I have some dents and body damage on my '91 on the right rear corner, right where the hatch rests, from a tree that fell on this corner before I purchased the car. Do you guys have any recommendations on best methods for straightening this area out? Thanks!

 

I say, if youre planning to do the body work yourself, take it to a shop to have them pull / straighten the dents out. then you can do the rest of the bondo / paint work.

thats a kind of important area to not have perfect imo since its right on the body lines

 

Hammer and dolly work will straighten out that damage.

 

In all my many years of owning cars, (52,) whether Daily Drivers, Customs, or Classics, I've always maintained that the smartest thing you can do for your vehicles, (and this applies to home repair, and really just about any endeavor.) is to realize something is beyond your capability, and is best turned over to a pro.......so I'm offering you that advice, and letting you know I think you should get it done right. It's not bad at all, but will require painting the entire quarter panel.
I also know that most people who embark on these projects only consider the cost of materials.....but what is your labor and time worth? Are you a $5 an hour guy, or a $100 and hour guy.

Just a little advice................

 

Thanks for the feedback guys. I definitely understand where you're coming from on having it done right; this being a project car though, and having plans to paint it with a buddy and his equipment, I was kind of hoping that it might be a easy way to learn some body/dent repair skills while doing other prep and projects on it.

 

I check around for a dent wizard or dent doctor in your area. Find out when he'll be in town and have him take a look. Those guys can work miracles and not charge a whole lot. Should be pretty easy for an experienced guy.

 

That's definitely worth looking into. Looks like there's a couple of mobile PDR techs up here in the NE Indiana area

 

You have a few really good dent guys in NE Indiana. Be sure you check their reputation before diving in. Many DW techs are hacks and are not good at all. The independent tech is your best bet as their business is riding on your satisfaction. The DW tech doesn't own the biz, so they have less vested interest in quality., plus they are usually new techs.