1948 Plymouth Special Deluxe (p15)

Friday

• I removed the passenger side rear fender so that it could be spaced away from the body prior to paint.  This will allow for the later installation of the fender welting. 
• After removing the fender I wasn't satisfied with its condition.  It was dented at some point and body filled and feeling a little flimsily.  I decided to remove the fender off my parts car which also has issues but was structurally in better shape.
• This swap added additional time to my project working out doors and having to grind off frozen rusty bolts.
• Spent the rest of the day sand blasting the fender and painting it with rust stop. 

This is the last full body section that needs TLC prior to paint and there is certainly lots to fix.

• The passenger side trunk weather strip channel was completely detached from the fender body.

• The bottom of the trunk area was badly rusted and needs to be cut away from the car and new metal fabricated into place.

Saturday I attacked the bad stuff.

• I sanded the rear quarter panel to remove the old primer and get down to the base metal.  

• I cut out the rusty metal and fabricated replacement pieces with my sheet metal brake.

• I made an inner brace to reattach the weather strip channel to the body.   Pop riveted into place followed by some tack welds for additional strength.

• I guess I should have pulled the car outside to do the welding but the garage is air conditioned and the outside temperature was in the middle 90's.  With a full tank of gas just below the work area I used a clamp to provide a positive ground to the welding surface to eliminate the possibility of a spark in the tank due to poor continuity.

• I made a new replacement corner and fitted into place.

• Also made a new piece of channel to fit into the rusted out space at the bottom bend.

All in all I was very pleased with the outcome after 20+ hours of work.

PS... The reddish spots on the body are primmer not rust.