Need advice on dent

[john68c10]

What is the best way to deal with this dent without getting some expensive "welded rod dent puller" outfit or just gobbing it up with bondo ?

[Keith Seymore]

Do you have access to the back side? (I'm guessing "no" based on your questions).

K

[john68c10]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Do you have access to the back side? (I'm guessing "no" based on your questions).

K

not without cutting a hole inside...which I don't want to do.

[pjmoreland]

A paintless dent repair service might be able to repair that. They use an assortment of long slender tools that allow them to access the back of the dent. I've had numerous dings repaired that way over the years.

[1970 CST Short Wide]

I had a dent very similar to that when I bought my truck. A friend had one of those welders where you weld on what looks like a nail then your puller holds onto that. Working it slowly around the out side going in I brought it out to where I only needed a skim coat of Bondo

[Jason Banks]

I would definitely try the Paintless Dent Repair. At least go talk with them.

There is access to that area from below and they may have the right tools to do the job without removing the gas tank.

If it were mine and the tank were out. I'd be real tempted to stick a piece of wood up on there and try to massage it.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

Those long skinny tools for reaching the inside are available on Eastwood, but unless you really love the idea of learning to work metal, I agree with the rest:
Just let someone else who's already developed those skills go at it

[Wrenchbender Ret]

The old timers would drill some small holes in the dent & use a slid hammer puller with a sheet metal screw on the end to pull it out. They then cover it with filler. The holes actually
strengthen the filler.

George

[LS short box]

Harbor Freight has the stud welder pullers fairly cheap. I have one and it works well.
Another thought is take it to a local body shop and let them do the pulling work. I bet they wouldn't have little more than an hour in the pull. You can do the filler work and finish work. Bring a pic with you.
In regards to the PDR stuff I believe they also have a special glue so they can actually pull from the outside.
Don't just fill it with filler.

[howzzzit]

Wrenchbender has the right idea. I had a similar dent next to the cargo light. I used the old slide hammer type and it worked great. I'll have the painter make sure it's perfect before painting. I think the dent less guys are set up for the newer cars with paper thin metal.

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by howzzzit

Wrenchbender has the right idea. I had a similar dent next to the cargo light. I used the old slide hammer type and it worked great. I'll have the painter make sure it's perfect before painting. I think the dent less guys are set up for the newer cars with paper thin metal.

I had a PDR guy fix some dings on my '68. They didn't come out 100% flawless like when he has fixed door dings on my newer cars, but it made the dings hard to see unless you are really looking for them. If the goal is to have it perfect, and it's going to get painted, then a PDR guy could get it 95% of the way there, and then a small amount of body filler would get it the rest of the way.

[chevmn]

Like others, talk to a PDR guy (or 2).....some will not want to mess with the heavier metal, but I had a bed side worked by one, and he had NO access from behind, but used the glue tabs to pull, and while it was not 100 percent, it was much better, saving a lot of body work. This damage was high on the bed side. I believe the right one could have made it unnoticeable.

[LS short box]

One thing to consider per my body shop friend is that when the dent is made the surrounding metal is raised so you have to tap that down after pulling and prior to filling.

[dmjlambert]

Cut a 4 inch length of broom handle and drill a hole through it slightly smaller than a nail width and drive through the nail. Heat up a hot glue gun and put the glue on the end of your handle and stick it to the dent. Let it cool. Use a gloved hand to grab the nail and handle and pull the dent out and the handle off. Use a hair dryer and credit card or other plastic scraper to remove the hot glue. Depending on how perfect you want it to be, you may be done after that treatment but repeat as needed if the dent doesn't come all the way out. If you have patience you may repeat gluing on the handle and keep a steady pull on it while you tap around the dent with a piece of 2x4 or rubber hammer.

[franken]

Where's the shoulder harness seat belt bolt hole in relation to the dent? Maybe PDR person can use that as an access point.

[MS66]

Originally Posted by dmjlambert

Cut a 4 inch length of broom handle and drill a hole through it slightly smaller than a nail width and drive through the nail. Heat up a hot glue gun and put the glue on the end of your handle and stick it to the dent. Let it cool. Use a gloved hand to grab the nail and handle and pull the dent out and the handle off. Use a hair dryer and credit card or other plastic scraper to remove the hot glue. Depending on how perfect you want it to be, you may be done after that treatment but repeat as needed if the dent doesn't come all the way out. If you have patience you may repeat gluing on the handle and keep a steady pull on it while you tap around the dent with a piece of 2x4 or rubber hammer.

This is a good process to use on this type of dent when there is limited access behind it. If you go this route, just remember to grind the point off of the nail before you start wrestling with the handle. Instead of using a 2x4, or rubber hammer to tap around the edge, a real body hammer, even a cheap one from hobo freight, works much better here.
If you get industrious, there are several low-cost PDR kits on the market. Try HF for one. I've used them with varying degrees of success, they do work well in certain instances. An assortment of different size small suction cups is also part of my dent pulling arsenal. They work much better than you would expect.
Oh, another thing.... don't fall off the ladder.

Originally Posted by franken

Where's the shoulder harness seat belt bolt hole in relation to the dent? Maybe PDR person can use that as an access point.

Shoulder harness on a '68? Did I get robbed? (Sarcasm alert, I'm not crying about it.)

[67 twins]

Originally Posted by MS66

This is a good process to use on this type of dent when there is limited access behind it. If you go this route, just remember to grind the point off of the nail before you start wrestling with the handle. Instead of using a 2x4, or rubber hammer to tap around the edge, a real body hammer, even a cheap one from hobo freight, works much better here.
If you get industrious, there are several low-cost PDR kits on the market. Try HF for one. I've used them with varying degrees of success, they do work well in certain instances. An assortment of different size small suction cups is also part of my dent pulling arsenal. They work much better than you would expect.
Oh, another thing.... don't fall off the ladder.

Shoulder harness on a '68? Did I get robbed? (Sarcasm alert, I'm not crying about it.)

The bolt holes are in the cab for shoulder harness whether or not your truck was optioned with them, even on 67s.

[MS66]

Originally Posted by 67 twins

The bolt holes are in the cab for shoulder harness whether or not your truck was optioned with them, even on 67s.

Haha, I know that. But I appreciate the heads up.