What's Seam Sealer?

[coad]

My bus is at the bodyshop getting new doglegs installed under the doors. They are doing a proper job or cutting off the rust, making the new panels fit, and spot welding them on, but they keep talking about how we'll clean that up or seal that with "seam sealer"? Should I be worried? What is this stuff? Is it good practice to use it or are they taking shortcuts?

[keifernet]

Like anything else it has it's proper applications and can be used in areas where it shouldn't...
To ease your mind VW's from the factory had the liberal use of seam sealer in the wheel well areas and many other places.... Basically, to seal seams where spot welded panels merged together and needed to be made watertight.
If the shop uses a good brand like 3M and it is applied ove clean and/or prepped surfaces than there should not be an isssue

[Air-Cooled Head]

Seam Sealer is like calk. Think of the stuff around your bath tub; same concept.
I went to high school w/ a OD Jennings. You from Chicago?

[coad]

No relation to Chicago, but thanks for the words of comfort. My biggest problem with owning VW's for the last 25 years has been convincing mechanics and body guys that VW's really are worth fixing right. I've seen too many bug fenders welded on to trust anybody who also works on "real cars" so I get nervous when I hear them start talking about "filling the gaps." When the old girl is at the shop all I do is worry. Thanks all.

[Air-Cooled Head]

Yeah, isn't that amazing. I had to "fire" my brother (who taught me most things mechanical) from helping me w/ my bug. He was into muscle cars & did most of his own work, but felt "half-ass" was good enough for my VW.

[sdp65]

Funny,
I have a sixty three rag top that is a SOLID foudation,but I wanted the front end and spare wheel well fixed up- gonna do a pan off resto. I am renting an upstairs apartment with no garage and so took photos to the shops in my little northern arizona town. (Flagstaff gets really little when it comes to VWs) and they said that it would be too expensive like six seven hundred bucks to do all the body work I wanted done. since when was body work for less than a grand too expensive, oh wait thats right I have a dune buggy hippie toy that has no business being restored to original, i forgot..... I am still looking for someone to help me do it correctly in arizona- might have to drive it down Phoenix. any suggestions for me?? maybe I should just scrap it. I bet the junk yard would give me twenty bucks for the running six volt car!! just to get it off my hands.... then I could buy a 'real' car, like a mustang or something (1983 mustang--yeah baby!!)

[killbotpowerhead@hotmail.]

you just have to get together with the right people, find the mechanic or body-man who had a volkswagen in high school or whos father was a volkswagen mechanic, and love there volkswagens. i've found my mechanic he used to a have a bay window bus just like mine hes been a great help.

[KombiMonster]

Yeah this is an old one. When using seam sealer, make sure that the area is primed then prepped first. If not any moisture that is trapped in will cause rust and your seam sealer will be useless.