I just wondering whats the best way to approach rust thats growing above the rear wheels? You know that part of the fender.. the lip that sticks out. I was just going to go at it with my angle grinder and then bondo something up. I am not sure if thats the best method. I got a mig welder, but I don't know jack **** about how to use it. I got a bucket of bondo and about 5 hrs a day to spend on it.

any help would be appreciated.

 

well if you could provide a picture of what your dealing with I could for sure tell you the best method but its hard to say when I have no idea how extensive your rust problem is...

 

POR-15 is real good chet!

 

dont do the bondo poor 7.....whats a better time than now to learn to weld woot its not that hard and you got a grinder.. its not like you can make it any worse than it is right?

 

por-15. I becomes as hard as metal. requires no sanding, just remove any big flakes first

 

Go search on yahoo for a welding forum, there is loads of info out there and people willing to help, wish I had a MIG (pout)

 

FYI. Bondo/body puttys are porous and absorb moisture. If you bondo over bare metal, you are applying a hard sponge to the body, it will rust. The metal needs to be treated and sealed, then the bondo, then the bondo gets sealed. Most pimers are not sealers, they are porous to provide a good mechanical gip for the base coat.

POR=15 or a good self-etching primer should be laid down before the filler, your work will last longer that way. On top of the filler a good primer/sealer combo

Years ago I had my cube van painted by a shop. I was there every day helping, I wanted to learn about the process. They did a great job on sanding, smoothing and filling in the rusted areas. What they didn't do was shoot it with a sealer. 6 weeks later, the Lincoln Continental paint on my van was showing rust underneath. 6 WEEKS. I was so pissed I never went back. Took about 7 more years for the box van to literaly rust out from underneath me.

 

damn trochoid that sux but i guess thats the way wee learn to do things our selfs and not let anyone else touch our prized possions*. and with that bondo i had no idea it was like that i learned something new today and its on 0733 in the morning damn!

 

+ bondo + sealer + primer + Rustoleum spray paint =



In other words, you can do just about anything with bondo, just seal it up well, as trocoid points out.

Higher res pictures and details at:

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/479957/13

Ray

 

I used Rust Dissolver Gel. It comes in a squirt bottle and shoots this menty smelling pink gel. You spray it on all the rust, leave it sit, when you come back the rust is gone and it is kind of a black primer I guess you'd say. IMO it works great, the best thing That I have ever tried for rust.

 

Permatex makes a similar spray, it nutrelizes rust and you can prime and paint once dry.

 

you only want to use bondo if it is in a non structural area. It’s strong stuff but it doesn't actually join the metal, its just made to be a body filler.

 

are yo utalking about navel jelly i use to use that stuff on my bike rebuilds as a kid works pretty if you use it right

 

It took me forever. First I cut the cancer out. then with a wire brush, and one of those round brushes for a drill.. I made the metal shine.. both inside and out. Then I cleaned it up real good. For the rocker panels I sprayed something called rust converter and then a good primer. After that I took and filled the damn holes up with that expanding foam that good for sealing up a house. It only cost me 3.95, Then I sealed that with some.. more primer.. Then I tossed a lil bit of bondo on there to even things out. I know everyone if going to flame me but its my car and it was only a lil hole on the end. I can hear every person that knows how to cut and weld, wishing they could just shoot me. It rare for me; I live in the NE, to find a car with no rust. even the well cared for rx7s have rust on them. I called some place called mazdasomething.. they wanted 100 buks for the corner sections of both sides (driver and passenger side) I told him.. 10 inches long and 7 inches high.. he was like.. yeah. ok.. 100 buks ea. Its not gold you know! So far on meterials for fixing the rust I have spent a lil over 50 buks. I allmost got the whole car done.

What is that POR-15?

 

That is what the stuff is actually called. I have no clue what it is. It is pink in a squirt bottle. Smells menty and is really sticky. It works good as hell and isn't high priced.

 

drunkclever, thanks for the description, pm me some pictures when you get a chance, I'd like to see how you did it.

Ray

 

I am just going to post them so that everyone can see..

most of this work is still progress, I have to clean out my yard and garage and then i'll be able to continue untill I get those line flowing straight.

This is the passenger side.. I need to seal it up with some primer, than I am going to toss some bondo and then shape it out, and then finally seal it up again.




This is on the driver side. I need to add some more bondo and then shape it out and seal it up...






As you might expect once you get a hole patching it up with out welding would be messy. You need a real good professional. I have never worked on a car so extensive as I am with my rx7. I just hope that other learn from my accomplishments and disappointments.

What do you guys think? I think this will last atleast for the summer. might be permanent

 

Using the foam for backing to get your shape can be effective, but it can also absorb and hold moisture. Next time try a layer of fiberglass for the base shape. It will help strengthen the filler too.

This is how I learned most of the things I know. Reading and getting my hands dirty. If it didn't work the first time, I kept at it until I got it right.

 

well the thing is that the previous owner used lots of fiberglass on there and it looked like ****. The lines of the rocker panel where all messed up. If you look at it good you can see the green/grayish color of the fiberglass. I should have taken a before pic. It just looked like some large clump of bondo. When I started to sand it down I noticed it was not bondo. And all they did was take the cloth and wrap it with resin. I still need to work some more bondo in to get those classic lines I crave so much.

When I get to do those corners I am going to use some fiberglass bondo. Its water proof and harder. I am just not sure about shapeing it. I was going to do it today, just my luck a sudden thunderstorm and my car is completely soaked. I didn't have time to cover anything. The bondo on the car got all wet. Should I remove it and start again??

 

Here's the scoop on POR-15......check it.

 

For high build and shaping use the long hair fiberglass reinforced putty. When you get to the final phase of smoothing use the short hair. There is also a kevlar reinforced putty that you can use in place of either glass one.

I remember the first time I tried to repair a rusted rocker panel. I was 17 and had a 57 Chevy. I mixed up the bondo and slapped it in there. It started hardening before I could smooth it out. I tried sanding it by hand, gave up after 10 minutes of that and never touched it again. The only help availible at the time was the instructions on the can.

Stick with it, you will get it accomplished. It's so much easier now days with better products, better tools and help just a keyboard away. Wish I still had the 57, even if it was a 4 door.