Trunk extension replacement

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PettyDart

PettyDart

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new to all this and have never replaced any body parts before but ready to learn. My 73 swinger needs the drivers side trunk extension replaced. Previous owner blew a tire and split it all open pretty good. See pics. Pretty sure I can easily bend back the part of the inner wheel houses where the inner and outer meet. The trunk extension is pretty bent up. My question is will it be easier to try to pound it all back into place or just replace the extension? The paint on the outside looks good so hoping to not screw that up pounding away on the extension inside the trunk. Is it just a matter of wire wheeling it all clean and drilling out the spot welds and replacing with the new piece (spot weld that one back in) Sucks because the panels are all rust free original. Again, I’ve never done anything body related but it seems pretty straight forward. Thanks for any and all help! You guys are the best!

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Tough piece to replace by itself. This will be a fun thread to follow.
 
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This probably won't be the best to learn on. Maybe get a price from an experienced body man that can massage it back in place and leave the rest for you to finish. JMO. Good luck.
 
toolmanmike said:
Tough piece to replace by itself. This will be a fun thread to follow.
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That's kind've what I was afraid of. You'd never know it was messed up looking at the outside, fender is perfect. Only way to tell anything is wrong with it is peeking inside behind the rear tire or inside the trunk. You say tough to replace by itself, what is it normally replaced with? the whole trunk floor?
 
PettyDart said:
new to all this and have never replaced any body parts before but ready to learn. My 73 swinger needs the drivers side trunk extension replaced. Previous owner blew a tire and split it all open pretty good. See pics. Pretty sure I can easily bend back the part of the inner wheel houses where the inner and outer meet. The trunk extension is pretty bent up. My question is will it be easier to try to pound it all back into place or just replace the extension? The paint on the outside looks good so hoping to not screw that up pounding away on the extension inside the trunk. Is it just a matter of wire wheeling it all clean and drilling out the spot welds and replacing with the new piece (spot weld that one back in) Sucks because the panels are all rust free original. Again, I’ve never done anything body related but it seems pretty straight forward. Thanks for any and all help! You guys are the best!

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It looks like all the metal is there. Like Icetech said, straighten it back out and weld it back together. If you don't have the tools or know how, a body shop can do it.
 
The welds may still be good just stretched metal. Remove tire, use maybe floor jack and wood. Do you know anyone with a porter power? Metal has memory. If you apply pressure in the right direction and hit with hammer while doing so it may work out.
 
The outer wheelhouse damage is going to be the hardest to fix. As far as the trunk extension, it isn't too bad. On the trunk extension, you may be able to use 3 or 4 C clamps to pinch the seam where it is welded to the trunk floor back together so you can weld that joint back. Scrape all the seam sealer off the top of that joint before you start so you can see all of the joint that is pulled open. Work it from the back towards the front when squeezing it back together. You could drill some holes thru one side of the pinch weld, underneath the car where the trunk extension meets the trunk floor, and use those holes to plug weld thru when you get the joint squeezed back together. You can also tack the seam together up in the trunk before you cover it with seam sealer.

As far as the wheelhouse damage, you may or may not be able to beat it close enough together to weld the seams back. Get it to where it looks as good as you can inside the trunk, because that is all anyone is going to see. Seal it all back up with automotive seam sealer when you're done.

I know you know....but be careful welding around the gas tank and filler tube if there is the slightest smell of gas. It ain't the gas that makes the big KABOOMYOW, it's the vapors + a spark. :eek:
 
JDMopar said:
The outer wheelhouse damage is going to be the hardest to fix. As far as the trunk extension, it isn't too bad. On the trunk extension, you may be able to use 3 or 4 C clamps to pinch the seam where it is welded to the trunk floor back together so you can weld that joint back. Scrape all the seam sealer off the top of that joint before you start so you can see all of the joint that is pulled open. Work it from the back towards the front when squeezing it back together. You could drill some holes thru one side of the pinch weld, underneath the car where the trunk extension meets the trunk floor, and use those holes to plug weld thru when you get the joint squeezed back together. You can also tack the seam together up in the trunk before you cover it with seam sealer.

As far as the wheelhouse damage, you may or may not be able to beat it close enough together to weld the seams back. Get it to where it looks as good as you can inside the trunk, because that is all anyone is going to see. Seal it all back up with automotive seam sealer when you're done.

I know you know....but be careful welding around the gas tank and filler tube if there is the slightest smell of gas. It ain't the gas that makes the big KABOOMYOW, it's the vapors + a spark. :eek:
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Thank you for all that information and ideas! That’s what I was kinda hoping for is a little guidance and direction having never done anything like this before. I’m gonna give it a go and see how it works out
 
worse comes to worse you can cut out that crinkle part in the wheel well and make a patch, unless you are doing shows no one will know..
 
PettyDart said:
Thank you for all that information and ideas! That’s what I was kinda hoping for is a little guidance and direction having never done anything like this before. I’m gonna give it a go and see how it works out
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You're welcome. Get all of the stretched and torn metal back as close to where it belongs before you weld anything. If you don't have C clamps, vice grips will work just as well if you can get the seams close enough together. You'll be under the car, then in the trunk, under the car, back to the trunk a thousand times beating and banging to get it back. Expect some skinned and bruised hands before it's over. :BangHead:
 
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