micktroup2

Just going over the body, getting things sorted for eventual paint and I have a question for you body guys about the wheel wells- actually the panel itself. Where the wheel arch is, where the fender lip is bent back to make the actual opening, the metal is rippled. You can't see it unless you are close of course and that is how the factory made the opening, but is it worthwhile trying to hammer that smooth? Filling it would cause all sorts of problems I am sure. Or should I just leave it along and stop being so ****?:

white gold 88

It just depends on what you want. Smoothing that area up looks nice but it's not original. When I see one all smooth there it always makes me think that it's had a quarter replaced or the wheel well has been damaged or rusty. I left mine alone, even as bad as they look.

bronson_91

I agree with white gold 88, smoothing over the area would make at least some people think the quarter was replaced. The area is rippled because that is where the spot welds joining the quarter panel to the wheel well are. So, when quarter panels are replaced, those welds have to be drilled out. The new quarter of course is welded back in the same spot, but body shop welds do not look like factory welds. Which is why most body shops smooth those over with filler.
If you still want that look, using body filler--in moderation, no more than say 1/8"--would not cause any problems, so long as you take all the paint off and rough the metal up with, say, 80 grit paper before applying the filler.
Trying to hammer the area smooth would probably not work. The metal has been distorted by spot welding, and remember you are dealing with two pieces of sheetmetal--the quarter and wheel well--which are joined together at the welds but not in between. Getting both of those to move in the same direction with a hammer and dolly is a pretty tall order. You'll have some body filler in it, at any rate.