70 dart side trim holes -bondo ?

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73dart360

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Just got a new project 70 dart all of the side trim is off both sides its probably hard to find replacements i was wondering if i would be better off using Bondo with the fiberglass in it instead of welding each hole and creating all the heat ?
 
Back them up with a piece of copper if you weld them.
 
I'll get some hate for this I'm sure, but I chose to not weld them. I used an aircraft filler. I backed the hole and filled it in, sanded it down, and put a very thin coat of body filler over it.

If you're good at welding and have all the means to, then I'd say go with that. I had neither, so I used what I had. Worked out extremely well for me.
 
copper backer and weld them up. I would be worried about the filler falling out due to vibration or moisture getting in underneath it from the backside.
 
Weld them. It's the only permanent solution. If you use bondo it will eventually absorb moisture, swell, and either fall out or crack. Leave it in long enough and it will rust the hole even bigger.

Using evercoat's "metal 2 metal" will last longer than bondo, because it's aluminum powder based it won't absorb moisture like talc based bondo will. I still don't think it's the right way to do it, but it will hold up a lot longer. Probably long enough that you won't have to deal with again, although it will come back eventually. You could also use lead if you know how to work it and the holes are small, that's probably the only way other than welding that would be permanent if done correctly.

I take it the holes from the studs being ripped out are already there? Because if they aren't you can remove the studs without making holes in the bodywork. The studs were just spot welded to the fenders, you can grind them off carefully and not make a hole in the bodywork.
 
I have a complete set of side moldings plus a few extras 100$ plus shipping ,they are still on my car but I need to take them off
 
Has anyone mentioned welding abilities,and needed tools? If welding ,a small 110 volt (Lincoln/ Eastwood/Hobart / Miller..) ,with a Argon /Co2 combo,.023" wire... Done the kitty hair,it's not really a permanent repair...
 
I have always used a screw as a backer for welding holes on sheetmetal. Fairly simple.
Just grind head to an oval to slip thru hole then pull tight and tack to fill with a
small mig type welder or very lo amp setting.
 
So after you weld them up, use a cut off wheel on a dremel tool to grind them down to just below surface height and then use your filler. Did the roof trim holes that way on our Duster and cut all the pins off for the piece that runs across the roof. Easy to recess the studs / welds with the dremel and very controllable. You will blow some discs off so wear safety glasses
 
Maybe some old guys like me might remember this, I would use led, its faster with no warping or filler, just file the excess led with a body file
 
what needs to be done to prep it for lead

Both sides will have to be cleaned, not just the front side of the hole but the back as well. Has to be clean, bare metal. Then you'll need to "tin" the area you want the lead to stick to, which is either done with an acid core solder or nowadays a "tinning butter" which can just be brushed on. After the metal has been tinned the lead can be applied. Once it cools it's solid and can be shaped with a body file. You'll want to take it down a little further than normal because you'll want a skim coat of regular filler over the top, you don't want to sand lead bodywork.

The hard part is getting the proper adhesion, especially to fill a hole, because some of the lead has to stick to the backside too.

Lead work takes practice, the old hot rod and custom builders were amazing at working lead. But it's kind of a dying art form, and it definitely takes some finesse. If you're not familiar with it, I'm not sure filling an entire cars worth of trim holes located right down the bodyline would be a good way to start.
 
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