I've made a bit more headway coaxing that stubborn indentation out of the spare wheel cover. Progress is glacial, largely because it's virtually impossible to get behind the dent and give it a proper shove. Still, I'm inching forward—armed with a motley crew of paintless dent repair tools, bent metal rods, and a crowbar that’s seen better days. The panel is slowly, grudgingly returning to its original shape.
The real troublemaker is the bottom edge, where the outer skin wraps around the tyre cover frame. That section of metal has clearly decided it’s had enough of being pliable. Short of cutting it out entirely (which I’m not keen on), I suspect I’ll have to resort to a skim of lead to smooth things over.
They really did build cars differently back then—thicker metal, more resistance, and a general attitude of “good luck fixing this.” One new wrinkle in the saga: the panel now exhibits classic ‘petrol canning.’ That delightful phenomenon where you press the metal, it caves in, then pops back out like a mischievous spring. After a deep dive into YouTube tutorials, I’ve learned this means the panel is under stress and needs a bit of thermal persuasion.
Cue the oxygen-acetylene torch. Yes, I finally worked up the nerve to try it, despite having no real idea what I’m doing. Tonight was the night.
The method? Heat a small area where the metal’s stretched (without accidentally turning it into a molten puddle), then quickly cool it with a cloth soaked in cold water. The panel has stopped popping, which is promising, but it’s still not quite firm. I suspect a few strategic whacks with a dolly on the backside might help.
On the bright side, I’m picking up new skills at every turn. On the not-so-bright side, I do wish someone who actually knows what they’re doing could show me the ropes.