Thread: Prepping a 79 ford for paint, bondo cure time?

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Thanks guys. I went looking in the shop, knowing I had bought something, but it might not be the right thing. I have bondo brand fiberglass resin, I think I got the wrong thing!! this was a while back and was for something else, at the time I thought bondo was the product, not knowing it was the manufacturer.

So I need to go to the store, problem is tomorrow, when I am planning on doing this, it is going to be 90 degrees!!! I bet get up early and work fast.

I think my ding might be a bit deeper than 1/4", denny is that bad? I can take a pic later (going to car show in 10 with my wife and kids).

what grits sandpaper do I need? I can get a block around the shop here. also, the guy at the paint place had said to use 36grit on my d8 to rough the area up first, is that right?

I'll take pics and post them of what I do. minor ding to you guys so won't be big deal, but what the heck, practice is practice.

Thanks a lot for the help. I'm already clearing bench space to take the tools out of his box. I wanted to use my friends tractor to lift it out (the bucket with straps to the box) but he loaned it to a friend, I have to empty the entire box to make it light enough to pull out. be interesting trying to get all the stuff back in there.

Originally Posted by Dago Red

Thanks guys. I went looking in the shop, knowing I had bought something, but it might not be the right thing. I have bondo brand fiberglass resin, I think I got the wrong thing!! this was a while back and was for something else, at the time I thought bondo was the product, not knowing it was the manufacturer.

So I need to go to the store, problem is tomorrow, when I am planning on doing this, it is going to be 90 degrees!!! I bet get up early and work fast.

I think my ding might be a bit deeper than 1/4", denny is that bad? I can take a pic later (going to car show in 10 with my wife and kids).

what grits sandpaper do I need? I can get a block around the shop here. also, the guy at the paint place had said to use 36grit on my d8 to rough the area up first, is that right?

I'll take pics and post them of what I do. minor ding to you guys so won't be big deal, but what the heck, practice is practice.

Thanks a lot for the help. I'm already clearing bench space to take the tools out of his box. I wanted to use my friends tractor to lift it out (the bucket with straps to the box) but he loaned it to a friend, I have to empty the entire box to make it light enough to pull out. be interesting trying to get all the stuff back in there.

Man you are asking a lot - to become a bodyman overnight. We can help, but the skills take a while.

Bondo isn't the brand of choice for most body shops and well versed amateurs. The current and most recommended is Everfill Rage Gold. It's a bit pricey, but well worth the extra few bucks. Then you will need a glaze, and there are two generally recommended. One is called (UGC) Icing and the other is (Everfill) Metal Glaze

Sandpaper - that can be a real long story. Grinding a ding before filler - 24 to 60 grit discs, then sheets of 60 - 320 to finish it with a block. Final sand the rest of the body - 220 to 800 depending on what kind of paint. I have used up to 1000 before a metallic BC/CC. You need sanding blocks - and a '79 Ford P/U has lots of long straight metal so you will need a 4", an 11" and a 17" to ensure that you don't have gouges and valleys. Good wet and dry sandpaper is also a necessity. I prefer Norton, but 3M and Mirka are also fine but more expensive. Cheap Harbor Freight or Lowe's is crap - it loads up or breaks down too fast

I have to ask you this - are you sure that you aren't getting in over your head - especially timewise. A repaint with proper prep will take weeks of very hard work - regardless of what you've seen on those stupid TV car dramas. You could end up with a major mess on your hands - and yes, I know that MAACO or similar might do an OK job at some locations (sorry, Bill ) but.........