Body work advice

Daniel Moore

Daniel Moore

Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Messages
2,790
I took on a job fixing up a 2001 SAAB 9-3 that got backed into a mailbox. I'm not charging much, no more than $400 with materials, but it's kind of a karma thing I'm doing because I did the same thing with my SAAB once :o It's got some pretty sizeable dents and creases in spots where the body is curved and has a lot of integrity to it- in other words, I can't pull them because the hook/screw will rip out before the metal pops back out. It would require way too much bondo (it would have to be really thick). Would it be feasible to use fiberglass mat (mesh) adhesive over the crease, so that there is a hollow area under the fiberglass- and then bondo over that so there is a hard shell? It's up to 2" deep from the rest of the body in places, and it's a couple of feet long. Any help would be appreciated!
 
You're using what tools? They make tools for that job. The fiberglass could work, but it would also crack and probably fall off pretty soon. IMHO, having literally grown up in automotive repair shops, body work is a true craft. To do it right, you'd probably spend 400 on tools, another chunk on materials and paint and so on, and lord only knows how much time doing it.

Don't let me discourage you, though. You can only learn from the experience.

edited to add:
I'd need to see pics; re-reading your post makes me think that you would have to strip the interior and work from the inside out.

Or you could just use a plasma cutter and cut out the offending section(s), replace them with new metal, tack that on with a welder, sand and do the finish work on the welds, prime and paint it. Easy.<--total sarcasm.
 
imho thats wayyy to much filler to use, might look good at first but within a month or so its gonna start cracking, flaking and falling off, not to mention rusting, without a pic its hard to say what ya should do but there has to be a better way than just filling it in with filler, and by filler i mean bondo or fibreglass, either pull out the dents or replace the panel maybe??
 
I found an L-shaped piece of metal bar and stuck it in several holes that I drilled on the bigger dents and parts of the creases, and it made a big difference. I think that with a little more pulling I'll have it at a level where I can get a secure bondo application by using light coats, longer curing times, and enough hardener. Thanks for the advice so far!
 
instead of bondo I would get some clear aircraft epoxy. it is a bit harder to work with, but when it sets there is no shrinkage, and you can sand it just like you would bondo to get it to conform to the car's original shape.

Dave
 
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