bodywork question #2 ??? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

speed_camry30 · 03-14-2008, 01:06 AM

I just bought a 90 camry LE for $150 as is and I was going to repair a pretty large area in the rear panel under the fuel door where the rust has ate the metal away. The repair that needs to be done starts length wise from the rear wheel well to past the fuel door and aslo width wise from the bottom of the fuel door to the bumper??? What should I use? I have done bodywork before but,I have never had to repair a hole that big before. Any help that anyone can offer would be greatly appreciate. thank you

camo_ken · 03-14-2008, 01:29 AM

I, personally would cut away all the effected metal in patches. When joining the metal to the body I would use rosette welds and build accordingly.

Just my .02

TBayToyotaBoy · 03-14-2008, 01:02 PM

Yeah, you might want to cut-out a good section of metal from a scrap yard car, then weld it in there. Bondo isn't so friendly on holes that big.

white90dx · 03-14-2008, 01:14 PM

Being a California boy, I would junk it and find a rust free car for a few hundred more... but that's just me.

-Charlie

speed_camry30 · 03-14-2008, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBayToyotaBoy

Yeah, you might want to cut-out a good section of metal from a scrap yard car, then weld it in there. Bondo isn't so friendly on holes that big.

Couldn't I cut-out a section of the scap metal and use fiberglass? I don't have acces to a welder or buy one?

TBayToyotaBoy · 03-14-2008, 09:10 PM

If you're very skilled with fibreglass cloth, you could probably pull that off. The problem is that you're not dealing with a completely flat area of the body--the bumper meets the quarter there, and the fuel door aperture presents contours that are difficult too.

How close to perfection do you want to get it?

speed_camry30 · 03-14-2008, 09:25 PM

See, what I used to do about large sections that I had to fix was. Since, I don't have a welder but, I did have sheet metal, I would contour the metal to the shape of the metal that I was replacing ang I would pop rivet it in place than I would grind the rivet head down and fiberglass or bondo over the repair and you could never tell there was a problem with it (after painting it of course)

camo_ken · 03-14-2008, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speed_camry30

Couldn't I cut-out a section of the scap metal and use fiberglass? I don't have acces to a welder or buy one?

Call the local welder dealerships like airgas or lincoln and alot of them rent em out. Just get a Mig w/ nitrogen or co2 bottle for a day. You will then drill holes in the remaining metal on the car. Take your repair patch and fit it. You will want to flare the outer edges of the new material to make up for the thickness (less bondo) so that it's at the same or a bit less on the height.

Then when you back up the new material to the actual holes in the existing vehicle, fill the holes with the mig welder and grind smooth. Then bondo, sand, prime.