Best way to fix this...

[85_Ranger4x4]

When I went to pull myself up after loosening something underneith when I was doing my V8 swap I put my thumb through the cab corner, but not the cab corner proper...

It seems pretty solid around it (I can't make the hole bigger), but it isn't a piece that is available new that I have been able to find... and there are a lot of funky curves going on there and it is a small area.

I was planning on sandblasting it anyway because of where the paint has been worked up around the edges because it is something of a trap for crud off the road. I suspect sandblasting will tell more how great it is, but I am a ways from being ready to get to that point.

What do you guys think?

 

[brinker88]

If it doesnt have to be perfect, use fiberglass...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If it doesnt have to be perfect, use fiberglass...

I don't want the guy I run over laughing at me when I open the door to see what I hit though...

My initial reaction was fiberglass because nobody will likely ever see it, the door covers it very well when closed and even then it is pretty low. I just wanted input before I did it to make sure it is a good thing to do... use of fiberglass seems rather hit and miss on approval.

 

[88_Eddie]

seen what nathan did on his?

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105277&page=8

it might work, i dont know. i have a few spots to fix on my b2, but i've never done much body repair

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

seen what nathan did on his?

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105277&page=8

it might work, i dont know. i have a few spots to fix on my b2, but i've never done much body repair

Post #129 and #131

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

seen what nathan did on his?

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105277&page=8

it might work, i dont know. i have a few spots to fix on my b2, but i've never done much body repair

I had thought about that too, but I would be replacing a lot more than I really needed to since the piece I need is buried under a couple other layers.

The seam and stuff are fine, they just have however many years of catching rocks from the front tires that chewed the paint a little. The only real bad spot is the hole itself.

 

[Ak907Girl]

If it's that small, would bondo work? (I hate bondo... I've only seen people apply it, never done it myself.)

How does using fiberglass on there work.... POST PICTURES OF PROCESS!!
I don't really understand what you guys mean by using fiberglass.

My driver's side tail light is pinched at the bottom and I don't know how to unpinch it. (although Lima might have scored me a new bed for my truck.) But I wanna learn to do some body work.

 

[88_Eddie]

bondo is meant to be applied on surfaces 1/16" thick or thinner IIRC. if you just globbed it into the hole. guaranteed, it would crack out after a little while. you have a limited amount of time to work with it too.

fiberglass is actually really easy to work with, it stays wet longer as well. i just extended the grip on my .308 riflestock with it. it sands really easy and you can cover up any rough spots with thin layers of bondo to make it look really good.

basically, you buy resin and a sheet of fiberglass cloth. cut the fiberglass cloth to the size you need, cover it with resin, repeat as needed. the fiberlgass turns really hard after a while and it's pretty strong.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If it's that small, would bondo work? (I hate bondo... I've only seen people apply it, never done it myself.)

It is just meant to fill light dimples and dents, despite being called "body filler" it isn't meant to fill holes.

 

[sloue]

The best way.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

sloue, would you happen to have any bigger pics of that operation? I can see what you are doing but I can't really see what you are doing at the same time if that makes any sense. For the record the piece (with the hole in it) I want to fix you didn't have to. The cab corner proper and rocker panel/door sill/whatever you want to call it are perfect aside from where gravel has pummled the leading edge of the rocker which I think will clean up fine.

Right now the plan is to sandblast it, see what it looks like and maybe fiberglass it if it isn't much worse than it is. The biggest problem (aside from having to get a cordless sawsall) is that I would be really lucky to find a cab corner in as good of shape as mine in a JY let alone one any better.

I have been looking, I haven't even been able to turn up better fenders or hood so far... not to mention a bed.

 

[sloue]

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3934586/1983-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-3 It took me a long time just to get those there. go here and click on the pic . I drilled out all the spot welds .cut the rockers out of a b2, and ordered cab corners . i was just doing it to replace the crushed metal .but when i got to it the cancer was horrifying ! I ended up replacing the whole drivers floor as well. And for the recored I did have to cut that whole triangle piece off there because it was to thin to do any thing with .. did not want to get into a pissing match about who's cab was worse off .You asked the best way.. after all the work into the motor swap .I was sure you were like me ,and not want the truck to rot out from under all that work. IMO the best way . then the cab will last as long as the drivetrain...credit goes to my body man son, i was there as the helper on this one.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Ok, from the earlier pics it looked like the triangular part stayed.

To be really honest, this part of it has the crap scared out of me as to what I am going to get into. I just don't really like ripping off all the good layers above the problem one.

I am really appreciative of your advice, taking a sawsall to the meaty part of my baby just freaks the heck out me

Paying somebody else to do it freaks me out too, to date the only thing anybody else has done to it in the past 11.5 years is the exhaust... and that was a nervous three days.

I am still gathering parts and researching how to go about the whole process so I suppose I have time to warm up to it.