More on the body work.....
So I decided to go the Bondo route for rust repair. Mostly because at this point I don't have a welder and I've never done fiberglass work before. The again I've never used Bondo either.
Here's what it started as:
After chopping the rust out:
I started prepping the rear driver's side section by sanding it down to bare metal with 60 grit (after I cut away the rust) sand paper. Let me say a couple things here:
1)3M SandBlaster sandpaper has to be the BEST sandpaper I've ever used. It lasts and doesn't clog. Worth the money.
2)Invest in a nice sanding block. I spent a lil extra change on a 3M block and its made this much easier. Nice & heavy, holds the paper very well and flexes (made of rubber).
Then I taped off the area with some 3M Scotch(you'll see this brand alot from me
) automotive painting tape (green stuff). Yes its different than the Scotch Blue Painter's tape. Its heavier and allows you to sand up to the tape without it ripping up. I also used a cheap drop cloth to cover the areas I didn't want to get paint/bondo on. The inside area got a thorough coating of rust convertor to help prevent the rust from coming back. Its like a primer so you have to sand it back off the outside area.
Sanded:
Mixing Bondo is a little hard to comprehend from the label. The instructions are one long run on sentence. Basically, use a about a 3" spot of filler that's 1/2" thick with a 1.25" strip of hardener. Mix thoroughly and work FAST as hell. This stuff sets up real quick. Only mix what you can work with in 3 minutes or less. Apply with a spatula/spreader. My thinking was its better to have a good buildup that I could sand down rather than a low area that I'd have to re-apply. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Fresh Bondo:
So after it set up I was back at it with the 60 grit. Its important to remember that you need to let the sandpaper do the work. In other words, don't press hard on the block. You want to work slowly to shape the Bondo correctly. Follow this with 120 grit and then 320 grit prior to primer. Pull the tape and remask off the area (clean paint lines).
The primer needs to be filler primer or etch primer. Chances are real good you'll have some pinholes. No worries though. The primer should fill anything up to 1/16" deep. Wipe the area down with some tack cloth (a MUST) to remove any dust. Apply the primer according to what the can says. Light coats work best.
Primed:
So that's where it is right now. I still have to take some 600 grit to the primer to finish it up. But that's tomorrow's project.
