body repair

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today i started scrapeing the layers of paint (latex, spray paint, finger paint etc.)that previous owners have put on, and found more rust then i originally thought it had. in front of both rear wheel wells and on the driver side corner and tailight area i have holes. i would like to fix this the right way but have no experience doin bady work. thats why i loved my jeeps the more dented and rusty the better they looked. can someone give me a ruff estimate as to how much this would cost to get a pro. to do, or what is involved for a home remedy. also is bondo really as bad as people make it out to be? thanks josh

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Bondo is great for a quick fix and sell, but in my opinion it is no good for the long haul, especially for patching a hole of any size. I understand that if left unsealed (primer, paint, etc.) that it actually attracts moisture (boo, hiss). I have heard that you can help make it last by priming and painting the BACK of the patch, which in a lot of cases is nearly immpossible. I do not know if this is accurate, but I can say that my experiences with Bondo have been less than satisfying. As such, I am currently learning to weld!!!

I have no idea what a pro would charge for body work, but I know that most body shops will not guarantee rust repair work so if they don't prep well the rust will return and your out a lot of dough. I live in the rust belt of the east coast and have been fighting the Volkswagon vs. Rust battle on and off for 12 years.

The biggest battle with rust repair is the prep work. You must eradicate all existence of the rust or it will return in time. Unfortunately, that can turn a pea-sized rust hole into one the size of a tennis ball very quickly. Also, depending on the location of the rust, there may be structural concerns to worry about.

Now that I have given bondo a bad name, I should point out that if you do your prep work well, brace and support (or fill)the hole or void properly and try as hard as possible to get the back of the patch at least primed, your repair should last a reasonable amount of time and look pretty decent to boot. Just don't expect a permanent fix. As for the difficulty, you can do it yourself with the tools you have in your shop. A drill with a sanding wheel and some 60, 80 and 120 grit paper, a sanding block, wet dry finishing sandpaper, some wire brushes and of course the famed bondo is all you need to get started. Any Chiltons book will have a great little tutorial on prep work and the use of body fillers. For bracing and void filling you can use sheet metal, wire mesh (sold right next to the bondo), aluminum flashing (hardware store)or (cringe) foaming insulation. These can be secured with rivets, JB weld or bondo itself (in the case of the mesh.

It's all going to boil down to what YOU are looking for in your ride, your wallet and your Karma. It's all about having fun with it.

KUSS

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thanks, the guys at work were tellin me that fiberglass holds up alot better but is a PITA to work with. i too live in the rust belt PA so i am suprised that my bus has as little rust as it does. i was plannin on keepin this project as cheap and nonj time consuminhg as possible since i only reaqlly want it for a camper but after lookin at all the nice bus' on this and other site i kinda want it to look good.

[keifernet]

For a do it yourselfer I would say go to a Pawn shop or Sears and get an inexpensive 4" grinder and a flat wire wheel and a cupped one too. Also a grinding disc. Use these to prep the rust areas, then get a rust inhibiting(killing) chemical such as "OSPHO" or "RUST CURE" which are a green liquid phosporic acid based product. apply it a couple of times, the rusted metal will turn black, You do not need to rinse with water although you can just before you paint it to remove any excess of white powdery residue... Be sure it's good and dry if youi rinse it and primer it immediatlely or it will begin to rust again. I hear POR 15 is good but I have not tried it. Stay away from EXTEND or RUSTOLEUM waterbased rust killers, they do not work well for autobody, wheelbarrows swingsets and lawnmovers sure....
If the holes are large it is best if you can weld some metal in, but if your just fixing up and old bus to camp in and not restoring a true classic you can improvise.
As a previous post said, pop rivit or sheetmetal screw some flashing or other workable metal you can cut with "Tin snips"
to back up large areas....
Get a product called DYNAGLASS, or "KITTYHAIR" it is stranded fiberglass filler for fixing Corvettes and jetski cowls ect. It mixes like Bondo but makes a much better base for larger areas.... you can use it thicker than bondo, then use bondo for the final smooth out. you should never use bondo alone for a repair more than 1/8 inch thick... it will crack and bubble out...
get a sanding block and some long thin sheets of 3m brand 36 or 40 grit paper for roughing in the work and some 80 and 120 for smoothing it out...
You can get an idea of basics out of the back of nay chiltons manual for any car they print the same stuff in almost all of them.
Or order steel panels and buy a mig welder and alot more tools Good luck

[Joel Rosado]

a nice clean surfface,a rust inhibitor and to stop rust POR-15.get the starters kit,is all in there for begginers. if the hole is small buy some metal epoxy.it is a grey stuff that works like putty.you just cut and play with it until evenly colored and then apply on the holes.it can be sanded ,painted,primed and is really tuff.just remember ,trhe most important thiung is to "kill the rust" before it gets worst.if you are not in a hurry you can make the repairs one by one at your local body repair shop.i fixed a hole on my battery tray( the battery was left there from the first owner and it ate the side where the side marker is)this way and it has been 3 tears and no rust at all.is like playing with putty and hardens as stell .you can get it at your local PEP BOYS or WESTERN AUTO(GREY STEEL EPOXY. $3.99 at the most)FOR BIGGER HO;LES I RECOMEND AN EXPERT.THEY NEED TO BE CLEAN,MAYBE CUT AND THE USE OF SOLDERING EQUIPPMENT MIGHT BE NEEDED;DANNY

[richard123vmt]

Regarding unbacked bondo, the worst that has been said about it is never enough. It falls out in a few weeks. Using the plastic screen is no help for moisture.
But while welding is the neatest option, they are doing great things with pop rivets these days. Countersink rivets make for a thin coat of bondo using metal patch it will outlast the car. The biggest trick is to get the patch edges to lay flat. I usually put some fiberglass bondo inside the patch edges and rivert before it dries.
If structural strangth is a concern then only welding or nut and bolts will do.

[SGKent]

[Globespotter]

[Abscate]

How do you repair rusted Bondo? Can I weld to it?
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.ssS!

[cmonSTART]

Just paint it with Rustoleum.
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'78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS

[SGKent]

I am in my 70's now and not nearly as handsome as Mark (BusDaddy). Will bondo and Rustoleum work to make me look young again? Maybe build in some bungee straps to help me get around and stand up straight again?
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[typ914]

Bondo and paint make it what it ain’t! Works on women too!