Automotive rust repair

This is probably a dumb question, but can I use either aluminum or copper flashing materials to repair the rust cancer in my 1990 Bronco. I know that I can tack steel panels to the existing steel, but the steel sheet is tough to get while aluminum and copper flashing is common?

I'm thinking about buying an inert gas wire fed welder for this purpose, since it is much cheaper than a body shop restoration, but can it tack dissimilar metals like aluminum and copper to steel, or should I seek out a dealer who can supply me with, say, 16-gauge steel stock?

My second question is do I need an "English Wheel" to curve the stock material to fit, or is their a simplier, less costly method? After all, this is a one-time restoration job.

Why aren't there more books available for auto body restoration?

Thanks guys. Harry C.

Reply to
hhc314
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On 12 Sep 2005 16:50:51 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com quickly quoth:

You're looking in the wrong area for parts, hhc. And you can solder copper to steel, but you don't want to do that.

Why not buy replacement rockers, prefabbed? All auto body shops and all car dealers do. Here are 22,000+ sources:

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Ask any body shop or 4-WD truck shop in your area for parts. They'll give you a handfull of listings local to you where you can probably pick stuff up that day.

No, you don't but I do. Please buy one and send it to me. ;) I've always wanted to play with one.

Have you tried

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lately?

"auto body restoration" lists 69 books. "auto restoration" has about 300 links. "auto body work" gives 240 books. "sheetmetal" shows 15 books. etc.

----

- Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it? -

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

Reply to
Waynemak

Harry, try a local factory that works with sheet metal. Alot of times their scraps are large enough to use as patches. You would be surprised what a dozen donuts can get you sometimes.

good luck, walt

Reply to
wallster

Buy the body parts (panels) you need and MIG 'em in. Check out

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Get print catalogs from these guys. It's a lot easier to figure out what you need when looking at pictures.

Check a dealer too! If they have what you want, it may only be slightly more $$$ than from the above sources, and stuff like hoods are a lot more likely to fit without a fight.

You can make smaller patches with sheet steel. Larger autoparts stores have it, at least they do around Minneapolis. I've even used the skin off an old hot water heater. (Bondo is your friend!)

16 gage is pretty heavy for autobody. 22 or 24 gage is more typical.

Get a pneumatic punch 'n flange tool like this:

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punch one part, flange the other (one of these is part of the car), fit 'em up, tack 'em or shoot a few sheetmetal screws, fill the holes with the MIG. Very little grinding needed. Butter the joint with Bondo, sand, and you're ready for primer.

You DO have air, right? Ya gotta have air and a DA sander to even think about bodywork.

Check out my old '76 Blazer at

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There wasn't much original body metal left on that truck. It was

10 years old when I got it, and I drove it in salty MN for 13 years.
Reply to
Don Foreman

If you cruise around a few body shops, you will likely be able to pick up a couple of hoods or other discarded body parts. I kept an old hood in the corner of my shop and cut pieces off of it for a couple of years.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

Hi Harry, If you want to have a go at making the panels yourself, have a look at

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Down the page a bit, you will see a panel on the right entitled metalshaping

101, have a look in there, better than a book.

The associated yahoo group metalshapers is a good spot to ask as well, you might find you have someone into metalshaping just around the corner who would help you learn how to do this.

regards,

John

Reply to
john johnson

skrev i en meddelelse news: snipped-for-privacy@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

I dont know about the US cars, but you can get replacement parts for most of the panel work for the cars we drive over here in europe..

This should give you an idea of what I am trying to explain: Before:

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Punch, Flange, MIG, Bondo, Sand and Paint..

Check with the local body shops

Also: I dont know if you are required to have the car inspected for safety etc. ( MOT test in the UK ) on a regular basis, but over here the inspectors dont look too kindly at repairs done on load bearing parts ( they want them replaced instead )

/peter

Reply to
Q

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in article ...

If you choose to use anything other than same-guage steel, carefully fitted and welded, you are patching, cobbling, jury-rigging, etc.......NOT restoring..........

.......and, true restoration books will be a waste of your money and time.

Reply to
*

A book I found useful was: Paint & Body Handbook, Don Taylor & Larry Hofer, HP books. Available from Amazon, $14.95. It addresses most of the tools, techniques and materials useful for body repair, including plastic body filler AKA Bondo. Also prepping, painting, fitting panels, fiberglass, and welding. There is a chapter specifically devoted to rust repair.

Some would not regard rust work, even pretty good rust work, as "restoration". So call it repair. Bondo, used properly, is very useful stuff. A patch starting with any welded-in metal is far better than stuffing a T-shirt in the hole and covering it with Bondo.

A good rust repair ( or "patch" if you like), even if not of restoration purity, can look good and last a decade in daily use.

Reply to
Don Foreman

With gas at $3.00 a gallon and you have a rust bucket why are you even bothering to fix this car?

Seems to me it is going to be more work than you got value.

Reply to
Roger Shoaf

It might also be added value well worth the effort, particularly if the capability of a Bronco (vs that of a small sedan) is useful.

The price of fuel may be a minor consideration. New trucks get better mileage, but not that much better. New trucks are expensive. Repairs to get another few years or 50K to 100K more miles may be a very cost-effective course.

Value is in minimizing cost of acceptable transport including fuel, maintenance and insurance. Insurance cost is significantly higher on new vehicles, particularly if the bank has an interest to protect

--at your expense, of course.

A little skilled (learn while doing, buy tools as needed) labor can add and maintain a lot of value.

I put five kids thru University to baccalaureate level with money I did not send to Detroit, Japan, bank interest or insurance companies beyond more-than-ample PL & PD for 20 years. All of us had reliable and presentable rides during that time.

I don't do rust work anymore, but I gotta say it was well worth my while when I did.

Reply to
Don Foreman

Don Foreman wrote in article ...

Some of the true restorations I have seen use absolutely no body filler - not even lead.

Properly done and ground, a welded-in panel can be made to look original, like a solid piece of sheet metal - even before paint is applied.....

THAT is what I consider "restoration".....making it as good as, if not better than original.

Yes, it can.....and I don't mind calling it "rust repair.".....but, "restoration" it is NOT.

Reply to
*

I'm with you on not sending money to Detroit etc. My current inventory of cars are an 83 MBZ an 82 Ford PU and 94 Taurus.

I really don't have much of a perspective on cancer rust repair however. In CA when we got a rust bucket it was considered a poor candidate for repair as there are a lot of cheap intact cars to be had. The rusters always seemed to have a lot of other grief due to the corrosion like broken bolts when you went to change a fan belt and lots of electrical gremlins also.

Reply to
Roger Shoaf

You can get all your materials online for way less money than you will pay at other places. Call us at 1-800-548-4321 or by going to

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for the sandpaper, primer, custom matched touch-up paint ect. Even if you don't purchase anything we will give you expert advice for the best price around....FREE :). Give us a call, you will be happy you did.

Mike Gallagher

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1-800-548-4321 Automotive Touch-up Paint and Detailing Products
Reply to
MikeGallagher

MN uses salt on the roads, particularly in metro areas. Cars rust, though they're better than they used to be. It wasn't hard to find cars with fairly low mileage (80K) in good mech condx but ugly as sin so quite cheap. Most people buy appearance. "California cars" go for a premium here.

I found (did not buy) one Blazer that I traced the history of. It had sold in Chicago for $800, came up here, got a quick 'n dirty paint job (not even washed before painting), was on the lot for $3500. It was a jewel: one broken spring concealed with bodyputty and paint, front diffy disconnected -- because it was different ratio than the rear one. ("Doesn't matter, ya only use 4WD in snow, right?")

Reply to
Don Foreman

MikeGallagher@xxxxxxxxxxxwrote in article ...

Ah yes!!

Just where I was hoping this discussion on quality restoration would lead.......

.......to somebody SPAMMING cheap, mail order crap.........

Do you carry the screen that you stuff into the hole to hold the body filler????

Reply to
*

Figures. If you want -quality- restoration supplies, check out the Eastwood company. They don't spam, they're not cheap, but they're not cheap.

I bet he's got _both_ types.

Reply to
Dave Hinz

I can beat your 3M prices at my local NAPA store......it's in-stock for purchase NOW.....I don't have to pay shipping.......and I don't have to wait for it.......

For example, I buy the gold sanding discs for 45 cents each - which would be $2.25 for a five-pack compared to your $2.99 plus shipping, plus waiting, etc.

Reply to
*

I would certainly agree that most of the Eastwood stuff is, indeed, high quality.....but, it is also awfully pricey.

If one checks around with various automotive and industrial suppliers, it is often possible to find the exact same thing as Eastwood for a little less money.

In many cases, I believe I have actually found the companies who sell to Eastwood.

On the other hand, I've also seen some specialty suppliers peddling Eastwood stuff. You could even buy Eastwood from Sears at one point.

Reply to
*

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