2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission body work question

[JCyrbok]

damn it if someone didnt hit my truck in the parking lot at work yesterday. nice dent to the driver rear 1/4 just infront of the bumper, they must have been backing out and just clipped it. Nice dent and crease and the paint is cracked at the crease



Even reviewed the video of the parking lot but the camera on that side pans so I couldnt tell when it happened.



Well there is some bumping, sanding and painting in my future, so I took a look under the truck on the back side of the 1/4panel to see if there would be room for be to get in there with a hammer, but there there is a diagonal "gusset" that is made of sheet metal and is about 6 inches wide that it in the way (dent is directly behind the gusset).



Looks like the gusset is there to stiffen the bottom of the 1/4 panel. Does anyone see a problem with me cutting the gusset out so I can get in there to bump the dent out and work it with a dolley? I likley would NOT put it back as I do not have the welding equipement to do so. Any problems with that other than a less stiff lower edge of the panel?



Thanks

J-

 

[budnate]

you might consider a mobile dent guy, I ran into a real good one ,he does great work pretty reasonable $200/300 per job, you cant buy materials and time for that, He went in through the tailight hole to work a ding I had like your describing, when he was done no bondo just a little paint work and you cant tell where he was, plus he does it like in a hour bam boom gone.