So the bubbles under the paint turned out to be a nice little weak spot and a hole in the side of my car. I decided to cut out the infected area, the dark spot behind the hole is the inside headliner I suppose. From the picture you can see the area is small, maybe 3 inches wide. The other spots to the right are just rust spots that never weakened the metal. I used Por 15's METAL-READY to hopefully kill the rust that would not sand out.
I thought I should spot weld in some sheet metal then lay a thin layer of ?bondo around the area. Is this the best method for fixing a spot like this?? I think I have seen cars patched like this on other sites. Does anyone else have any good suggestions ??
I will tell you that it rusted from the inside out the area behind the rust spot is filled with foam that holds water. I have no recomondation on the repair but I wouldn't try to weld in that area with out removing the foam first.
As long as you replace the metal, that's the way to go. I wouldn't use Bondo brand, or any of the other talc-based fillers, and I would remove the foam if at all possible.
I like Restomotive's Straightline filler, myself. I'm pretty sure Eastwood makes a non-talc filler, as well. Your local auto paint jobber should carry some as well.
When you say tack weld I hope you mean tack weld all the way around the metal incert. If you don't the movement between the metal over time will make your filler crack.
Also when you are welding all the way around your metal insert only weld about a quarter inch at a time then move to a different area and keep on moving until it is all filled in. Coll with a rag if you have to.
Welding to long in one spot will warp the metal and make the bondo filler very hard to do.
Someone at work suggested after I tack it in, let cool then weld just a few seconds then wait till the metal cools off. I have been practicing on some scrap metal and the first long bead I laid warped the metal very bad. Once I broke the job down into smaller bits the warpage stopped. Thanks guys !
Either way will work as long as the metal does not get hot enough.
Another thing you should know. If there is rust there is only one true fix. Cut it out and weld in a piece. Or get a knew piece alltogether. ANything else you do it will come through eventually. Might last 1 year might last 15. Eventually it will find its way through again.
Found out how wrong I was, that stuff in the picture WAS foam, and I cannot reach the hole from the back side. I cut the hole large enough so that I had good metal all around. I have started a long process to tack in a piece of metal I cut to fit the hole. I did a series of small welds all around. I will have to use body filler to make the area smooth, but I think it is going to be OK.
jashv wrote:Found out how wrong I was, that stuff in the picture WAS foam, and I cannot reach the hole from the back side. I cut the hole large enough so that I had good metal all around. I have started a long process to tack in a piece of metal I cut to fit the hole. I did a series of small welds all around. I will have to use body filler to make the area smooth, but I think it is going to be OK.
Im not exactly sure how you did it, but here is a tip for the future.
Cut your piece the size you want it or a little bigger than the whole. Then weld a nail in the middle of it. Then you can fit the metal behind the whole and hold it inplace. WHile holding it in place tack it in. Then cut the nail off as close as you can. Then grind off the nail. Continue welding.
ck85abc, where were you at yesterday... I patched the hole last night. I stared at that thing for about 20 minutes then decided to wrap electrical tape around it so I would have a handle to hold on to. Once I had it in I cut the tape off. The nail would have worked MUCH BETTER. THANK YOU !
