Bodywork: What to use to fill in large gaps?

[mmdb]

I got a few gaps i gotta fill bout 1/2" or 3/4" of an inch in depth. This is as well as I can pound them out. I'm not sure what to use to fill in gaps. The regular bondo says it's only good for 1/4" I think. I was also thinking of using the fiberglass reinforced bondo. Any opinions?

[chmercer]

dent puller?

[DP_Michelle G]

where are the gaps at on the body?


dont use that crap bondo you can get at auto parts stores, us rage and like chmercer said get a dent puller

[NemeGuero]

haha, sorry but the thought of 3/4" of bondo sounds terrible... pull that dent, and if you can't, have a shop do it..

[chlatboy]

Toss a sticker on it. No one will notice!! :keke:

[mmdb]

Dents on the roof. The hood popped up and caused havoc... shattered the front class, and the roof is pretty bent up. The metal is really thin. I'll go ahead and try to heat it up and bend it a bit. I'll probably fill it with something decent (evercoat filler), and overlay some carbon fiber so I can bypass the painting and save a few hundred bucks, maybe get a bling factor at a local import show. Shop quoted me $500 to fix... I'll save it and have some fun with bondo or the equivolent.

[sideview_180sx]

actually if its involving a hood flyup, i'd go with the shop to do it, inless you know someplace that can do it better.

[nrg]

for the dents, you're supposd to pull them out and hammer. grind it down and use body filler over it. Bondo is a brand of body filler and it's crap. Get Evercoat body filler.

if you dont know what you're doing, then go to a shop.

[kandyflip445]

Yes, use a hammer. But they aren't normal hammers. They're for bodywork.


Sorry that didn't seem too helpful.

[sogi99]

pound it out with a hammer for bodywork and a dolly which a metal piece where you can put against the otherside of the metal while your hammering it straight. 3/4 of a bondo is too much you should be able to pound it to almost straight. don't use dent puller like the one you drill with a screw if you do that you have weld those holes or put bondo which is not the best resort. Take your headliner out its a lot of work if you do it right it will come out better

best regards

[nrg]

the drilling style dent puller is junk and 80s tech tools.
the real tools body worker use now are a machine/gun that welds on a tach so a tool can crimp on it and you pull it. and hammer around the area. then you just break the tack off by bending it away.

[jayka]

i wouldnt use the old school nail gun but i would use the weld nail gun like above it comes off easily without leaving nasty holes. then use a finishing hammer with the dolly to even out the metal, dont use a normal hammer it will ruin ur metal and paint, finishing hammer doest ruin paint, but dont hammer to much you will thin out the metal, filler wont be necessary and if u do bondo u would need to primer and paint soon, i knoe alot of people leave primer for long periods of time but primer absorbs moisture and it will stain ur paint if u wait to long

[NemeGuero]

bondo and carbon fiber? jesus man, you can't be serious..
I hope your hood popped open 'cuz you were stupid enough to not close it before driving on the freeway

[MakotoS13]

NEVER fill holes with anything but METAL or FIBERGLASS.

the end.

[mmdb]

bondo and carbon fiber? jesus man, you can't be serious..
I hope your hood popped open 'cuz you were stupid enough to not close it before driving on the freeway

Your assumptions reflect your intelligence. Don't bother replying if you can't put two building blocks together.

[mmdb]

NEVER fill holes with anything but METAL or FIBERGLASS.

the end.

I've seen a few cars cake it with bondo and seen 'em crack like drywall. I'll go ahead fill the gaps were they might be too deep.

Thanks everyone for the info. I'll get some pix after it's done.

[NemeGuero]

haha, actually, i'd rather just have it done right.... not cover it up with bondo and JDM tyte carbon-fiber... in a patch... it'll look hideous.

[SochBAT]

Hey Malcolm! I had the same thing happen, but the previous owner caked mines, and it shattered like glass. I suggest removing the headliner, and using a slide and hammer, and then a ball peen hammer, i forget how its really spelled tho... tap tap tap, making sure its punched back out, or at least to the point of grinding it down. From there, try using the cute ball peen to really smoothen it out as much as possible. After attacking the scar from the inside, work it on the outside, grind, and use the proper filler. Metal filler, or fiberglass filler. Bondo is onlygood for baby dents and small scars up to roughly 1/4".

Slide toolhttp://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0006BIX4I.01-AJSJJFFZAOHU._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
Ball Peen Hammer http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/c7/dc/Barco_2_5_Pound_Ball_Peen_Hammer_Shop_Tools-resized200.jpg

It pays off to have bodyworking books laying around. best of luck man!