As I get older, I find myself having less fun with the mechanical part of this hobby. However, my lust for the autobody portion of it does not diminish. I try to stay abreast of the technology at hand. Recently I have discussed the bonding of panels with Dennis Martin. We both agreed that it might just be the way to go. My opinion has somewhat changed and am looking for some more experience on this subject. I recently had a discussion with a noted Model A restorer. He stated that he was contemplating the panel bonding technology as well, but he had learned that since it was new school and for production bodyshops, that the life expectency was only 5 years on a repair. Made alot of sense to me. Restored or refurbished older cars can lead a much longer life than that. One thing that strikes me odd, is the fact that a panel bond needs to be a lap bond. I learned long ago that lap welds are good enough for production bodyshops, but will not last 20 years, especially in humid climates. Since we dont have many years of this technology behind us, I was wondering what if any thought was given to this subject by the masses? Would be good to hash this out as cars being restored will probably enter this subject for some years to come. Dan
You bring up a good topic Dan. I myself are not too familar with bonding panels, but Dale ( my husband) is. He first starting using the bonding method back in the 1980's when he worked for a Chrysler dealership. In his opinion, the life span of a bonded panel VS a welded panel is pretty much the same. That is, under the right conditions. For a show car that is driven occasionlly, doesn't see rain or snow and lives in a tempetured controlled garage, a bond weld would probably last forever. In all the times that Dale has bonded panels together, he says he has never once seen one crack or let go. But... that only applies to door panels, and those were the only panels that were bonded together. On those, bonding works great. He never saw anyone ever try to bond together quarter panels or fenders and for good reason. A quarter panel would be too long to try to bond plus you have to figure in the fact that quarters flex with the body of the car. He can't see the bond holding up under the stress of flexing and is pretty certain that in time the epoxy bond would crack and seperate. That would also be true of any lap-bonded panel. A metal to metal butt weld becomes one with the body of the car, where the lap bond is not and will not have the strength of a welded panel. So in short, bonding is fine for door panels, but questionable for any other applications. Give the man a body panel and his trusty mig welder, and you can be certain that panel will NEVER come off.
Hey Jean & Dan I have af couple of questions if Y'all dont mind. Would it be possible to fabricate lower qtrs ? I have about 15 yrs experience. Also what gauge do you use? Do you stitch weld or solid? Thanks Tim
Tim, I have prided myself on my fabrication abilities. Restored a 60 Pontiac that was thought to be unrestorable, fabricated ever panel by hand. Car has turned out to be a show winner, I am very proud of it and it really is my second favorite car, right behind my Stallion. I stick with anywhere from 14-18 gauge steel, really depends on what I am doing. The real hard part is mating up the metals for a complete butt weld. That takes some good measurement and trimming skills, more time than anything. As far as welding, I can best weld with a flame and a rod, or brazing. But, I mig weld everything nowadays. Just easier in my opinion. On my 71 Mav restomod, I am going to apply some leading to it. Never have done before, am anxious to learn and do. Dan
