seen over my many years.

I don’t see an ugly pig. I see a loved antique car that not matter what, is always going to need attention in one form or another.

I would be proud to be the owner. Let other people knock it. They always will, no matter what you do to improve it.

Your very lucky.

[katy]

the windshield was repainted black

Must be hard to see through.