I went to the local Napa shop looking for an alternative to Bondo. They had fiberglass paste on the shelf. The can said it was for auto bodies. But the salesguy said it means it's good for plastic bodies, not metal. He said to use Bondo. Is he right? What alternatives are there to Bondo? I keep reading that it's not that great a product. I will need a lot because of all the welding had created ripples and such that need to be smoothed.
Kevin
Bondo or fiberglass?
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MNAirHead
- Posts: 9570
- Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2003 6:12 am
As a rule - go to an autobody (paint) store for your body parts.. and a mechanical supplier for your brake parts.
"bondo" is the "kleenex" name for body filler.
You really want your steel to be straight as possible.. then the filler should be less than 1/8" thick
Chances are if you can buy it at a hardware store or consumer store - it doesn't belong on your car.
Hope this helps.
Tim
"bondo" is the "kleenex" name for body filler.
You really want your steel to be straight as possible.. then the filler should be less than 1/8" thick
Chances are if you can buy it at a hardware store or consumer store - it doesn't belong on your car.
Hope this helps.
Tim
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raygreenwood
- Posts: 11907
- Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2003 12:01 am
Also bear this in mind....if you are just looking for a clean repair on a car that you only want to drive/own for a few years...bondo...and just about everything is fine. They are all polyester based. In the end...all but the most micro thin layers of fillers will absorb water and fail in a few years. Always.
The very best thing for "keeper" vehicles is body solder...preferably lead free. It lasts forever and does not corrode or bubble. Fiberglass is the worst. It has so many air bubbles. And...air = water vapor. Ray
The very best thing for "keeper" vehicles is body solder...preferably lead free. It lasts forever and does not corrode or bubble. Fiberglass is the worst. It has so many air bubbles. And...air = water vapor. Ray