banzaitoyota

I DO NOT recommend filling the trim area with fiberglass. Metal and Fiberglass have a different co-efficient of expansion. Over time in the HOT GA SUN the fiberglass will crack at the joint. The only way to do it right is to weld (TIG) a metal filler in the gap and fill/smooth with conventional body filler. I did a set of molded in flares for a guy on a 2002 BMW, guy wanted them filled/molded in. I recommended against it, but the customer is always right, so I did it. Followed all MFG's recommended procedures etc. ^ months later the joint cracks, gues who lost in court?

j9fd3s

if you have a car with faded/peeling clear coat, do you want to strip the car beond the factory primer?



mike

banzaitoyota

If you are going to strip faded/peeling clearcoat, I would either Plastic media blast or soda-blast. Neither methods will warp sheetmetal (If done correctly) and you don't end up with adhesion problems when you chemically strip. the blast operator can also control hw much material is removed, so he can leave the factory primer and E-Coat. {This is a good thing}. Unless you have rust present never strip to bare metal. IMHO!



More info can be found at www.paintucation.com

Rob x-7

No, if the primer is in good shape leave it on there, the factory treats the metal with inhibitors and what not so sometimes going down to the bare metal can be worse.

Rob x-7

Either the use the old fashioned way and tap it from behind, or they use stud guns that basically weld a small rod onto the car and then a slide hammer is used on that rod to pull the dent out, when you are done you just knock the rod off with a grinder and fair the panel in as usual, no holes.

They used to drill holes and use a slide hammer to pull dents out, not no more.

They even have stud guns now that use a special adhesive almost like hot glue instead of welding a rod.



By the way I of course agree with Bonzai about the fiberglass, but do as you please I guess.

Muad'Dib

"prime the whole car" i was looking for a little more explanation as to why this guy told me to seal rather than prime.



single stage is harder to match up in case i ever dent it or mess it up. i jsut dont want a single stage.....thats it



i will probably just weld the strip then. what gauge should i use for the strip? how do i keep the weld from rusting out from behind??? what do i do about protecting the back of the metal??



thanks

Jsutin

Rob x-7

I have no clue why the guy told you that. No shop I know or myself for that matter uses that method, maybe thats just the way 'the guy' likes to do things.

Single stage is not hard at all to match up, maybe someone who doesnt know what they are doing cant match it up, but I do almost every single day. BC/CC can be harder for a do-it-yourselfer to work with but use what makes you happy

I dont weld so I cant help you there.