Setting the low bar but hey no more rust

[shawn908]

Decided to tackle some front fender rust recently. Relative to the skill and quality of work typically posted in this forum, this is a bit rough. However this is my first crack at body work and I did the entire job (both sides were about the same) for about $150. Something had to be done - I enjoy/respect this car too much to drive with that nasty rust, and any close inspection of this car indicates it is far from perfect anyway - although for 30 year old paint from 10 feet away it’s fine. I did learn that the mystery paint color on the car is not Ruby Red Metallic. I had intended to have the Carrera sticker cover the interface of the new/old paint. However rookie mistake I took the new paint too high. Next time measure then paint.

[bobrestore]

carful … doing this kind of work can become addictive... the visceral rush of achievement... if you do stay with it you will naturally pick -up on the finer points.... enjoy

[shawn908]

Could be true.... My front lower bumper is FG and has some minor damage on driver's side - walked past it a few days ago and thought "I should fix that". Why not!

[Rodney Nelson]

Do you have any pics on the metal repair, welding, patching, etc?

[shawn908]

I added some photos and will also provide some detail. I was surfing one night watching air cooled cars make noise and somehow came across “Chris Fix”. You tuber from NJ and I’m in Philly so he must be good... He posted a how to on rust repair and I followed about 85% of his process and used the products he suggested. I also used power tools to grind the rust away and polish the metal prior to application of the Bondo. The paint I decided on myself trying to match the color.

For the fender hole repair I used the 3M Bondo 932 self adhesive patch. Unfortunately no photos. I was rolling and wanted to get the next phase on - Bondo 00277 glass reinforced filler, followed by Bondo 00237 Professional gold filler, and lastly the Bondo 801 Professional glazing and spot putty. Lots of sanding between coats and also used some aerosol solvent to degrease and clean before painting.

Paint was all ERA brand. Base coat, Ruby Red Metallic L8A7 and clearcoat. I was hoping Ruby Red Metallic would have been a closer match. However I’m fine with the results - I did the work and it was good to get to know more about the car. And, honestly, I just wanted the nasty rust fixed good enough for me. My main thing with this car is to drive it. The real objective is getting it to a mechanical state surpassed by none (impossible objective but worth pursuing) using components discussed on this forum and read by me daily. I’m accumulating parts. There’s always a next year... when it’s mechanically pure I may get it painted. By me. Maybe. Maybe not.

Link below to ChrisFix
https://youtu.be/n4vusY2-rkQ