Question on body work?

[JIPJOBXX]

I have a split on a seam on my fender and its cracked open. Is there some type of material that I can use on the inside of the fender to repair this area without welding or soldering this small area up. Jon

[Plymouthy Adams]

nothing that would guarantee the stop of the split nor provide water tight integrity...anything less than weld would be a temp fix..

[JIPJOBXX]

I was kind of thinking a fiber glass patch? I hate to take my old car into a body shop to have them repair this area as I know its going to cost major bucks. Oh well still open for suggestion????

[aero3113]

Third product down on this link, Vantico 2 part epoxy. I use this stuff on everything that needs it. Once it sets it holds VERY well.

http://www.shopmaninc.com/adhesives.html

[aero3113]

If you do repair this yourself stop drill both sides of the split to prevent the crack from spreading.

[Reg Evans]

How about a photo of this crack so we can get a better idea of what you are talking about.

[Chester Brzostowski]

I have a split on a seam on my fender and its cracked open. Is there some type of material that I can use on the inside of the fender to repair this area without welding or soldering this small area up. Jon

A crack that appears where there was none before would be indicative to other issues going on with the fender. Patching the crack might be an ongoing event without fixing the reason for the crack..

Reg's request for a picture would be a big help.

Chet...

[JIPJOBXX]

This area was where the trim attaches to the fender. In the below picture you can see the trim and it extends back to the main body. On mine it only goes haft way back and I had to do some repair on that trim peice because that area had been damaged due to the previous owners daughter running into the barn door. I will take a photo of it today and post it. Thanks Jon

You can see where the crack is with this picture.

[JIPJOBXX]

PS. That kid with the red hat on now just past his bar exam and now is an attorney!!!

[JIPJOBXX]

Well here's the culpret and its where the trim attaches to the fender or did at one time?

[dezeldoc]

Yep that is gonna need a little work if you don't want it to crack again. the edge is split and needs to be reinforced and welded, anything other than that and as tim said it will be just a temp patch. grind it down your self and take to a welder it should not cost more than an hours labor.

[Don Coatney]

Your problem started a long time ago when someone bondo covered a crack that is supposed to be there. Reach behind your fender and you will feel the brace where the front quarter panel meets the fender.

[Don Coatney]

More fender crack pictures.

[BobT-47P15]

I'm no expert, but I'd say the bondo is cracking, and that's where the

natural fender joint is supposed to be anyway. You can see on the

edge of the fender where the bondo is a bit wavy.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Dodge..the 41 model did not have this seam...however the later D24 did as for the 42 I am thinking it has the body of the D24 with a bit of trim difference..the seam I think should be there and if so it should never have been bondo'ed over to begin with...

this will require a bit of metal work to reconstruct for originality..or to even repair to prevent the same thing from happening in the future..odds are this metal is weak in this area thus the move to "cover" the flaw...any thing less than welding and possible replacement of bad metal will only rear it ugly head in short order...

Edited October 22, 2010 by Tim Adams

[Jim Saraceno]

When I bought Bluebelle back in 2003, it had a crack on the edge of her front left fender. To keep it from getting worse, I put some thick sheet mettle behind it and pop-riveted together.

At the time I figured I'd eventually fill the repair with bondo and add some touch up paint. In the meantime, I just added the touch up paint so it wouldn't be so obvious and to keep it from rusting.

It's been that way for 7 years now and is so far down my list of things to do, it may be there for another 7 years. Maybe that's what keeps me from winning trophies at the car shows, but I'll always think it's because I never enter any.

[JIPJOBXX]

I'm going to take a look at the other side. I think because I had to cut back the original trim that I exposed this area and probably thought it should be covered up with something but it also was damaged at that spot due to the accident with the barn door.

[greg g]

so its also possible that some one repaired some collision damage with a fender from a later car. what does the opposite side fender look like. I know my Plymouth has the same fender constructions shown on the new blue paint job car. The 42 Doesn't have the extended fender like the 46 and later. Wonder if somebody put a plymouth fender on your car??

[dezeldoc]

Look closely at it, it has been repaired before.(not talking about the bondo) even if the part line was original it is still missing a piece. I would be willing to bet it is work hardened there for the cracking.

[JIPJOBXX]

Well as I said one of kids of the original owner ran into a barn door and smacked the front fender. I had to repair the damage the best I could and then try to make the fender look somewhat right. I need a peice of trim for that fender that extend past that split but for now its just fix it somehow? My car is not a perfect car by any means as it was used for probably every thing under the sun on the farm. As you know it has a vacumm valve for milking cows and that in itself shows you it was a well used old rig. Well if I win a big lotto maybe I can have it all done back to what it was like when it came out but for now it just a great thumbs up car!

[Don Coatney]

I'm no expert, but I'd say the bondo is cracking, and that's where the

natural fender joint is supposed to be anyway. You can see on the

edge of the fender where the bondo is a bit wavy.

One more fender crack photo.

[Frank Elder]

Don, I am glad you are only posting Fender cracks....lol:eek:

[Reg Evans]

J.Lo's crack from the front.

J.Lo's crack from the rear.

[BobT-47P15]

Looks like those front fender spears were short ones on both Plymouth

and Dodge.

1942 Dodge

1942 Plymouth

[JIPJOBXX]

Well here's a 42 Dodge that trim piece goes all the way back to the door pratically.