putting bondo on stretched metal?

[jonnyboy1617]

Right below the bodyline, under the gas gap on my 73 Duster, the metal (about a 12"X6" section) was stretched enough to push in and out easily. So I went through the process of shrinking it with a torch. Once I felt it was strong again, I tapped some of the highs down and popped out some of the lows. I then proceeded and put filler over the area, for I thought the metal would of held its shape because I did not do that much more hammer work. But whether it stretched again, or if I actually missed that spot, it still has the oil can affect on one side. It is not extremely bad, for example... I cannot push the metal in with the tip of my forefinger, but I can pop the metal inward with a decent push from the tip of my thumb. So here is my scenario and my options. I am on a dead line, my school starts this Thursday and I have 21 hours available to work on the car to get it ready for paint. After school starts, I will be tied between school and work. And I will only have 10 hours a week at maximum. And I need the car done ASAP, it is my daily driver to school and work (I know, poor car). I am 85% done with filler, then I need to glaze, then prime, block sand, and have the extrior stripped and ready to send it off.

So should I leave it how it is for now and make sure the rest of the car is finish? And just let the pro do remove the filler, shrink it, and finish? If so, about how much could this cost? He he does not run a business, it is a 1-2 man team that works in a small shop he owns.

Would it be safe enough to apply the rest of the filler myself, without shrinking the metal again? Or how many hours could this take (rough guess), to strip, shrink, and redo a section?

Out of all this blabbing, I guess all I really need to know is... Is it a small enough risk to save me time and money by finishing the area without shrinking it more? Or it it just an all out better idea to leave it to the real bodyman? Thanks.

 

[jonnyboy1617]

Update: Recent annoyance! My air compressor has been randomly shooting water through the hose! I am totally baffled how it got in the compressor, but it's been going for the last 2 days. I occasionally just sit there and let it blow air for 1-2 minutes trying to clean it out, but it seems to come back eventually. What Do I do? I don't want water shooting into my filler.

 

[72bluNblu]

I wouldn't want to put bondo over an area that still oil cans, it'll just pop off eventually. Bondo has enough issues staying around for the long haul as it is. If you want the paint to last, you'll need to fix it first. How much money it might cost, especially if the guy isn't running a business, is a hard guess to make. It really depends on how long it'll take to fix.

As far as the water, you DEFINITELY don't want any of that in the filler. Bondo, if its the normal talc based stuff, will absorb water. Bad deal. You need to put a water trap on the air line. Water condenses out of air, so its pretty easy to end up with some in the tank/lines. If its a lot of water in the tank you might have to drain it, most air compressors have a valve on the bottom for this reason. Either way you should have a water trap on the air line.

 

[rjsjea]

You want it painted by Thursday when you start school??

 

[jonnyboy1617]

Sorry, let me explain. I need to have the BODYWORK done by school. I can cope with finding rides to and fro work until the car is done being painted. But my biggest concern is having my part done while I have the time.

 

[70Duster440]

Keep shrinking the metal to eliminate the oil canning OR leave it to a pro - but don't put filler over it (or let the pro put filler over it).

Drain the compressor and add water traps. Compressing air generates heat which condenses in the lines and tank.