QuestionQUESTION: 65 nova Just got the car and it has been de-chromed by bondo or filler material.I'm very new at restoring but heard that welding the holes is a better process.They did a good job because nobody can tell where the holes were.Not a show car but want to have an eye catcher. What do you think. Thanks. Dennis
ANSWER: Dennis, is the car already painted? If not, figure out where the filler is covering the molding holes and weld the holes shut. They don't show now, but in time you will see the holes. They will leave a ring in the finish, and if they didn't use a waterproof filler before smoothing over the hole, the bondo will act as a sponge and draw water. This will lead to a premature failure, namely bubbles in the paint, and rust. This can be stalled with a quality paraffin based undercoat if the car is already painted. Bondo over holes is never a good idea. Bill
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QUESTION: The car has old paint.How should I remove bondo in the holes and other places,sanding,wire wheel or what? Thanks Dennis
AnswerUse a grinder and 36 grit discs. don't linger too long in one spot, it will warp the panel. Figure out where the holes are, exactly, and only dig in that area. Don't attempt to just randomly dig with a grinder. It will just create more work than necessary. How do you know it has holes filled with bondo, can you see bondo oozing through them in the trunk or something? I would verify that this was done. You can see inside the doors by simply removing the door panels. Proceed carefully, especially if the car looks pretty good right now. I highly recommend you buy a book called how to repair and restore bodywork, it's available through a restoration parts company called Year One. Look in the literature section. It will give you a better idea what you are in for, and what tools are needed. I can't possibly teach you how to restore your classic car in an e-mail. I've got to say, you are biting off a big chunk if this is your first bodywork project. Classic cars can easily lose value with a poor amateur paint job, not to mention snickers and jeers from friends or even strangers. Proceed carefully, research this project much more deeply. If the filled molding holes aren't showing through the old finish, perhaps it's best to let a sleeping dog lie. I also suggest fixing and painting up something with little value first, so you can cut your teeth on something you can't screw up. The difference between the first car we painted (In body shop school) and the second one was unbelievable. We also had a teacher looking over our shoulders on the first car, a guy with 30 years experience. How well do you think you will fare alone? I suggest something like an old S-10 truck, something that can be bought cheap, and parts are even cheaper- also readily available. Think about what I'm saying, I would rather see you postpone your chevy project for a year, enjoy the car, and learn how to do bodywork first. Then, you can do a restoration, one that will produce a great, valuable muscle car. Heck once the S10 is done, you can probably sell it for enough money to buy a decent compressor, some air tools, some paint and materials. People are always looking for a small truck, and one with even a half assed paint job will fetch a good price. It will give you some starting cash for the Nova, and you will lean valuable lessons from the experience. Bill
