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| | | | Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 10 Member | | Member Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 10 | I have a '51 3/4 ton. I am just starting restoration and hope to learn as I go. Someone has done some previous body work on it and the paint is cracked in areas covering Bondo. I want to know if it is only the paint that is cracked or is the Bondo itself cracked. If the Bondo is not cracked I would leave it on and save myself some work.Anybody have experience with this? | | | | | Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 | my 2¢ is if there's paint over bondo that's cracked - yes, it's the bondo that's the problem, and the way to save yerself some work is git rid of it!!
and welcome to the right place to find lots of answers to yer questions, Chris.
Bill | | | | | Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 385 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 385 | Welcome to the 'bolt, Scruffy. The reason your paint is cracked is the bondo is being pushed up away from the metal by rust. I had the same thing all over my truck, and if you wait long enough entire sections of bondo will fall off on their own.
Bondo and nearly all forms of primer absorb moisture like a sponge; so once the paint is cracked, the process accelerates. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 10 Member | | Member Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 10 | Uh oh, if I have rust pushing up the bondo from behind and in so doing cracking the paint on top, that does not sound good. What does somebody do to repair this? Take off all the bondo? Treat or try to remove the rust then put bondo back on and have the same thing happen again? I need advice on this one. | | | | | Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 385 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 385 | Relax! It takes a very tiny amount of rust to bubble paint or lift bondo. I've seen a dime-sized spot of surface rust ruin a whole fender's worth of body filler. Eventually you will need to take it to bare metal and get rid of that bondo. If you like making a mess, get your mask and goggles and take it off with an angle grinder w/ wire cup brush. Keep moving so you don't scorch the steel; the paint, bondo, and rust will all be gone in a cloud of fine dust. Hit the area with phosphoric acid to kill/covert the rust (Rust-Mort or Naval Jelly) then clean and prep the metal as if for paint. I prefer fiberglass body filler over bondo (doesn't collect moisture); heating and beating the steel is better for dents; new patch panels are best if there's holes in the steel. | | |
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