1966 Valiant for the Other Daughter....

Mopar A-body projects.

Looks good but I am surprised you went up as high as you did. A little lower and the bodywork would've been much easier where it's flat. Gonna be fun working that rounded curve.
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Joel this is the correct spot. The metal will want shrink the opposite direction on the curve so it should not warp anywhere near as bad as on the flat area.
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Jim I've hung about 24 pairs of quarters on mopars and that makes absolutely no sense.
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Joel I’m learning from someone that if he did this when he got done the area would not need any filler. I am just following his direction and it has made a huge difference in my work.
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Jim Right on, a lot of guys doing things differently and getting good results. Best of luck to you on your project
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My input:

Joel , let’s talk bodywork vs metalshaping. Metalshaping has more emphasis on minimizing the use of filler, controlling weld distortion, and placing welds where body features help to promote those goals.

Hands down, a flat or low crown area such as the horizontal centerline of that panel will offer the least resistance to weld distortion so it will show the most distortion over any other area. A high crown area will still show distortion, but the shape of the metal HELPS to control or limit said distortion.

When locating butt welds for panels such as these, I look first and foremost for an area that has rear access for planishing (hammer and dolly stretching) of the weld as the distortion is caused by shrinking. No shrinking disc, torch, or any other shrinking method will fix a shrink. We need to STRETCH the weld to remove distortion caused by shrinking. Fix the cause, not the effect. Next, steer clear of flat areas. Not enough structural support there to resist weld distortion. A high crown area or body line crease is ideal to help control these issues, as long as you’re not so close that you can’t fit a dolly in there for planishing. I worry less about “using the least amount of a patch panel as possible” as you hear from so many, and more about weld access for planishing, weld access for grinding/dressing the weld, and location in high crown or crease areas to control distortion. Lastly, since all welds shrink, an arc or body crown that typically faces outward will pull into a valley. The concave feature where Jim has located the weld will have a tendency to pull outward in the vertical direction, and inward along the horizontal direction, so in effect they will somewhat negate each other. It will still require planishing to normalize the stresses and correct any defects, but for the most part this will require hammering from the outside. A seam centered along the horizontal centerline would need to be bumped from the inside, which is typically a more difficult or less effective process. I hope this all makes sense, and everyone can see that this should limit distortion and the need for filler. This approach is the metalshaping approach.

I would imagine the center area is better suited for filler work in blending the repair, but not so much for controlling the weld distortion.
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Just a good day of work. Nothing special just getting it done...

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I was going to just blast this again but the hawk spirit animal my metalworking friend on the SPI site left me when he visited a few weeks ago was glaring at me so I cut it out and made a new piece.... I had to recut the rear panel and resize it as it was just a bit too long. Now it is a perfect fit.

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You've been a busy guy this weekend. Outstanding job Jim. Once again I'm learning so much from your threads. MP&C provided some valuable information from your facebook encounter. I've saved that information for later use.
 
MJM said:
You've been a busy guy this weekend. Outstanding job Jim. Once again I'm learning so much from your threads. MP&C provided some valuable information from your facebook encounter. I've saved that information for later use.
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And @MP&C hasn't gotten me thrown off the FB page.... yet.... I am burned out on metal work... welding and grinding, welding and grinding.... welding and grinding.... I need to see some finish body work taking shape....
 
MJM said:
I'm wonder if "Joel" is, or once was a die hard mopar guy. I remember a Joel from Moparts who did some really nice paint jobs.
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Joel was not in for an argument, he just liked what Robert said. Robert has found a new friend wanting to know how to shrink a dent on his Mopar.... :)
 
JimKueneman said:
Joel was not in for an argument, he just liked what Robert said. Robert has found a new friend wanting to know how to shrink a dent on his Mopar.... :)
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It'll never be an argument when one keeps an open mind to other approaches on how to do something. MP&C backed up his experience with factual information. Kind of hard to dispute, imho.
 
Not feeing good today so I worked from home. I could not concentrate much on work and felt generally crummy. I did a bit in the garage and when I was busy there I didn't think about the nausea. Nothing difficult just pulling things apart and tagging them, ready to pull the powertrain and K-Frame. The daughters went to town to pick up some new dolleys to replace this old ones that got me through the other 3 restorations. What an interesting exhaust system... wow.

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Tried a few things for the roll pin on the steering knuckle. Turns out a 3/16" Snap On deep socket was the perfect size! Need a quick rebuild of the cart and it's time to pull the lower control arms to get the torsion bars out and we can drop it out and get the body on the engine stand rotisserie.

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Get well soon, Jim. I bet that K-member has never been off that car once it rolled out of the factory. Trans cross member looks to be in good shape. What small block is in the car now, 273 or 318?
 
MJM said:
Get well soon, Jim. I bet that K-member has never been off that car once it rolled out of the factory. Trans cross member looks to be in good shape. What small block is in the car now, 273 or 318?
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360 with all the original 273 goodies on it including the original driver side exit Chrysler water pump that will be rebuilt by a place in Maricopa. It going to be a D/Dart “Commando 360”…. That should start some conversations
 
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