I welded up all the cracks in the splash shields. I also filled in some rusted-thru spots on the bottom lip of one of them, where the inside edge of the running board goes. To do this, I got a 1/4″ x 1″ x 12″ slab of copper, rounded one edge, and fitted it into the slot where the inner edge of the running board goes. Then I was able use my MIG welder to build up new metal in the rusted-thru spots, and the copper kept the inside shape correct. Then I test-fitted the splash shields, running boards, and front fenders to the car to be sure that everything went together like it is supposed to. Because the splash shields go between the body and the frame, I had to remove the bolts holding the body to the frame, and jack up the body about a quarter of an inch.
The next step is to make sure I have gotten all the dented and bent areas of the splash shields as flat as possible, and start painting them.
I went to a nice car show in Pennsylvania last weekend, and managed to pick up decent used rear right and front left fenders. So once the splash shields are done, I will start working on the fenders. The first step will be a couple of sandblasting sessions.