LUVTruck.com

recently got into an accident with my 78 luv im either goiing to try and pop the dents outa the front fender/door or just buy replacements but not quit sure if the dent is too big to be popped or pulled. theres no creases in the dent but it takes up almost the entire passanger fender any suggestiions????

Pics would help. A dent that long is difficult to repair back to perfection unless you have some decent experience. I had a couple years as an auto body man back in the early 80's and I still do my own hobby work on my luvs and sons trucks and even my boat. Alot of it depends on how experienced you are with body work. First and foremost body filler should be applied no thicker than absolutely necessary to fill in the voids and dents you can't get back to a remotely close position. My instructor back in the 80's had a philosophy that filler should never be more than 1/8" thick unless you were filling a seam for a new panel. If so then you should have put in more time in metal work. If you can get behind the panel and tap it out using a hammer and dolly then do that. If it's to deep then use a dent puller. There are several different types, you can drill holes and run a screw in and pull it out with a normal style slide hammer/dent puller, use the weld on wires and go that way and there are other ways as well. If you pull it back to repairable and the metal has stretched until is has play in and out you can shrink it by heating a spot to a Light red and then slap a wet cloth on it to cool it. That will pull the metal tight if it isn't stretched to far. You can also put a socket on the back side of the panel and tap the other side with the round side of a ball peen hammer in the middle of the socket. You will have to fill that spot but it will pull the metal back tight. Like I said, it all depends on your experience. Good luck.

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In life there is the "Way things should be" and then "There's the way they are".

2005 Silverado 3/4T Crew Cab
1981 Luv 2WD
1979 Luv 4x4 Currently going through Open Heart and Cosmetic surgery
1995 Roughneck JetBoat
1981 Luv parts trk

i will try and get pics in the morning tommorrow so you can see and give me some slight advice on which method to use

i do body work now and ive dona all my own reapirs now..but heck illl gived you as much helpa s i can from here if ya need some advice but like everyone else sed can do nuttin with out some detailed pix

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Epic Fabrication.
KAOS

Interesting, I hadn't heard/thought of this approach before. I'm envisioning that this might also be a way to more accurately determine where to apply heat to shrink. That's one of the areas that I've had trouble with in the past.

Thanks for the tips.

Eric Q.

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'75 body with '82 diesel running gear
My build thread.