Help! I bit off more than I can chew! Body work

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rigrunner

rigrunner

rigrunner
Joined
Apr 18, 2009
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ararat nc
took off my top and found a little rust not too bad i dont think. started sanding on an area around my trunk and found an inch of filler and a weld from the trunk to back door. any ideas as to how to fix this would be great. thanks. hope the pics help. also got the wire wheel too close on some trim while getting glue of roof can the sand marks on the trim be buffed out? thanks
 
If the trim is stainless you can use an sos pad and then polish with
Mothers mag polish.

If the sanding marks are deep you may need to wet sand with some 800-1000
grit before the sos pad.
 
First how much do you want to put into the car. The trim will buff out as long as the scratches are not to deep. As far as the weld you could replace the whole panel. Or leave it and clean it then lead fill it.
 
all 340 said:
First how much do you want to put into the car. The trim will buff out as long as the scratches are not to deep. As far as the weld you could replace the whole panel. Or leave it and clean it then lead fill it.
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trying not to spend too much but want it to last when finished. how do you fill with lead? im assuming its not the same as welding.. trying to do all i can by myself and my 8 year old son is helping and i want him to learn all he can as well:)
 
the 2 next to last pics are the seam cleaned and primed. got a friend gonna come over tonight and see about welding the seam so it doesnt take so much filler to smooth over.
 
more advice on body please. friend says he can weld up the seam and hide most of the weld on the top of quarter. but i dont know. nervous bout this one never done this before.....
 
Dont use lead. Toxic and real bad for you and the boy. Use metallized body filler. Cover the trim in electrical tape and put it back on.Then you can use it as a guide/form to carve the filler. When your done shaping the filler then peel the tape off the trim and remove it.Prime and paint then reinstall the trim.
 
i used duplicolor automotive primer on the roof seam and already see rust coming thru paint. does the rust inhibitor sold in parts stores stop the rust? its just temp till i get the seam fixed. also my wife has now named it the RAT and hand painted a fat rat on the corner of my trunk?
 
Looks like someone put a quarter panel on it at one time. I would hit the roof seam with a rust converter before priming and filling. Dont go to crazy with the filler along the top of the quarter, its a hard area to sand.
 
DA the rust off the roof the best you can and then use a rust treatment/converter. Was the filler you found 1" wide, or 1" thick? If it was 1" thick, wow! If it was 1" wide... I'd just put it right back!
 
Super T said:
DA the rust off the roof the best you can and then use a rust treatment/converter. Was the filler you found 1" wide, or 1" thick? If it was 1" thick, wow! If it was 1" wide... I'd just put it right back!
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it was 1 inch thick. wow was my thoughts exactly
 
daliant said:
Looks like someone put a quarter panel on it at one time. I would hit the roof seam with a rust converter before priming and filling. Dont go to crazy with the filler along the top of the quarter, its a hard area to sand.
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my friend looked at it and we could only find the one seam it seemed like an odd place to cut to replace a panel. he says instead of body filler he could weld a strip of metal in the seam them a light coat of filler over that. would that be the eay to go?
 
rigrunner said:
it was 1 inch thick. wow was my thoughts exactly
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the thickest part was in the center there is what looked like a dent or hole somewhat filled in.. friend says he can fill that in and build it up some. i hope he knows what hes talking about..
 
I would just put filler back in the seam on top of the quarter unless it has rust in it, then cut it out and put a new strip of metal in. It looks like it held up pretty good though. Someone put factory quarters on my 4dr dart many moons ago and seamed it in the same spot as yours, however they didn't do a good job (they overlapped the two panels) and it rusted so bad you could reach your arm into the trunk. Epoxy primer after you neutralize the rust would be the way to go, then you could do your body work over it. Anything out of a shaker can usually sucks.
 
daliant said:
I would just put filler back in the seam on top of the quarter unless it has rust in it, then cut it out and put a new strip of metal in. It looks like it held up pretty good though. Someone put factory quarters on my 4dr dart many moons ago and seamed it in the same spot as yours, however they didn't do a good job (they overlapped the two panels) and it rusted so bad you could reach your arm into the trunk. Epoxy primer after you neutralize the rust would be the way to go, then you could do your body work over it. Anything out of a shaker can usually sucks.
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filler on the seam at the quarter for sure. your saying same for roof seam too? thanks totaly lost on this one. i can handle the small stuff but this is over my head..
 
The factory used regular polyester filler on roof seams on vinyl top cars. I would at the very least hose down the roof seam with some rust neutralizer (ospho) then prime and fill. The best way to fix it would be to cut the original seam out and butt weld a strip in its place but thats not that easy of a task.
 
daliant said:
The factory used regular polyester filler on roof seams on vinyl top cars. I would at the very least hose down the roof seam with some rust neutralizer (ospho) then prime and fill. The best way to fix it would be to cut the original seam out and butt weld a strip in its place but thats not that easy of a task.
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i think cut and weld is my friends plan. thanks. is the polyester filler still available?
 
rigrunner said:
i used duplicolor automotive primer on the roof seam and already see rust coming thru paint. does the rust inhibitor sold in parts stores stop the rust? its just temp till i get the seam fixed. also my wife has now named it the RAT and hand painted a fat rat on the corner of my trunk?
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I think my wife would have to moove out if shed try this with my duster or my roadrunner........!!!!???!!!! LOL......
 
The proper and permanent way to fix is cut out the rust, and weld in a fabricated piece of metal. If you have any rust spots you can't get to, use naval jelly to neutralize the rust. Good luck!
 
thank you all for the responses it helps a lot. think well cut and weld as much as possible the car is mostly solid the main area of rust was under the left side of vynil top. the seam an the quarter panel looks ruff but there is no rust..
 
Also remember that if you shoot it with primer or any flat or satin paint that is not a SEALER, you may as well cover it with a rag soaked in salty water. Primers (and body filler) do not stop moisture, that is why rust is creeping through. If you are going for a primered (rat) look, paint it with a sealer, or a gloss color first, then go over it with a flat, that will give you the primer look with rust protection.
 
4flats said:
Also remember that if you shoot it with primer or any flat or satin paint that is not a SEALER, you may as well cover it with a rag soaked in salty water. Primers (and body filler) do not stop moisture, that is why rust is creeping through. If you are going for a primered (rat) look, paint it with a sealer, or a gloss color first, then go over it with a flat, that will give you the primer look with rust protection.
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not really going for the rat look just looks kinda ratty at the moment. im trying to get it ready for paint and its slow going since i only have a few hours a week to work on it. using spay bomb primer as i go and was planning on getting a spray gun and doing it all with a high grade primer when all the body work is fininshed. should i use a glossy coat like rustoleum on the bare metal then sand off when ready to prime whole car? thanks
 
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