The tin worm scares me like none other. Tiny pinholes are one thing, but if you have ever driven in Ohio, you know what I mean when I say “rot”. Body panels that are returning to the earth faster than the vehicle as a whole is. Quarter panels so crispy that they flake off like dandruff. Doors that are simple to repair the window tracks on, because all you have to do is reach up from the bottom, where metal used to be. Yeah, true rust turns me off. I’ve lost two cars to terminal tinworm. And I’m nowhere near the welder I need to be in order to patch anything that is visible from the outside. If I can’t cover it in sound deadener and carpet, my work currently doesn’t need to be seen.

This 1965 Ford Econoline can use some new metal in several key areas. What do you think the chances are that there is ready-to-weld patch panels available for the funky little flat-faced pickup? Did you guess “zero”? If you did, you get a gold star. Outside of easy-to-guess vehicles like muscle cars and certain popular pickups, the easiest way to deal with rotted panels that are still savable is to learn how to shape metal. It’s a skill that takes time to learn, but anyone who has that skill in action has our attention for the whole time.