Sanding the Body

I started off the day by rolling both of the rear quarter panels to help accommodate the wider rear differential. I simply used my hand and a heavy hammer to get the job done. I made multiple passes in order to work the lip a little bit at a time. I think they turned out pretty good considering I have never rolled a fender before and I was only using a hammer. I still need to make a few more adjustments before all is said and done, but for now I think they look much better and my tires (once I buy them) will appreciate the rolling.

Rear Passenger Quarter Panel with Rolled Lip

The rest of the day was spent sanding the panels on the car in order to find out which areas are in need of body work and which are not. By the time I was done sanding with a belt sander, I found that every panel needs some sort of body work; The trunk, both quarter panels, both doors, both fenders and yes, even the roof. The roof looks like someone beat it with a baseball bat. In the picture below, the dark spots on the roof are low spots compared to the rest of the roof. On the driver's side I counted six and I didn't even bother to count the passenger's side.

Driver's Side Roof

The driver's side door appears to have been hit (even if only slightly) as evidenced by the door handle panel not sitting flush with the quarter panel. Using a body hammer, I straightened out the edge of the door so that it now sits flush with the quarter panel. The area around the door handle will still need a little more body work and eventually a flush coat of Bondo.

Driver's Side Door

I was hoping for a body that didn't require much work, but it looks like it is going to take quite a few hours to get this car up to par before primer and paint ensue. I want to make sure the car is right before I paint it so no matter how long it takes, we'll get it done.