Cafe Stuff

So I got quoted $150 for someone to weld up the tank and pull out a fairly large dent by the left side badge mount. I was going to pay to have it done just to be safe but then I kept thinking how I really wanted to do as much of this project on my own as possible. So...here's the left side. Holes are patched and there were no explosions. Sometimes the sun shines on a dog's ass. I hammered those 2 areas in just a touch to close the holes up a bit more and then MIG'd them up. Then I started looking at how I was going to pull the dent. Initially, I was going to weld on some studs and then use a slide hammer. I ended up taking a metal rod about 5/16" in diameter and grinding the tip round (like a small ball peen hammer) and then stuck it in through the filler neck and started slowly hammering the end of it and pushing the dent out. I did have to get creative and put some bends in it to deal with the tunnel. This took forever. There's still a few low spots but I think I'll be able to hide it with filler. 

It is so hard to get a decent picture of the tank. I know it looks like shit but it really is better in person. I think. Maybe not. Heather's been impressed so that's gotta mean something. I'm pretty happy I think considering this is the first time I've ever really stretched metal other than running a car into something.

I ended up pushing the right side in about another 1/8". Things are pretty damn close right now considering all I've used are eye balls. I may try to make some kind of ghetto depth gauge out of cardboard this weekend and see if that shows any major issues.

I took this picture and posted it on an old CB forum where I have a build thread going. The little step down from the filler neck is only on the right side. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to deal with this area. Leave it as is or put filler around the area and make it like the left side? I'm hesitant because it looks like it's going to be tricky but I know it's gonna pale in comparison to the knee dents.

Another shitty picture. Here they totally look uneven but it's not the case. I'm pretty obsessive. I'll probably clean the inside of the tank this weekend because it may be the last warm weekend before I need to unhook the hoses and prepare for winter. Stay tuned.