The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Always take a magnet

Body filler in and of itself isn't necessarily a problem. If used correctly it will outlast you and me. It's simply a product made to replace leading. Both have their pros and cons. The advantage of using a magnet is to identify where filler has been used on the vehicle. If there is filler in rust prone areas a magnet will alert you to the fact a repair has been done there so you can investigate further. If you refuse to purchase a vehicle simply because it has filler you could be making a mistake. Also if you don't use a magnet to identify potential problem areas you run the risk of buying a cobbled up mess. I would use a fairly weak magnet for inspections since a strong magnet can mask areas with relativly thin coats of putty.