Body Work Questions For The Experts

[Jack Meoff]

I know we have some top notch restoration guys on here and I have some questions....I have to address some nastiness going on with my Fifth. Due to the fact that the quality paint job from Chrysler literally fell off I need to at the very least temporarily patch these spots till I can swing a full paint job.
Traditionally what I've done in the past is grind it down to bare metal, hit it with Metal Ready, prime with self etching grey primer then paint......is there a better way?

Also any advice on how to attack two problem spots would be greatly appreciated....

As of yet there are no holes....they look like crap because I've lambasted them with grease to stop the rust from growing.

Here are the culprits.....

Problem spot #1

Problem spot #2

Thank you in advance!!

 

[Mr.Lopar]

those two spots next to the vinyl are gonna be tricky

 

[Jack Meoff]

those two spots next to the vinyl are gonna be tricky

For sure....the one along the trunk won't be as bad as that corner.
That's gonna be dicey....

 

[ramenth]

That spot near the vinyl is going to be under the vinyl, hate to tell you.

My eye says that those spots are gonna have to be spot blasted to get 'em to clean metal, even then you might get some pin-holing.

 

[Jack Meoff]

That spot near the vinyl is going to be under the vinyl, hate to tell you.

My eye says that those spots are gonna have to be spot blasted to get 'em to clean metal, even then you might get some pin-holing.

I know it's not the ideal way to do it but would you glass the pinhole's?
And as far as the corner of the vinyl roof....short of removing it which I don't really have the money to do at this point.....I guess I'm just getting in there as much as I can with the trim off.....I'm hoping it's not too bad once I peek under there...

 

[Mr.Lopar]

You can use bondoglass for the pinholes, but its gonna have to be nice clean metal first
Bondoglass is bondo, but with fiberglass strans and is way stronger then bondo

 

[ramenth]

Ed, it depends. Professionally, I wouldn't do it to a customer's car, but how long are you looking to get out of it?

The metal has to be clean, and I mean, clean to get anything to stick beyond a year or two. A little pin-holing could be filled in with Duraglass, Kitty Hair, Bondoglass (never been a big fan of anything "Bondo") or a combination of the above. I've mixed Duraglass and Kitty Hair together and gotten a bond so strong you couldn't knock it off with a hammer.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Ed, it depends. Professionally, I wouldn't do it to a customer's car, but how long are you looking to get out of it?

The metal has to be clean, and I mean, clean to get anything to stick beyond a year or two. A little pin-holing could be filled in with Duraglass, Kitty Hair, Bondoglass (never been a big fan of anything "Bondo") or a combination of the above. I've mixed Duraglass and Kitty Hair together and gotten a bond so strong you couldn't knock it off with a hammer.

Thank you for the tips...
I want this car around for a long time and at some point when funds allow I'll tear it down and do it properly but for now the object of the game is to stop the rust that's happening from getting out of control...
I'll definitely be checking out this Duraglass.....thanks!!

 

[Mr.Lopar]

you can pick it up at any parts store or walmart in the automotive section

 

[Jack Meoff]

you can pick it up at any parts store or walmart in the automotive section

Awesome.....thanks Mr Lopar!!

 

[Mr.Lopar]

no prob

 

[jasperjacko]

If you're real gentle, you might be able to peel up the vinyl, make the repair and glue it back down. It does look like there may be holes though.

 

[Jack Meoff]

That is indeed my plan of attack.....I'm just going to see how far I can get in there without things getting ugly..

 

[Monkeyed]

looks a lot like what I have (to a lesser degree) with my fifth. I'm going to throw this in here, and try not to beat me up too much for it, but I'm attempting a "no expense spent" build, not so much a restoration, as a rustoration.. I'll post some pics later, but first, 10 cent college word of the day: Martensite. from Metallurgy class, excess carbon in steel from quenching too fast. approx. twice the hardness of normal steel, but also extremely brittle, not good for structural pieces, broken down easily with the application of heat, which is what tempering is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martensite

http://steel.keytometals.com/Articles/Art155.htm

coming back to the point. the rust converters I've seen claim to convert rust (Iron Oxide) into Martensite chemically. so it removes the oxygen in the rust, and replaces it with carbon. It's not a miracle, it doesn't fill holes, it won't bear a load, it will crack and flake if flexed, but so will rust, and rust is self-propagating. onces it starts forming, it displaces the iron atoms making room for more oxygen to get in, which displaces more iron atoms, and so on. I haven't put it through the test of time, but if it slows down the deterioration of my body panels, and can be sanded, and painted over, anyway, that's your free lecture for the day lol

(this is in edit; I guess the can says Magnetite, not Martensite, which makes more sense since it's made chemically, and is another form of Iron Oxide.)

 

[lowbudget]

I would blast them with one of these http://www.eastwood.com/speed-blast-gravity-feed-blaster.html I have one and love it for the small stuff. Harbor freight has a similar one so I image princess auto would too. I can't vouch for the quality of them as I can for this one.

 

[My imp]

That spot near the vinyl is going to be under the vinyl, hate to tell you.

My eye says that those spots are gonna have to be spot blasted to get 'em to clean metal, even then you might get some pin-holing.

Yeah, what he said. When you go to roll back the vinyl, I like to heat the vinyl until pliable. That way you minimize the chances of splitting it. Don't go Gonzo with an industrial heat gun, an ordinary blow dryer should do the trick. Without actually seeing it in person, it may require new metal. Make sure you get ALL of the contaminants off before you start any sanding whatsoever. Good luck!

 

[kkritsilas]

I would blast them with one of these http://www.eastwood.com/speed-blast-gravity-feed-blaster.html I have one and love it for the small stuff. Harbor freight has a similar one so I image princess auto would too. I can't vouch for the quality of them as I can for this one.

The gun itself is really cheap, what isn't is the amount of air that you need to supply. 10CFM @ 100 PSI? I don't know where Eastwood gets the idea that home compressors can do this. This volume/pressure would call for a pretty hefty air compressor, probably in the 3-5 HP range. You save money on the gun, and pay even more for the compressor, unless you actually have one already. I have a compressor, but it cannot do that volume at 100 PSI.

Kostas

 

[Jack Meoff]

Luckily I have a buddy who is well acquainted with dealing with older cars.
I'll be using his shop, tools and advice....hopefully there won't be a massive nightmare hiding under that vinyl.....hopefully.