Thanks guys. Progress is fast at the moment because im job hunting (The diff and tray have sat for almost a year while i was contracting out of town) So it keeps me occupied.

Today i did some work on one of the front skirts

Creases from where the flares had been fitted

Very crusty and pitted seam flange

(Notice how one is bending in)


and some corrosion coming through at the front bracket. It looks like the lip here had been cut so the lower portion of the skirt could be bent out - must have been a real wide body wellside in its day.

also some pop rivet holes along the bottom edge. Possibly a bodykit skirt?

I started with a hammer and dolly to get the crease out and the panel straight


This curve got worse when i removed the crusty flange. They must be under alot of tension.

Clamped down flat to my workbench and then clamped the new flange lip to it.


It looks totally bent here but i think its just the camera. There was a bit of a curve in the last 2-3 inches at the wheel arch which i cut and have restraighetened. Its pretty good now.
Cut out the notches for the bed supports

Cut out the rust on the front end bracket area and got it back in line, and filled in all the rivet holes


Needs a little more work in the area where the angle iron support was, and a final run over with a hammer and dolly to get it perfect