I tried to do bodywork...

[Breitling]

So, i got a sweet deal on an Origin-Lab aero kit for my s14 (building a track car).

There were a couple touchups that needed to be performed on the fiberglass so i figured i'd try to fix it myself. Not knowing the slightest thing about bodywork i tried to think about what i would bo if i were a bodyman.

Here is the sideskirt that is damaged.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/s15driftking/skirt1.jpg





First things first, i wanted to clear away all the loose FG material from where the skirt had been bashed. the problem area is about 5 inches long. I used sandpaper and a block of wood.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/s15driftking/skirt2.jpg




Logic told me that i should strengthen it from the inside out. so i put tape over the outside in case any of the bondo were to seep through... though i found out that the bondo is actually very thick. Thicker than i thought. I also wanted make sure and not press the tape to the destroyed area so that if bondo were to seep through, it could help reform the new outside... though it did not seep through.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/s15driftking/skirt3.jpg





Then i bondoed the inside nice and thick using a walmart bag over my finger to apply it. I used twice the reccomended hardener so that it would set fast.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/s15driftking/skirtbondo.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/s15driftking/skirt4.jpg





then i went to the outside and cleared away more debris once the inside hardened.. and was stronger.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/s15driftking/skirt11.jpg




I then removed the blue tape and puttied the outside, layed it on thick, but in a uniform concise matter so that i would not have to sand a lot of surface area.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/s15driftking/skirt5.jpg


I then sanded down the excess after it dried with a block and sandpaper to conform to the rest of the body line. Turns out i didnt go thick enough the first time.

second pass with the bondo
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/s15driftking/skirt9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/s15driftking/skirt6.jpg





Finally, i spray painted the fixed area... thinking, that the paint would do 2 things. One, it would fill in any small gaps (then i would resand). And, it would allow me to see how "even" it looked.

I layed it on super thick (notice the runs???) so that I could sand it down and even it out even further once the paint hardens tomorrow.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/s15driftking/skirt8.jpg


Not bad in my opinion... but like i said, i am no expert.

...and its good enough for my track car. More progress to come later. Iwill go over it again and post pics after the paint is hard.

[ZilviaKid]

i can tell you didnt mix the bondo well enough because it looks like the hardener didnt hit all the putty.

[aalbert240]

Could of used resin n fg mat or kitty hair too but I guess for a track car that's jus fine wat u did ..

[Breitling]

i can tell you didnt mix the bondo well enough because it looks like the hardener didnt hit all the putty.

should i have mixed it in a bowl? how could i have done it better?

thanks for the help.

[shiftdrift]

kitty hair ftw. get a spreader and a mixing board, much easier you didn't sand it down enough and feather the edges that's why it's still visible

[Breitling]

kitty hair ftw. get a spreader and a mixing board, much easier you didn't sand it down enough and feather the edges that's why it's still visible


what is kitty hair? how does it work?


I assume "feathering" means blending the raised bondoed edges/area into the existing surface?

[aalbert240]

In ur pic when you mixed your body filler some is a light pink and some dark pink it should all be the same color when mixed correctly

[Breitling]

whats a better way to mix it?

[TheRealSy90]

Me and my dad always mixed bondo on a piece of cardboard haha.

[koukisilvia123]

just keep mixing til it is uniform. I use fiberglass mat on the inside for strength as bondo is very weak and cracks easily, then tiger hair (body filler with fiberglass strands) on the outside depending on the severity of the damage

[Breitling]

what if i used epoxy on the inside and let it build up by dumping it in ther inside? would that be stronger?

[niscur29]

Yea I would have used some fiberglass mat and resin on the inside first. Then either the same on the outside or kitty glass after the inside was straight...Either way man everyone's gotta start somewhere....

[Breitling]

gotcha, is resin similar to epoxy?... clear liquid that hardens super tough when cured?

[Butcher240sx]

Bondo only takes 10 min to set with the right amount of hardener. Using too much will make the final product too hard and crack easily. Make the surface smooth before paint. Use glazing putty, prime, sand all the primer off and do it again. Paint will make any imperfections stand out more. Take your time and make it perfect.

[omgRWDgoodness!]

You should stick to watches.

[S14kouki_10]

you dont mix bondo, you fold it instead. but not bad for first try and track car.

[HyperTek]

Tips

Dont use bondo brand body filler, it is crap as you seen it leaves pin holes. Though this is a small application so it probably isnt too bad.. Just coat it a few times. But if you see yourself doing more work in the future, get some good stuff. Rage Gold is what I use.

For that type of situation, you could go with fiberglass strained reinforced resin jelly, usually refered to as kitty hair. I have used the bondo brand on this and it was decent.

If you want to reinforce the kit from inside. Clean up the surface really good with soap water, make sure the surface is kind of rough so the resin can stick. Pick up some fiberglass resin and fiberglass cloth. Cut up some sheets, and mix the resin, dip the cloth into the resin and apply it to area..

some stuff ive done
http://i44.tinypic.com/2uzxatg.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2yzbfv9.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/mwbbr7.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/9pxuls.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/1znvex3.jpg

It gets pretty easy, heres what ive done to my car
Correcting my kit's mistakes - Rx7 project - Page 3 - Fiberglass Forums (http://www.fiberglassforums.com/automotive-exterior/9206-correcting-my-kits-mistakes-rx7-project-3.html)

http://www.fiberglassforums.com/automotive-exterior/9206-correcting-my-kits-mistakes-rx7-project-14.html

[Breitling]

You should stick to watches.


thanks for the constructive help....

[conrad_s13.5]

hey man,. gotta start somewhere.
prolly definatly better than my first time at body work

[shiftdrift]

the pinholes are from laying it improperly, you need a proper spreader and a good technique for a smooth job, laying filler should be similiar to painting with a paintbrush, looking for smooth even strokes. U Pol is my favorite body filler.

[INeedNewTires]

dont stir it with a screw lol

fold it with a putty spreader.

also, if this is a track car, why are you fixing (such minor) body damage?

its always fun learning and playing with stuff i know, but i'd have spent this time figuring out how to brace it better with the body (like dzeuce fasteners or spring clips)

also, bondo is heavy and not very flexible, i'd use FG resin or panel bond for 'strengthening'

good to see you're having fun with it!

[Om1kron]

fiberglass you fix with fiberglass, metal you can fill with bondo. that is all.

[airhead]

bondo is a company that makes auto body supplies.

Dont use body filler "bondo" on fiberglass. It wont stick, it will crack over time.
If working with fiberglass you must use fiberglass products only.

If you want to strength the inside use fiberglass mat and resin cut it into the shape and lay it on. let it dry over night.

for the exterior part use:
-Fiberglass filler "short strand" fill in the crack/hole as much as you can.
-If the crack/hole is big use fiberglass filler "long strand"
-Use 80grit to get it in the shape.
-for the final filler use flexible filler.
-Use 180grit to get it smooth and the final shape.
-Use 240grit and then primer.

*EDIT:
sand off the paint only around the cracked area about 1 inch all around. 80grit or 180grit will do this.
paint over fiberglass filler will not stick!
This is important so you can featheredge the filler smooth.

Also on the inside part you need to get it rough so the fiberglass mat can stick. Use 40grit. dont go to far in just enough where its rough.

[Om1kron]

naws is for nitrous oxide! tomatoes are for tomato's

[GA378]

Great job, this is way better then my first time

[trainkiller]

looks legit to me..who cares if it messes up in a year or 2 its a sideskirt. Its going to take some beat downs anyways.

nice work though

[BOROSUN]

wtf that has a origin logo?

[Johny5]

too much to read but for that fix you don't need fiberglass sheets or bondo. you were better off using liquid resin and applying it over the area and then-some (don't overuse hardener it actually makes the products more brittle than originally intended)

once you're happy with that then apply some bondo for base on the outside and clean it up with glazing putty.

you only use fiberglass sheets when there's cracks imo. otherwise resin grabs the existing fiberglass real well as long as you sand its application area with 60 or toughter to scuff it up

[Walperstyle]

use 'kitty hair' on fiberglass products

[Johny5]

never had half as much luck with it as resin. and trust me, i've done this QUITE a few times

[xoxide]

Agreed, Bondo brand products are garbage. I use Keystone by Evercoat (Evercoat makes top quality products). My dad is a professional body man so I get it through him. The trick like what was said is making sure it is mixed all the way. Never add more hardener then it calls for. Another trick to use is mix equal parts of the kitty hair product and glaze putty (bondo), and then add hardener, its a lot easier to sand down but is still very durable on fiberglass. Keep working on it, not bad for a first try.

[qoOp]

Evercoat products are amazing and easy to work with, won't use anything else!

I used that bondo brand crap when first learning and it was a nightmare.

[Breitling]

wtf that has a origin logo?

The brand who made the kit....

To everyone else. Thanks for the encouraging words and help. I have a few other areas to fix. I will employ some of the other suggested methods!

[Radkins]

I am about to try this on my front end. Thanks for the engineering (www.azmythmusictech.com) tips!