I need to fill the holes in my trunk from my wing that I just sold. We got some bondo at the store and I read the directions....I also have some tips in my haynes maual about filling holes. It seems like a straight forward project.

Any tips would be helpful though. I just don't want my trunk to leak. and should I try and re-paint the trunk lid myself, or should I take it somewhere??
You think it might be cheap if I already have it primed and prepped for a paint job?

Thanks

 

I wouldn't really recommend bondo to fill the holes. Over time it may crack and the holes may reappear. My suggestion is have someone spot weld the holes, so they are sealed and then grind down the excess metal. Then use bondo or body filler to touch it up.


[Modified by ZC_CRX, 4:11 PM 2/6/2003]

 

You are going to need to sand the whole are first. Then you need to mix the bondo up properly. After that you need to resand with a more coarse grit of sandpaper.

personally, I'ld rather have someone else do it. As a matter of fact, I did. I just had all my body work done and did a little bit of the sanding on my own. It's a pain in the ***, and if you haven't ever done body work before, just pay someone else.

 

if you're gonna do it yourself you should at least use something better than bongo. As everyone knows, welding it shut is the best way, but using jb weld is also a good alternative, and much better than bondo.

Using jb weld will be pretty similar to using the bondo. Just sand the area to make sure its down to metal, then use a punch to put a dimple where the hole is (so the hole sits lower than the rest of the metal). This makes more surface area for the jb weld to stick to.

Next mix up the weld and put it on the hole. You may want to let it set a little before putting it on because initially its really liquidy. Once the hole is filled let it dry completely.

Next use rough sand paper or a grinder to get rid of the excess weld. Then use bondo to finish the job off just like you would any normal imperfection in the paint.

The jb weld will span the hole much better than bondo would.

Also, if its a larger hole then it'd be a good idea to put some mesh (window screen for example) or a piece of metal or some fiberglass behind the panel. For example, if you were shaving your antenna hole. Holes that big won't be spanned well by things like bondo or jb weld.

I used the jb weld trick on a spare hood that i have, it turned out great. And it was the first time i'd ever done body work.