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Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:25 pm

Well my buggy has a few holes in it from rust corrosion, from before I bought it. I would like to patch these up.

Just Clean them up, Bondo, then repaint?

Or should I go through a few more steps?

I am quite new to body work, and by quite new, I mean I've never done it before. Some tips would be greatly appreciated.

Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:11 pm

Tram was saying that the Eastwood leadlike filler was good, but you haven't shown us any pictures of the holes you are talking about. :twisted:

I bought CUSTOM PAINTING by Tom Brownell to answer my questions.

Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:40 pm

Here's the thing. Yeah, bondo is good for the repair, but you're removing the symptoms and leaving the cause. I don't know where the holes you're talking about are, but make sure if there's a leak somewhere you address it or else the holes will just come back bigger.

Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:51 pm

First Step - clean any rust you can. Wire brush drill attachment will do.

Second Step - work out if it's best to get some welds or new parts in there instead. Welds are quite probable. Either way, fix the affected part!

Third Step - fix the underlying problem - moisture having access to the metal. My recommendation would be MasterSeries Silver primer. It's amazing stuff.

Third Step - fill if you need to with something *like* Bondo and paint.

Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:14 pm

when you say holes, what size holes, where are they located. attach photo if possible

Sat Jul 07, 2012 7:08 am

Rule of thumb I use is if larger than a pencil eraser, cut out and patch. Smaller holes can be welded shut providing surrounding metal is still good. If positivly have to fill, All Metal, or Metal to Metal, works well if cleaned to bare metal. It is ground aluminum powder based instead of talc based and slightly harder to sand. Does not shrink near as bad as regular filler. Correct method is still to cut out the cancer and replace.

Mon Jul 09, 2012 5:36 am

As mentioned cutting out the rust and replacing it is the best method by far, but isn't always necessary depending on your skill level and where the rust is. For hidden rust you could mechanically remove it, then apply the rust treatment of your choice and seal it up with a top coat.

If you are replacing the metal and want to dig further, remember that the rust you probably see are the tip of the iceberg and there is likely more rust hiding around the same area that hasn't popped up. Probing with a screwdriver is always a good idea!

Let's see the carnage pics of the rust and I'm sure you will get more detailed suggestions for repairing the rust!

-Matt/EW

Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:44 am

This is all very good information. I'll try to get the pics when I can. I've been swamped recently.

Thanks

Sun Jun 02, 2013 10:25 pm

I'm resurrecting this post because it seems that there were a lot of strong opinions against bondo.

I'm trying to repair some serious rust neglect around every single window in my 81 Vanagon. There are some holes that are the size of a hot dog and some tiny pinholes. My immediate concern is continued exposure to the elements so I sanded down all the rust and sprayed in some rust neutralizer (Rustoleum at Home Depot).

After that I grabbed some bondo and started trying to fill holes just to keep the water out. After blobbing on and sanding down my fifth hold, I knew I was doing wrong, but didn't know what my options were. I was about to start Google'ing "fiberglass patches" when I came across this posting about metal patches.

I do not have a single ounce of experience with a welder, let alone where to locate metal patches at.

Are there any "How-to's" out there on this process or some hard earned experiences anyone could share on doing patches like this?

Since all of my rust issues are around the windows, what special considerations do I need to take for them? Besides of course removing the windows :lol:

TIA,

VF

Mon Jun 03, 2013 7:24 am

OK I'm not advocating this (I weld my rust issues) but FOR THE WELDING IMPAIRED... couldn't a person cut out the rusted areas as usual with a small cut off wheel, clean up the area on top and the underside, then attach a metal patch (cut larger than the hole) on the underside of the panel using some kind of super strong epoxy. Maybe even also using a couple of stainless steel counter-sunk sheet metal screws (or rivets)? Then once the epoxy's dry, fill and skim with bondo on the outside of the panel. Then once the bondo's dry and sanded smooth, spray it with etch primer from a can to ward off the moisture (bondo soaks it in), then eventually paint. That to me would be better than expecting bondo to do the job alone.

Mon Jun 03, 2013 1:59 pm

I have nothing against Bondo - but the point is that Bondo is NOT DESIGNED FOR HOLE REPAIR.

It's a body filler like body solder was - it's designed to smooth things out not fill holes in metal that needs to be replaced.

Use Bondo for the purposes that Bondo was designed for.

Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:38 pm

Body filler (bondo is a brand name of body filler, and not the best) has it's place on solid, unperforated sheets of metal that can not be straightened to the desired shape. Once the metal has been straightened as much as possible, body filler is spread as thinly as possible over the repair area, then sanded to the appropriate contour, and completely sealed with finish. When you are using filler over a hole, you leave the backside of the repair exposed many times. Filler acts like a sponge for moisture, and it can also shrink over time. for a rust hole, filler is like poison. It will pull water in where it can, and hold it against the edges of the rust hole. The hole rusts out bigger, the bondo swells and shrinks and falls out, and you have a worse problem and more rust on your hands. I don't mean exposure to rain, I mean vapor and humidity.

If you can get to the other side, clean the repair area down to the metal, remove all rust by cutting it out, and then use steel patches (you'll have to make them yourself) and a modern steel panel adhesive, you may (might, maybe, not sure) be able to achieve the protection you are looking for.

Sounds kind of iffy, though.

Tue Jun 04, 2013 1:05 pm

Exactly.

Using Bondo/Body Filler to patch holes is basically asking for a rust destroyed panel down the road.

Now Body Solder... well then you might be able to do it, but if you're doing it with metal you may as well weld/cut...

Tue Jun 04, 2013 1:16 pm

For that kind of repair, I once used JB weld. I figured it was OK since the backside of the JB weld was inside the cabin of the vehicle.

Tue Jun 04, 2013 9:13 pm

Doug C wrote: OK I'm not advocating this (I weld my rust issues) but FOR THE WELDING IMPAIRED... couldn't a person cut out the rusted areas as usual with a small cut off wheel, clean up the area on top and the underside, then attach a metal patch (cut larger than the hole) on the underside of the panel using some kind of super strong epoxy. Maybe even also using a couple of stainless steel counter-sunk sheet metal screws (or rivets)? Then once the epoxy's dry, fill and skim with bondo on the outside of the panel. Then once the bondo's dry and sanded smooth, spray it with etch primer from a can to ward off the moisture (bondo soaks it in), then eventually paint. That to me would be better than expecting bondo to do the job alone.

Although I've never done it, I've read good things about using panel adhesive. "If" you're able to cut out all the rusty metal, this method would probably be far superior to welding. Since its under windows though, it will be hard to get metal under the hole. The OP might be able to countersink the metal to keep it flush.

In theory, it almost sounds like a better idea than welding, since all the parts could be completely painted/protected. Unlike welding where the paint burns off the back of the weld.