Top Goat damage

Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in HUDSON
The top of my 1950 pacemaker was bent in by goats in the field where I found it. I pushed it from the inside and got it "popped out", but it still has dents aound the sides where it was bent. What is the best way to get these out? Some said it could be done with a block of wood on the inside and a torch to heat the area on the outside. Anyone ever done this? If so, a little more explanation would be appreciated.

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  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    I would be cautious about using hieat, unless you are a skilled panel worker. Patient hammering using a curved dolly on the inside of the crease is probably the best way, but you do need good and proper panel beating hammers to do this. My suggestion, if you have never done it before, get a skilled tradesman to have a look and give advice, before you do anything drastic, it will be money well spent.
  • tigermoth
    tigermoth Expert Adviser
    hello, there are several really good sheet metal books out there. some of the best are now out of print, but are available through out of print book sellers. eastwood co. sells a reprint of a VERY good sheet metal book titled "Metal Bumping" by frank sargent. two books by w.k. toboldt are the best i have ever read "automobile chassis servicing" and "autobody repairing and repainting". all three books date back to when these cars were new...and earlier.

    what those book all talk about is "unlocking" the metal. you start where the last damage occurred and work backwards through the damage. for example in your depressed roof, the last damage that occurred would be the creases at the edges of the roof..so you would start by working those edges of the roof line and as you hammer and dolly those areas out the center will pop out on its own. if you push the big concave dent out you work harden those outer edges and you now have increased the damaged areas rather than unlocking the metal and allowing the big concave dent to release as the metal is relaxed back to its original shape.

    i don't do the books justice, but i hope this gives you an idea of the theory. best of luck. regards, tom
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    alexa2 wrote:
    The top of my 1950 pacemaker was bent in by goats in the field where I found it. I pushed it from the inside and got it "popped out", but it still has dents aound the sides where it was bent. What is the best way to get these out? Some said it could be done with a block of wood on the inside and a torch to heat the area on the outside. Anyone ever done this? If so, a little more explanation would be appreciated.

    Alex... The advice given is spot on if the dents in the top were created due to folding of the metal. But there is another potentially easier method to get the top back into shape.

    I learned top work from an old school metal shop guy... his solution to turret top problems was pretty simple... put the car out in bright sunshine with all the windows rolled up. Prepare a 5 gallon bucket of ice water with at least two old large bath towels in it. Once the car has heated up take the towels and quench each dent area with the cold towel. Leave the towel in place allowing it to quick shrink that area. If the dents are not cold worked... ie creased some place, You will hear and see each top dent/crease pop back into shape. :D Repeat this process as many times as necessary to work the top back into shape. I have seen several car tops pop completely back into shape with one application. Try it ... it costs nothing but time and is much easier than smacking metal with a hammer and dolly.

    GOOD Luck. :)
  • TwinH
    TwinH Senior Contributor
    Might try searching youtube for "shrinking disc" demonstrations. Not that

    I've ever used one but they sure look interesting for repairs such as yours.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I'd find those goats and have a bar-b-que!
  • Richard E.
    Richard E. Senior Contributor
    I raised goats for years, years ago. Occasionally they would get out and climb a poor unsuspecting visitors car in our driveway. I only drove a VW bus during this period, so it was never a problem for me. However, they could really screw up a paint job. They have a need to be on the highest point around. Otherwise they are great animals!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I will take a couple pictures later today and let you get a look at the damage, it may drive us in one direction. This car set in a field for years and someone got the bright idea of cutting a hole in the center where the goats lay so the water would not stand in it. It looks bad, but I intend to bring it back from the grave. I brought a 59 jeep back from farther than this one. It took several rolls of welding wire and a year of my time. I am retired so this is fun.
  • Uncle Josh
    Uncle Josh Senior Contributor
    Then there was the blonde who got caught in a hail storm and took the car to the body man to see if he could get the dents out.



    He snorted, and told her maybe she should go home and blow on the tailpipe to get them out.



    Her blonde roomie looked into the garage and asked what she was blowing on the pipe for. On hearing the explanation she offered,



    Shouldn't you roll up the windows?



    sorry, i'm on vac and don't have enough to do.
  • bent metal
    bent metal Senior Contributor
    I doubt blowing in the tail pipe will work. The seals around the doors and window opennings are usually too dried out to get enough pressure. Also, if she does manage to create sufficient pressure it would be easy to over do it and create a bubble in the roof. Resulting in something that would resemble a VW Bug roof line.;):D

    My two cents: First, make sure the inside is clean and smooth. If you look at the dent it will look like a smile. Imagine, if it were a happy face. You want to tap down "lightly", on the smile with a flat faced hammer while pushing up on the "nose" of the happy face. ...Hope that makes since. ... After you make a pass across the entire dent crease, (at that point the "nose" area should of sprung back and be smooth) go back over the "smile" and hammer off dolly from one end to the other. Again, lightly. You are trying to push the metal back where it was. Not change it's shape. At this point the dent should be smooth and hopefully in the correct contour. If it's too high your going to have to shrink it.

    This kind of job can get out of control real fast. So please, no ball-peen hammer to "rough things out". And no fist sized rock used from the inside to knock things into close proximity. On a big smooth panel that's going to be at eye level, easy does it.:)

    Or, ...just make sure the girl doesn't over blow in the tail pipe. :D
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Could not get a good pic but you get the idea. Someone suggested new metal with rebar ribs underneath to establish the shape. I will need to replace some metal so ideas along this line would be good. The fact that I used raised up under it when I bought the car and pushed on it with my back to pop it back out was not a good idea I guess.

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