1968 hidden rust. Bondo usage

[stubble88]

Hello
Well I was really hoping to stay away from a car with rust especially these areas in which I have found it. I just didn’t look hard enough I guess.
Front control arms appears ok when I first saw the car. But it appears it was all covered up with bondo. My question is. Do I now grind this all down and replace with new metal? I know the answer is yes. But this area scares the crap out of me.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gjA2Px67fceRNwD18

[peter leinberge]

Just remember:
Fred Flintstone never had a problem with his car,
of course he was always at sub-sonic speeds.
yabba-dabba-do

[Peter Graham]

Yes. How good are you at MIG welding? Complex shapes can be made from simpler shapes:

Someone before me (my white chalk marking):


Cut offending metal out; make a template from card stock, painters tape; form metal from flat sheet cut from flattened template:


Repeat as many times as it takes to fill cut out; test fit, 'adjust'; repeat until satisfied, up to and including remaking piece[s]:


MIG weld in place, grind/sand (40, 60, 80, whatever grit flap disc):


Rinse, lather repeat:



The more you do, the easier it becomes to 'envision'/create replacement bits, the better your welding becomes, the faster things go back together...

Peter

[wkrtsm]

I lost the bed of the front trunk below which the tranverse controls arms are bolted down, due to salt/rust used on roads up North in the winter. A German mechanic just welded in a new bed, and it was fine thereafter. Now that the car is down South, and all rust was removed during a total strip-repaint, there have been no problems.