Need help from body guru's!

[MADDOG11]

OK, I'm considering doing my body repair on my own. As stated in my sig, I have a 92 MTX which was caught in a hail storm so I have damage everywhere. I would be replacing both front fenders, trunk and hood. However, the quarter panels and roof are not possible. So what I'm wondering is can I lay down a thin layer of bondo over the facory paint (after sanding down the clear coat), sand, prime and paint? Or do I need to take it down to the bare metal, then bondo, etc? By the way, the deepest dent is approx 1/8". So, I'm not filling holes with it!

I've heard that the factory paint is usually the best and makes a good type of sealer. If there is no rust, paint over it. Is this correct?

 

[bubba]

NO... you will have to take it down to bare metal.... and big enough so you have to work with.... If you just bust the clear off, the bondo wouldn't stick to the paint.

 

[gmorrell]

In 1992, my '89 got caught in a massive hail storm in Colorado, half an hour of golf balls raining down. The insurance company did an estimate and cut me a check. I didn't do anything for a few months because the local body shops were all over-booked due to the extent of this hail storm. Even a few months after the storm, body shop fill and paint was going to take over a week, sheese...

So I eventually checked into paintless dent removal, and I figured, what could I lose by trying? They had the car one day, there were only 2 or 3 of the 100 some dents they couldn't remove, it was flippin' beautiful, and it cost 1/3 of what the insurance company gave me.

You sure you want to do this yourself?

 

[jmpSHO]

Definately try the paintless dent removal as stated above. Those guys are amazing at what they do. I would try the dent wizard before anyone else.

 

[MADDOG11]

In 1992, my '89 got caught in a massive hail storm in Colorado, half an hour of golf balls raining down. The insurance company did an estimate and cut me a check. I didn't do anything for a few months because the local body shops were all over-booked due to the extent of this hail storm. Even a few months after the storm, body shop fill and paint was going to take over a week, sheese...

So I eventually checked into paintless dent removal, and I figured, what could I lose by trying? They had the car one day, there were only 2 or 3 of the 100 some dents they couldn't remove, it was flippin' beautiful, and it cost 1/3 of what the insurance company gave me.

You sure you want to do this yourself?

Yea, I remeber that storm! I was at work down off Plate River Dr in Denver when it hit. Both cars on either side of me were destroyed. Meanwhile, I ended up with one dent! ****** me off!

Anyway, as it is, the paint itself is pretty worn out (faded, dinged, gouged, etc) not to mention the clear coat is cracked! So, I'm seriously considering it for my winter project. I'll be straightening out my garage this winter so I'll have plenty of time and room! I figure if I do it a panel at a time I won't get bored and loose focus!

I'm also considering putting a shark tail, roof mounted antenna on?! I've always hated the power antenna! I've seen some of these on the higher end vehicles (bmw, MB, etc) and love the way they look.

 

[HotRodKid]

NO... you will have to take it down to bare metal.... and big enough so you have to work with.... If you just bust the clear off, the bondo wouldn't stick to the paint.

WRONG WRONG WRONG

WRONG WRONG WRONG

WRONG WRONG WRONG

WRONG WRONG WRONG

any body filler that will stick to steel will stick to paint

stripping a perfectly good panel (ie, good paint) down to bare metal will destroy the factory e-coats integrity, any clips in the paint will then allow the filler to absorb water, which will then cause the bare metal to ... pretty much ... explode with rust

get yourself some 80 grit sandpaper and buzz the entire panel till your throug hthe clear, the heat this creates will possibly walk out some of the hail damage, allowing for much less work

if you really want to, drop the headliner and using a rubber mallet, lightly tap out each dent in a spiral pattern (pick a dent, use many tiny blows to spiral your way into the center from the outside edge)

when your done with your filler, get yourself a quart of high quality sandable epoxy primer, along with a roller (yes, a roller) from the AUTO paint store .... roll on a thick layer of sandable primer

yes, i said it ... roll the primer on, it gives you plety of mill thickness, no overspray, effortless clean up

 

[bubba]

That's what fiberglass filer is for... I would take it down to bare metal... as that's the way I was taught... However the anwser wasn't wrong... You have your way and I have my way. But it wouldn't stick and would fall off later! What's wrong with stripping a good panel? Your busting the clear anyway and would need to be repainted anyway! So how was it wrong?
Oh and I'm not getting in a ******* match over this


and I would go alittle finer.. If your going to just bust the clear off

WRONG WRONG WRONG

WRONG WRONG WRONG

WRONG WRONG WRONG

WRONG WRONG WRONG

any body filler that will stick to steel will stick to paint

stripping a perfectly good panel (ie, good paint) down to bare metal will destroy the factory e-coats integrity, any clips in the paint will then allow the filler to absorb water, which will then cause the bare metal to ... pretty much ... explode with rust

get yourself some 80 grit sandpaper and buzz the entire panel till your throug hthe clear, the heat this creates will possibly walk out some of the hail damage, allowing for much less work

if you really want to, drop the headliner and using a rubber mallet, lightly tap out each dent in a spiral pattern (pick a dent, use many tiny blows to spiral your way into the center from the outside edge)

when your done with your filler, get yourself a quart of high quality sandable epoxy primer, along with a roller (yes, a roller) from the AUTO paint store .... roll on a thick layer of sandable primer

yes, i said it ... roll the primer on, it gives you plety of mill thickness, no overspray, effortless clean up

 

[HotRodKid]

so your saying the 100's of cars ive repaider in my life time all have had their filler fall off ? im actually 100% positive that NONE of my dent repairs have ever fallen apart like you insist will happen, ive done it my way and had the repair get bashed in again, my work stays intact

fiberglass filler doesnt offer any additional corrosion protection, thats what E-COAT is for ... its an electrically applied primer thats far superior to the corrosion resistance that a spray on primer would give

ripping it all off with some pand paper is a horrible idea, an 1/8 of bondo is flexible far beyond the amount of flex a steel panel has, and therefor will never crack off as you insist

so again, buzz lightly with 80 grit, fill, prime, paint.

ive proven to people in the past how well bondo holds to paint by applying a skim coat to SHINY paint on a dented fender, letting it bake in the sun, then stomping on the panel

the only way bare metal will add any adhesion is if you 40 grit to bare metal with a body grinder, and thats only for when your doing HEAVY filler coats, like a mashed in rocker that cant be pulled all the way

 

[hawkeye18]

are you the guy that texted me two days ago? lol

 

[bubba]

That's why they make stud dent puller? Or even know how it works?... try doing that one with paint on the car! lol and the bondo sticks to bare metal better man! I never said "your" way never works... I have fixed a lot of "your" ways before lol.... and body filler helps keep water out loluhhh yeah it does lol... but I'm done here!

so your saying the 100's of cars ive repaider in my life time all have had their filler fall off ? im actually 100% positive that NONE of my dent repairs have ever fallen apart like you insist will happen, ive done it my way and had the repair get bashed in again, my work stays intact

fiberglass filler doesnt offer any additional corrosion protection, thats what E-COAT is for ... its an electrically applied primer thats far superior to the corrosion resistance that a spray on primer would give

ripping it all off with some pand paper is a horrible idea, an 1/8 of bondo is flexible far beyond the amount of flex a steel panel has, and therefor will never crack off as you insist

so again, buzz lightly with 80 grit, fill, prime, paint.

ive proven to people in the past how well bondo holds to paint by applying a skim coat to SHINY paint on a dented fender, letting it bake in the sun, then stomping on the panel

the only way bare metal will add any adhesion is if you 40 grit to bare metal with a body grinder, and thats only for when your doing HEAVY filler coats, like a mashed in rocker that cant be pulled all the way

 

[HotRodKid]

i dont beleive he said hes using a stud gun, now did he ? therefore he doesnt have to grind the paint of to use the stud gun that he wont be using

and ive fixed alot of your ways before

tell me, do you strip factory e coat off brand new panels too ? was the person who taught you an old time from well before ecoat was in use ?

 

[bubba]

Taught me? he's still teaching me lol... and yeah I did lol..... He's an older guy so yeah... I just might if it called for it.


and to the OP.. I would just do the paintless dent removal!

i dont beleive he said hes using a stud gun, now did he ? therefore he doesnt have to grind the paint of to use the stud gun that he wont be using

and ive fixed alot of your ways before

tell me, do you strip factory e coat off brand new panels too ? was the person who taught you an old time from well before ecoat was in use ?

 

[rubydist]

Bubba, your first post told the OP that he had to take it down to bare metal to get the bondo to stick - that was wrong, since bondo will stick to paint if you rough it up a little first so there is something to adhere to. And taking off the e-coat is definitely not desired as the panels will be much more prone to rust bubbling.

HotRodKid, if you touch 80 grit to the paint, you will have such large sand scratches you will spend forever getting them out. 800 grit is plenty coarse to take off the clear coat without sanding through the color coat, and will still provide adhesion for the bondo, primer, and paint without making huge sand scratches to have to fix.

Maddog11, the paintless repair guys do some amazing stuff, as has already been posted, so that's the place to start.

 

[SHOtime2511]

+1 for the 80 grit, fill, prime, paint method.
no need to go down to bare metal.

 

[hawkeye18]

80 Grit!?!?!?! Are you people nuts? That's like rubbing gravel over your paint... jeez... you mean 800 grit?

I might be the one that's nuts here... but man, 80 grit seems really harsh for not trying to go right through the paint.

 

[Brett]

80 grit was the norm in my I car course, start with 80, sand LIGHTLY, work your way up.

 

[bottonic]

Simple solution....if you are not a bodyman by trade, don't attempt to fix your car yourself. Period. I would highly recommend the paintless dent removal.

 

[SHODWN]

Yeah Jason the 80 grit was a bit messed up!!! Most shops would start with a 220,insert Bondo, sand again then lay in the primer thick and re sand.

Bondo will stick to anything, you dont have to strip the car to bare metal.

 

[sho_ted]

last time and only time, i put bondo over paint it blistered.

 

[HotRodKid]

i took 80 grit on an airboard to a rock chipped audi aluminium hood before, lol

i had to strip the front half and have it in primer in like 30 minutes, so braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap i went

it was either 80 on airboard, or 320 on a DA, considering the boss let our sandpaper supply dwindle to nothing for the end of the month, guess he wanted to pad the months bottom line a bit

the car was black too