How To Fix Body Damage Using Body Filler, Using Glaze Puttys And How To Keep Factory Standard Panel Gaps
So Your Paint Jobs Come Out 'Mint"
The objective of any type of vehicle bodywork repair is to get the fenders, hood, doors, trunk lid and any other body parts as straight as possible before painting.
Automotive body panels that are meant to be straight should be left straight and panels that are meant to be curved should be left as smooth curves and have no angles of any kind.
Any and all surface imperfections to a vehicle's sheet metal, aluminum or composite body skin need to be FLAT if you want to achieve high quality results.
It is a fundamental fact that any surface imperfections that you find during the primer stage will be magnified after applying a new coat of fresh GLOSSY paint.
Using Body Filler - as known as ..."Bondo"
Even if you can't visibly see any surface imperfections when you initially examine your vehicle bodywork, there will very likely be some hidden somewhere that your eyes just can't pick up. This is why it is so important to check your body work while wet sanding and using proper llighting for gloss & reflection to check your work.
You can repair minor dents on automobile door panels for example up to 1/8 of an inch deep using body filler. To the repair area simply scuff (sand) it down then mix up some body filler. Make sure to use a body filler spreader, you would apply one to two thin coats of filler, mixed with the right amount of hardener then press firmly against the panel and apply your layer.
After rough shaping the filled area using 80-grit sandpaper,
further sand with finer sandpaper such as 150-, 240- and finally 320-grit until it blends into the surrounding
area.
Again thes all depends on the size of your dent. If it' a small side dent you may start with a finer paper to get it flat such as 150 grit.
Using Glazing Putty - What is Glaze Putty? - Glaze putty is used to fill minor chips, sand scratches and pinholes that are viewable after your primer coat is applied.
Thin layers of glazing putty can be used to fill sand scratches, chips or pinholes that remain on the primer. The glaze putty can then be sanded with 400-grit or finer sand paper to smooth the panel to perfection and get ready for painting.
Make sure you always read the instructions for the particular body filler and glazing putty you are using to determine when and how to begin using it.
Aligning Automotive Body Panels and Fitting Gaps
It can be tricky to get automotive body panels to fit with each other once you re-install them back onto your vehicle. Some vehicles simply have automotive body panels that fit better than others.
You need to ask yourself these questions:
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Are the gaps between each panel consistent in width? - Usually hood to fender gaps are 1/4'' in gappings and about the same all aroung the car. |
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Are the automotive body panels in line with each another? |
It will be your task to get them to fit as near to their original position as possible, so never rush this task. Be proud of your work and have the panels looking like new and aligned like they were never touched.
Automobile door panels may have to be adjusted by their hinges somewhat to align the door latch mechanism or to make the body-lines match. Most automobile door panels will permit slight adjustments to accommodate normal wear.
Doors and fenders (wings) should fit as accurately as possible, however slight variations from one side to the other will not be so noticeable.
Hood lids and deck lids on the other hand may present the biggest problem for you, as the gaps will need to be evenly split on both sides of the panel. This is extensively coverd on the "MIATA" project within the VIP Membership Course.
We show you how to install custom body kits and lambo doors taking off the entire front end of the car and showing you how to put it all back together fro PRO finishes.
It will take some patient adjusting to get consistent gaps across your entire vehicle. You may have to add or remove material from the panels to accomplish the task. It all depends on how perfect you want your project to look when finished.
An auto body shop would attempt to get the gaps between the panels to approx. 1/4" - 5mm in thickness, however this is not always possible. Make sure you're consistent throughout this stage and always aim for factory benchmarks.
I look forward to working with you and showing you exactly how to get your special project on the path to PRO finishes and turning heads in no time!.
Tony
