Looks good i bet that's a good bit of work tho. I need to do it on my hood unless i find a parts truck on craigslist when i get some money. I am painting truck in spring (to cold now) and im just gonna use rustoleum protective enamel because when i decide to cut across a field or go in some mud i wont be so down about scratching my paint up. Im gonna use a spray gun not spray paint im not skilled enough for that.

 

this weekend im going to try and fix a couple rust spots grind them down bondo them and sand it down also going to cut off my cat and gut it than put it back on end straight pipe it without a muffler. cant wait til sunday...Oh and FOOTBALL!!!

 

body filler is intended to be used with dents of 1/8 or less...
They dont recommend it for filling big dents or holes... and I agree with you about the primer and filler retaining moisture...this is the coomon mistake people make when sanding and priming repairs and driving the vehicle without sealing it repair.. the rust comes back fast. Moisture alsoends up coming in from the rear of the body where a hole is involved and causing the bubbling... thats what happened on my truck from PO repairs..they used masking tape to cover holes and bondo over that.... it was painted right before I bought the truck and was bubbling 2 months later from moisture that came in through the backside.
as far as show cars being filler....not the good ones..I have taken my cars to shows and bondo is taboo on classic cars... Its used to make them look good and sell them not to hold up unless used as intended. Filler expands and contracts at different rates than steel plastic and often shrinks leaving cracks if used for anything but an 1/8" deep filler...
I've had awsome luck ripping out the filler in my truck and replacing it with fiberglass and epoxy... I fixed the rusted out bottoms or my doors this way almost three years ago and they are as solid today as they were then.. I used herculiner to cover the work along the bottom and stainless wheel trim to cover the wheel wells...

 

took off work today ..... cause it's Friday, I suppose.....

Went to Abilene to PPG distributor and boutght primer, sealer, base, and clear as well as other supplies. Set me back $682.00. Guess it would have been less if I opted for the cheaper line of paint, AND not gotten metallic black. Darn base was $196.00 for a gallon. Should be enough to repaint Ram and do touch up on Yota.

Looked at color samples for Jag and VW. Thinking a pearl metallic burgandy for Jag and candy red for VW. Gotta see how the Ram comes out first. May determine whether I want to tackle the others! Going to get down to freezing this weekend, so may only get to do some more dent pulling.


Bought a welder also today so might get lower fender panels welded in.

 

Not entirely true. A lot of cars on the show circuit have filler. I've been doing body work since 1995. I'm ASE certified for body and paint, worked in several shops building classic cars to ******* replicas to collision work. There is a lot that goes on behind the door in a body shop that the costomer doesn't know about. If your talking "Barret Jackson" show cars, then yes they are built with less filler. But, look at the prices. If you go to any local show or even SEMA for that matter, there's more filler than you would like to know about or want you to know about.

 

Having spent 7 years as an engineer for Nissan, I can tell you that new cars can also have some filler. A small ding on the body will not stop the line to replace a fender. Of course if it is major, it will be flagged and pulled off at the end of the line for whatever repairs are required.

 

I know what your saying and guess thats the main difference between the 65 mustang for 14 grand and the one for $4500... I know many use a magnet to check the body for fillers and if the panels arent straight without the bondo they get acid dipped and fixed right to be done right when professionally restored...I agree some filler is fine but the enthusiasts who do it the "proper" way (cars that are considered real car show quality cars well above what I own) frown on body repairs with bondo... they fill or repair with metal patch panels or replace the whole panel.
small dings are one thing...dents and rust holes are entirely different and are not for repairing with just bondo...only to smooth out the surface after its been repaired with something else.

 

I had a new jeep once that I found had terrible body panel work...rivet marks everywhere and even some filler to try to hid some of them....at three years old it had a hole rotted clean through the body where two panels where joined the size of a quarter.....Jeep wouldnt touch it even though I had an extended warranty. nothing surprises me ...

 

BULLEYE!! We got it nailed down. Now if just one person reads this and fixes their project the correct way it was well worth the effort. Not being a smart*ss or anything, just being honest.

 

I totally agree...if used right bondo works fine to fix small imperfections... the problem is amateurs like myself rarely use it that way.... And thats why it gets a bad rap.. Another reason, there's a defect on the hood of my vette were I used glazing putty and didnt let it cure enough before priming and painting... like a week after painting it showed up and reared its ulgy face...
I bet many reading this have at one time just tried to sand a rust hole and fill it with a big ole gob of bondo.... that will not hold up and actually hold moisture which will rust things out faster.