[novafreek6872]

I want to do away with the rocker moldings on a car I am about to repaint.

I have neither the equipment or the knowledge to weld these holes closed.

What are alternative solutions?

would JB weld work?

I have been toying with the idea of using a screw and ginding it down flush then skim over with good filler. Possible? Or would it come back to bite me in the butt later?

Thanks for your expert opinion!

Andy

[John long]

Andy, there is no way to make a permanent repair of this nature unless you can block any moisture from getting to the rear of the panel and migrating through. this is almost impossible with a rocker panel that will have moisture and a certain amount of rust in it. I highly recommend you find someone who can weld those small wholes up. You will be glad you did in the long run.

John L

[novafreek6872]

Even for a garage queen that never sees rain or even a car wash? Just wondering is all...

I'm sure it wouldn't cost too much to get them welded shut.

Andy

[John long]

I wouldn't do it myself Andy. There is way too much work involved in painting a car not do it in such a way that insurers long term success. It has been done many times but far too often will come back to haunt you. Especialy with a blind panel that you can't clean and paint the back side of. IMHO.

John L

[evolvo]

I just used some of this product, http://www.lord.com/Products-And-Sol...r-Products.xml, to fill the rain gutters on my car. It's amazing stuff. You might contact them and see if they can suggest something that might work. Warning: $$$$$$$$$$$$$

[swvalcon]

fusor makes a good product but I dont think they have anything to do what your tring to do. How many holes do you have to fill? If just a couple you could maybe tap them in and dura glass. Not the best way but has been done. The fact that their small helps. Best is to weld holes.

[oldBodyman]

Clean the area around each hole and tap them in a little, then weld each shut with a stud welder. Cut the studs down and grind flush. Check Harbor Freight for an 'autobody stud welder', around $100.

[novafreek6872]

Originally Posted by oldBodyman

Clean the area around each hole and tap them in a little, then weld each shut with a stud welder. Cut the studs down and grind flush. Check Harbor Freight for an 'autobody stud welder', around $100.

That sounds like a great idea!! I might be able to handle that one.

Thanks!

andy

[MARTINSR]

You know the fact of the matter is, if you aren't coating the inside of that rocker with a cavity wax or something you are kidding yourself with certainty that it isn't going to rust out or what ever be it welded or filled with bondo!

When you weld up the hole, the metal is heated enough to burn any protection off the back. We are talking paint, primer or EVEN a zinc coating the metal may have (most every piece of metal on a car the last few decades has a zinc "galvanizing" over it) is GOING TO BE burnt off, gone. So now you have a bare metal spotlessly clean bare metal that is dying to rust inside that rocker. However, it rusting thru up on the side of the rocker where water isn't going to sit, or hardly ever get on, this is still your best bet, even without the metal protected.


If you fill it with a quality filler like Everglass from Evercoat, it's going to very likely depend on where you live, but it may just last as long. I have seen this stuff here in sunny California last decades and you don't know it was even there until you strip the area for another repair or something.

Welding the stud is a good idea but you have to watch out because it still isn't sealed completely off, there is no way you can guarantee that the stud has "melted" into the metal all the way around the hole. I would say it is very unlikely that it would happen on more than half of the holes. If this is the case you have a very thin coating of filler over it and it would fail pretty fast if some moisture were to seep thru that little crack in the metal where it didn't get penetration.


Being you can't sand and primer and paint the back side of these hole repairs you are really tossing the dice anyway you look at it.

Click here for an example of cavity wax.

All I know is what ever you do, running a "wand" in that rocker with cavity wax is going to be your best bet at stopping any kind of rust from starting.

Brian

[novafreek6872]

Thanks Brian for the very informative and thoughtful reply. Certainly alot of factors going on all at once and pluses and minuses to every solution. I have some time to mull this one over, not doing rockers tomorrow.

As I did say previously, my cars are garaged,never washed and never see rain and that will continue. So it doesnt have to be a super ultimate repair. I think I have like 6 holes to fix on each side of the car. I may indeed go the Evercoat route on this one.

Andy

[John long]

If you have decided to fill the holes and not weld them, let me give one other suggestion. Cut some woven fiberglass cloth diagonally so that you end up with approximately 3/16 or 1/4 inch slivers of fiberglass. Mix up a batch of 2 part Epoxy cement and add the fiberglass slivers to it until it becomes a paste. You can then apply that to the holes you have "tapped in". The epoxy cement is much stronger than the polyester resin and should give you a little more longevity. Also it will shrink less. You will need to put a thin coat of body filler over it so the texture does not show through to your paint..... Good luck.

John L.

[st3gamefarm]

Either way, weld, stud, or "cave and pave". will rust out eventually, unless you seal it from behind.
That being said, the weld, or stud, will hold out longer than "cave and pave".

Now, Whatever method you choose. There is a way to access the back side
enough to coat it with a good quality product such as POR-15, or ACF-50. Or anything that will seal it from moisture.
On some cars there is a couple of access holes, either in the inner rocker, or under the sill plate. If there isn't any, you can use a hole saw to make a few holes in the inner rocker through which you can spray a generous amount of some sort of coating. Then plug the holes with proper size rubber/plastic plugs. Remember to seal the plugs.

Also, when properly done, the "cave and Pave" method will hold up for many years.