[hotrod66_57]

I got started on the patch work my 57 f100 needs a few days ago. I knew all along that a few spots on the front and rear fenders would need some work, and the the previous "restorer" of this truck was very... inventive shall we say? But I just got a kick out of the "bodywork" that they slapped on this baby. Surprisingly it didn't look half bad with the paint on it when i bought it so i guess kudos for that lol.

Most of the patches were bondo, but it's sandwiching in either aluminum siding, or pieces of a gutter lol. That was then riveted on the the good metal, and none of the bad, rusted metal was removed. I guess it worked as a quick fix for an old farm truck, but I would have preferred them just leaving the rust holes lol, some of that crap was a pain to get off... (one of the patches was actually cardboard, or what was left of it after the years.)









While my patch work isn't perfect, it's at least better than that, and that's all i'm worried about.

hotrod

[Brian_B]

I have seen things just as bad.

One of the mangers wrere I used to work (from up north). Moved down here in an older chevy truck. He traded it off when he moved down here. It was a rusted out hulk of its former self.

A few month later, here came John (a guy who worked in the shop) driving a similar truck with a shiny new two tone paint job. Upon looking inside and under the hood, we all knew it was the same truck.

They (some car lot) had stuffed the holes with newspaper, put masking tape over it, then bondoed over that.

It looked pretty good for about 4 or 5 months until is started cracking and chunks falling out.

[hotrod66_57]

It never ceases to amaze me just how little work some people put in to a vehicle to make it look good enough to resell. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if i had done something like that just to make a sale. Talk about buyer beware... Did you ever break the news to the truck's new owner??? I wouldn't want to be the messenger for that one.

[Brian_B]

Originally Posted by hotrod66_57

...........Did you ever break the news to the truck's new owner??? I wouldn't want to be the messenger for that one.

I never said a word! Just about everyone in the shop knew it though.

[Kevin45]

A number of years ago a guy wanted me to paint a '69 Nova for his brother. He said all the bodywork would be done and all I had to do was shoot it. I had seen the car before the bodywork and it was quite rusty. So when I got it I looked it over and the body work looked actually pretty nice, but I had to go over a few places. He had shoved shop rags into the rust holes in the wheel arches and at the lower rear fenders for backing so he would not us so much bondo. I told him it needed cut out and weld new metal in. But he didn't want to do that, he just put a little more bondo where needed and we painted it. He eventually sold it and got a pretty good price out of it. But someone really got hosed in the deal. I also had a '67 Chevelle that I had t do for a guy, I looked it over and gave him a price. The lower rear quarter had the typical rust bubbles starting so I new it was going to take a patch panel. I fired up the grinder with a 36 grit disc to knock the paint down and see what i had to work wiith. Just as soon as I hit the side the whole half, practically up as high as the wheel arch came flying off. Whoever had did repairs on this before used metal mending tape. (about like thin metal masking tape) built it up to make a lower rear quarter and then applied bondo over that. I have seen bondo 2"+ deep on some cars.

[schnitz]

...Ever find that sticky drywall mesh taping stuff? A buddy of mine had an early 80's Camaro that someone treated as a wall. Complete with nearly a full bucket of drywall mud. The car's "new" paintjob consisted of Sherwin Williams semi-gloss. But, the stout 350 4 bolt made it a great buy for the $200 he shelled out for it.



In a while, Chet.

[classicautoresto]

Originally Posted by schnitz

...Ever find that sticky drywall mesh taping stuff? A buddy of mine had an early 80's Camaro that someone treated as a wall. Complete with nearly a full bucket of drywall mud. The car's "new" paintjob consisted of Sherwin Williams semi-gloss. But, the stout 350 4 bolt made it a great buy for the $200 he shelled out for it.



In a while, Chet.

Chet I restored one a few years back that the PO used drywall cornerbead to make new cab corners and stuffed the bondo until he built it up.

[schnitz]

Originally Posted by classicautoresto

Chet I restored one a few years back that the PO used drywall cornerbead to make new cab corners and stuffed the bondo until he built it up.

Cornerbead???? OUCH!!!!



In a while, Chet.

[MAUSS]

I once bought a '75 Torino really cheap in upstate NY (road salt capital of the world back then). The previous owner had used that galvanized screening (1/2" squares) for the bottom foot of the quarter panels and doors and fiberglassed over it. The guy was a real artist... it looked good and not much bondo used at all. He cut back to solid metal before doing it and it actually lasted for years.

[Hippie]

Geez, what a bunch of hacks. Any backyard body man worth his salt knows you use heavy brown wrapping paper coated with fiberglass resin on both sides as backing! It forms to the body contours easily and will last even after the rest of the body has rusted away around it. At least that's what I've heard..

[428ho]

Once blasted I found this repair in the lower fender. The PO used house flashing, rivets and bondo.
Also, some serious sculpting in the quarter to hide this hideous coat hanger brazing job.
I don't blame anyone for shoddy work, without knowing their circumstance I don't always assume a rip off. In HS we did some pretty weird stuff to keep our cars running. We didn't know any better.
If I bought a just painted or restored car yes, but taking an old car down, you just don't know why some things were done.
But some of the things you find are pretty bazaar.

[Rob Keller]

I feel the pain .

I think I share it too.

Found a few base ball cards up in there so far .

I am scared .






R

[Brimstone]

Geez, you guys are making it sound like I had it easy - I had picked up a '79 Chevy truck to use as a winter vehicle and work truck . . . didn't see a lot of rust on it when I picked it up so figured that it was just well kept (some rust on the underside of the floors, front floor supports shot, but everything still felt solid). As I dug deeper I found that one of the previous owners had pop-riveted patch panels to the floors to "fix" the rust. Digging a little deeper and found the same thing for the cab corners and rocker panels (seams were bondo'd over) - the inner rocker panels were aluminum flashing attached with drywall screws.

Course good thing about that was I didn't have to buy too many patch panels - most were already included

[428ho]

On my latest project I found this patch panel in the floor, didn't look to bad from up top.
Underneath it was butt ugly. A few rivets, screws and seam sealer was all that was holding it in, and they'd installed all 4 patch pans. I eventually put a full floor pan in it, which I'm not sure why they opted for 4 patch pans instead of 2 halfs or one full pan?
Also notice the crankshaft timing sprocket used for body bushings, all 4 were like that.
Sa-weet

[C-10]

Hmm, timing sprockets, ... what an elegant solution.