Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Aesthetics Mirko fixing help!

Originally posted by Swazo:

---

Bondo is a brand name and that is what I am speaking of. Take a step outside of what you all see on TV, and look at what the pro's really use. When used on metal, the less you know how to use a hammer and dolly..... the more mud you will need. Refering to body filler as bondo, is like calling nitrous NOS Bondo brand body filler is really crappy since it shrinks after a while and it's prone to have tons of air bubbles in it. To make it work as well as the actual good brands, it will double the time you spend, but it will still end up shrinking under your primer. If you want something that the pro's really use, then go to an auto body supply shop since that's where they go. If you want Bondo brand of anything by all means, swing by your local Pepboy's or Autozone.

I'm certified by House Of Kolors and Sherwin Williams and have been trained to the industry standards of automotive refinishing. I got into it for hobby purposes only (college elective classes), while everyone else doing it was for a career. So it's not like I'm just talking out my a$$

---

I'm well aware of all of this and nor am I challenging your knowledge on body work either All I'm saying is BOND filler is used quite a bit for skim coats in the professional industry as well as many other brand products. And yes I know that everyone that just does body work just uses the name generically as "bondo" for whatever brand they use. Now when the DIY guys use is as "MUDD" to just pack in big dents and holes yup! it will shrink and crack and eventually break out for sure. But if properly prepared with new metal, hammer/dollied into shape and used as a VERY fine skim coat and then sealed and primed it will be just fine. But as you stated get any kind of thickness to it and yeah it sure will fail eventually and look like cr@p. As you probably know always take a magnet when you look at a restored car

As for the Fiberglass Reinforced Bondo it's not a bad product while not quite as good as the Dura-Glass (originally developed for water proof Marine applications) it will more then likely work just fine in most small fiberglass repairs and is easily found. Always better if you can lay real fiberglass, rosin and gel-coat in this case. As I mentioned before "Gorilla Hair" works real good and I have never seen it breakout, even on some pretty big holes. It is just very messy and not real fun to work with.

I have been working on cars (muscle cars, customs, street rods, etc.) and doing some bodywork as well for about 29 years now while not a certified mechanic or body fender guy I'm not some kid talking out my a$$ as well

On a different subject...
Noticed in your sig and your pic's of your '64 Impala SS...very nice . When I was a kid (early teens) my dad had a '62 Impala SS (candy apple red, black interior w/bucket seats, 327 w/power glide) it would break the tires loose around 50 mph between low and drive Then he purchased a '64 Impala SS (Midnight blue, silver blue interior w/bucket seats, rear skirts, 327 4-spd in console, loaded). My favorite of the two...duals w/glass pack's the car was fast and looked and sounded so cool. I wanted him to keep it since I would be driving in a few years but he sold it and picked up a '70 Impala around 1974...nothing special. He had also purchased '68 Firebird in 1969 that I ended up with in 1977 The Firebird was cool but still would have rather had the '64 SS.