What do you guys suggest using to fill the side trim holes in the body? This side trim is getting old quick. When it gets a little warmer out, I'm planning on removeing the side trim and putting on a nicer set of front fenders and trunk lid I have. Possibly swap the doors. Then sanding, priming and rattle canning the entire car. I feel that the rattle cans will look better then the peeling, cracked, 15+ year old Macco paint on there. The car was obviously not correctly prepped before painting and it shows more and more every time I wash it. There is also some very poorly done bondo in the rear that is cracking and rusting underneath that I need to get down to bare metal and do right. This is currently a decent looking daily driver, but I just cannot leave it alone. I think it could look twice as good with a few weekends worth of work. At the same time, I'm also fearfull of the infamous snowball affect.
Dang Jamie! A Macco paint job that lasted 15 years is a minor miracle in it'self. They must have sanded the car with sandpaper that wasn't already used and laying on the floor for 2 days. To fill the holes, take a ballpeen hammer and and bang the holes in a little so they are slightly depressed in, grind them with 80 grit sandpaper and fill them with fiberglass. If you really want to fill them in for good, you can lead soulder them closed.
Jamie ... I filled all mine on the yellow car using PC-7 epoxy and then smooth with body filler. I wouldn't put a professional paint job on it using this method ... I rattled canned it. So far it is holding up with no issues ... been only 4 or 5 months though. And there were some cold night is GA this year and no epoxy has popped out yet! If the car ever gets a professional paint job it will be sanded down and the holes welded at that time ...
get something that weld won't stick to (like terrys finger) and stick it on the back side of the hole, fill with weld. use some "glazing compond to fill the grinding marks, then prime and paint...frank...
Jamie, John did an experiment on my fender. He tested it extensively with great results and I agreed to run with it. He used Rust Bullet in the holes. He had the fender off the car when he filled the holes. You'll have to ask John exactly how he did it, but we were not able to to use a hammer and chisel and knock the filler out. He just sanded it down, shaped it, and applied the primer.
Nah, not worth the trouble of welding it. My dad can weld it and would not need any body filler at all before paint, but that would be reserved for a show car, which this will never be. This is a daily driver, I'm just looking for something I can do in a weekend in my driveway. Terry, I will ask John about it next time we go down there. Sounds like what I'm looking for.
Done it works great, smooth with bondo. Used it on my falcon 18 years ago still there( the car sits in the weather). As for the paint get it in primer ready to go sanded chrome removed or taped and take it to Macco yes Macco (or any one like that) There job is to get cars done fast , thats why you dont let them prep it as well as needed. As for paint i believe you can get a quality paint job. Think about it that guy (or gal) paints all day everyday and now he gets one that is actually prepped. I did it on my Falcon 18 yrs ago and it will still shine today. I did a lil color sanding and buffing over the years, but no peeling or fading. (the other body work i did on the quarters has failed over time but the paint still looks awesome and didnt cost but 49.95 back then ) I took it to car shows back then and guys would always or comment "nice paint" an i would snicker to myself. Im just saying if i was gonna do it all over again i would do it the same.
They want like $500 to paint the car at Macco. Thats more then I have in the entire car. I'll rattle can it. Done right, it will look fine and if it peels in a few years, big deal. Just sand it and respray that place. Frank rattle canned Terry's '77. If I can get it to look half as good as that I will be happy. It seemed to hold up fine sitting out in the weather during the almost year I have known Terry.
The metal part is pretty good. The black rubber is cracked and falling off in places. I was just going to trash it.
