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Old 04-29-2024, 06:09 PM   #4
rotorwrench
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
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Default Re: 1931 coupe Rear corner repair

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Having done my own metal shaping, it is safe to say that parts can be hand formed if a person has the knowledge, tooling, and a lot of practice using all that. Finding the proper materials to form with can be a challenge in the modern era. Just getting some 1008 AKDQ steel in a gauge that is close to Ford's original stuff is not easy depending on logistics. Ford rolled their own so it is always just a bit different than the standard gauges. A person can get close enough though. A lot of stuff is made from commercial grade steel and it's not as easy to form so many patch panels are just not good enough to weld right in. It's basically a matter of either trying to fit one of those or fabricating one from scratch.

Some restoration shops have the equipment to fabricate patches for their customer cars. The Fords have more sheet metal available than than most other makes but there are still restorers that will take in the makes that have little or no support for parts like this. There is no other choice than fabrication. This type of work is expensive since the machines that make the job easier are very expensive as well. It can be done without expensive machines but it takes longer and dollar per hour figures add up.
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