Thread: Lead fill instead of Bondo... Any tips?

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I am afraid to to do any lead work on my cars. but I would like to learn. I have seen it done, and it is an art to just see how its done.

one of my projects is a 59 imperial . when I started to restore the car 2 years ago, I noticed it had some lead work I think it was done by the factory.

the car is all original numbers matching car, so when I get into the body more I would prefer to fill in the areas with lead to help keep the car authentic.

dont get me wrong im a believer in modern fillers . but sometimes you may need to go oldschool to get the look you want.

also I have seen on tv the boyd coddington show where they did this on a hot rod buildup. it was cool to watch

There really is no advantage to lead over well-done plastic body work. The thing that makes a body repair look good, and last a long time, is the skill of the body man....not the filler.

Also, the plastic is a good product, if used correctly. I guarantee my repairs for as long as they own it! The reason I do this, is because I don't have any failures.

However, if you want to buy hundreds of dollars worth of extra equipment, and learn an art that takes longer to do, than plastic filler, and you will have trouble finding people who will pay more for it.........good luck! :-)

yes filling a big hole or dent with mud will not get it . you need to take some time and work out the steel the best you can AND not over work the steel and stretch it or you will have a oil can. there is some places were i still would use lead but not many. if the car has lead on it now and in good shape i would not take it out