thegetawaycar

I need to patch a hole about the size of a half dollar in the rear quarters. One each side, right above the bumpers. I'd like to weld it and do it right, but I don't know know the proper technique really. If anyone has experience with this kind of thing and can shoot me an email that would be fantastic!

4000fixes

Ill see if i can dig up his number and see if I can get him to give you some pointers or something.

84gtguy

grind the area down to bare metal. then cut out the bad area. then cut a newpiece of sheetmetal to cover it, make it about 1/2" bigger on all side then the hole. put a rust treatment around the edges of the cut out part and where the new metal will contact the old. then treat the backside of the new patch. put the patch in place and drill some holes in it all the way through the old metal. then put some rivets in to hold it.

next comes the body filler. go over the patch and around the area about 4-6" away from the patch. sand it down. reapply if needed. then use a glazing putty and sand again. reapply if needed. when the area is smoth and to your liking, prime it with a filler type primer. sand again. prime and sand once more. if it looks perfect now, prime and finish with paint.

welding a patch in is best, but a small spot can be done quicker and easier using rivets and filler. you have to use filler either way so really you start off pretty equal. this method works great and will last forever when done right.

stevenmurray

Thanks - I'll have to print this one out.

4000fixes

How would you take care of a rust spot right on the corner of the windshield half under the seal?

thegetawaycar

ive been told the welding method involves making a slight shoulder in the current body work to make the patch flush. i think getting just the right depth on that shoulder would be tough.

is there anyway to weld the new metal in flush. like exact size for the hole and welded edge to edge? id like to not have much of a patch showing on the inside.

secondly, what metal would i use? where would i get it?

Jretal

you can probably find the right gauge sheet metal at the hardware store. I know my local one carries like 18" square sheets. Just get the right gauge (not sure what gauge our cars are, maybe 22gauge?)

If you're welding, the key is just making lots of spot welds, not a continuous weld. If you do a continuous, you risk a) blowing through the metal and making a mess and b) warping the metal.

You can then grind it flush, and with a small hammer and block get it pretty flush/flat (if you can reach it from the back side).

Like 84gtguy said, you'll still need to do filler and such, but welding would limit the filler vs if you had to cover over rivets.. Also, I'd treat the area with weldable primer before putting the patch in. This will ensure that all areas are covered and the rust doesn't find a new place to grow.

Note: I'm the furthest thing from a body repair man, so take what I saw w/ a grain of salt. Also, might try contacting vwfreak or sallad since they work in the industry.

84gtguy

i do it all the time on the jeeps i restore. but you do have to know what you're doing and be pretty skilled with a wire feed welder. as jretal said, do it in small amounts at a time or you will warp the sheetmetal around it. again, this takes some skill.

once it's welded in, you need to grind the weld flush. again be careful doing this and do small areas at a time. the grinder creates alot of heat, enough to warp the metal.

rolling the edge of your patch is usually recommended to prevent burning through it. but, if you're skilled enough, you can get away without doing it.

once the welding is complete, and you have ground everything flush, it's time for putty. used a lightweight filler (spend the money on the good stuff). sand, fill, sand, fill. when all is flush, go over it with the glazing putty. sand and fill a couple of times. when you are satisfied, prime with a primer that fills imperfections. then use a sealer primer. next paint it. finish with a good glaze buff.

i recommended the rivet method for you because it is much quicker and easier. if you use the flushest mounting rivets, it doesn't take much putty to fill. when done properly, it looks good as new and you can't tell there is a patch there.

your other option would be to grind down to bare metal, cut as little metal as possible but getting all the rust. then use a fiberglass fill (spend the money and get the good stuff). this type of putty is often referred to as "kitty hair" putty. sand it down, then use a good lightweight putty over it. fill, sand and repeat several times. then use the glazing putty as describe earlier. this method works and is the easiest by far. the downside is that you may have bubbling in a couple years and have to redo it. but it could last forever, it's a gamble.

as far as getting the metal and products, go to a body supply business. they will have the best stuff. if you don't have one in your area, go online. let me know if you need the names of the products and i'll tell you what i use and recommend. the metal can also be had at a steel supply business or sometimes machine shops. it's pretty cheap. i'd go with 22 gauge, it's going to be close or the same to what you have (depending on the year, etc, it will run 20 to 24 gauge). if you go with the rivet method, you can even use aluminum ( that won't rust).

i build and restore jeeps so i have a few tricks i've learned. let me know if you need anymore advice.

thegetawaycar

anyone within 8 hours driving of northeast ohio want to let me pay them to do an edge to edge weld repair? my goal is to have this thing almost invisible and keep the body mud to a minimum.

84gtguy

i, personally, would fabricate a new piece of metal, cut out the old and weld in the new one. the good thing about that spot is that it won't warp as easily. it does take some skill to do a repair there. that's what i would do.

however, if the spot isn't to big, you could get by with body filler. in this case i would sand blast the area really well. make sure you get all the rust. if the spot is big enough you can cut the rust out, but it is easier to have the old for a guideline for the curve and shape of the metal. in this case, i would recommend a lightweight body filler rather than a fiberglass. the lightweight is easier to shape than the fiberglass. just do as i have described, filling, sanding, filling, sanding. in this case i might not follow up with glazing putty (if you can get it perfectly smoth with the lightweight filler, otherwise you will need to use glazing putty).

another method is to braze in a new piece of metal. this method is probably is next best. the brazing is still welding, but doesn't require as much skill. brazing is similar to soldering, you melt new metal to attach the 2 pieces. a torch is used to heat the area and melt the metal wads used in the process. this is a strong repair (not as strong as an actual weld though)and relatively simple to do. cut the rusted area out, fabricate a new piece of metal, and braze weld it in. then you follow up like a normal weld. brazing is a method used on really thin, or very old, sheetmetal. sometime yopu can even buy a small torch than will do the job rather than a set of bottles and a regular torch. this method is probably your best repair, if your not an experienced welder (it does take some practice to braze well though). it makes a very nice repair. i have used this process several times in the same type spot with good success on much older vehicles.


it's very important to match the curve and shape of the metal. you can't get the filler on to thick. if you take your time and do it carefully, you should be very successful in making a perfect repait. in a spot like that, it will last longer than in others. but you may have to redo it a few years down the road (or it could last forever).



the rivet method won't work at all here. and i would (so would a body shop i would think) recommend welding in new metal for a permanent fix. it's very tricky to use metal, but it is the best fix.