Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 10:25:44 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Body work question
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well it is 'just metal' and it depends on how good you want it.
I have one bigger than that , just like that one ..
I might spend many hours on it but I think I can get it quite a bit back to
where it was ...
to where it just needs the finish body work and painting.
where it's pushed under the rear hatch door ..
I even forgot I did this on one van ..I jacked carefully across the rear
hatch opening ..it a lot of 4 X 4's to support and guide the jacking forces
..but I was able to 'sneak' that area back about 1/8th to 1/4 inch to get
things lined up with the rear hatch door again.
'it's just metal' ..
and it depends on your skill, your patience, your creativity etc.
My father is a perfectionist nut about things like this. I have seen him
remove a dent above a VW Bug headlight with carefully shaped pieces of wood
..so the pushing part matches the curve of what you're trying to straighten
....and it get it perfect without even harming the paint ...just amazing.
on this one I'd start with jacking that edge to the left to get the hatch
door 'cut line' back where it belongs..
you can't hammer outward right in the corner ..there's a frame member sorta
of ..
but you can pull those dents out.
I got a big stud welder at HF for $ 100 ..it welds on a stud ..
then there's a special tool to pull on the stud..
gradually you get it back where it was.
Eventually you finish off with as little bondo as possible. or however you
do it.
it's mainly a matter or how good you want it.
welding in a whole piece is one option of course.
body work is a whole thing unto itself of course..
I've gotten quotes of well over $ 500 on things like that ..
and even then ...lol.....I have seen so much bad body and paint work it's
sickening ..
I don't care what you pay ..
they tend to make it 'look' right where it's shinny , but otherwise do just
awful work very often ..
unpainted on the back side, mis-wired tail lights ..whatever.
hey ..come to my shop and practice on the same but larger dent in my 87
Wolfsburg !
scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Hargrave" <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2011 5:33 PM
Subject: Re: Body work question
My advice is to find a good body shop and have them do the work. They have
the expertise and the tools to do it right - you don't. I don't have the
skill either but my Uncle did before he got older - he's in his 80s now -
and I've seen him work miracles with many cars. He worked with Bondo or with
lead, depending on the car.
Here's how it's done.
You need to pull / hammer out the steel until it's just barely below the
original. You can make a template from the other side to serve as a guide.
Then you apply a very thin coat of body filler to bring the outside surface
back out & sand smooth. This last step is usually done twice - one layer to
get close and a second finish layer. Then they will computer match the
paint, prime and spray. If done right you won't have Bondo any thicker than
1/16" anywhere on the panel. Also, if done right it won't look repaired,
even to a body man.
But I've owned over 40 cars and have looked at probably thousands and I can
say most don't do it that way. Most would hammer in the ceased areas that
protrudes out like the one next to your tail light. They will pull out the
caved in area until it's "close enough" and then they would just fill. The
problem with doing it this way is thick Bondo cracks. I've peeled cracked
Bondo off car's that was over ¾" thick in some areas!
Tom
www.towercooler.com
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of
Rob
Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2011 6:49 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Body work question
I know very little about bodywork but I'm going to learn.
I just put a question and photo on TheSamba about a dent in my left
rear corner, feel free to take look.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5100715#5100715
Rob
becida@comcast.net
Western Washington State, USA
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