32 replies to this topic

[jaystar89]

Ive found a few holes of rust in the floor. In the chase and in the boot. Ive welded up 3 of the holes in the boot. then fiber glassed over them on the inside of the car only to smooth it all out.

Now the questions i have.
Will i get away with only fiber glassing holes? (with no welding) - I could cut out scrap metal and fill the hole, then fiberglass over it. Would save the huge hassle of welding as i only have access to a welder on rare occasions.
The welds i have already done, is it OK to fiberglass on the inside and outside of the car? (my welding isn't amazing and though the welds are seem welded, are still pretty messy and the fiberglass really cleans it up)
Will i benefit by under sealing inside of the boot as well as the underneath? - I know the name gives clear indication, but I have enough under seal to cover both.

thanks

p.s. please keep in mind this is to help the car pass its MOT rather than a track car

Edited by jaystar89, 02 December 2009 - 10:59 PM.

[Shifty]

Good grief!

Where on earth do you start here??!!

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!

Any rust holes on the car need to be repaired PROPERLY, if you're unsure of you're welding ability then get someone else to do it or show you how it.

Fibreglassing holes without welding them, well, come on, surely you don't even have to ask how silly that sounds?

Rust is a serious safety issue, in the event of an accident would you trust your repairs?

Using the fibreglass to tidy up the welding afterward is acceptable, anything else is a dangerous bodge. Any MOT man worth his salt will spot it and you'll have to rip it all off an do it all properly.

Please don't try and bodge it, do it once and do it properly.

[me madjoe 90]

I hate fiber glass it is a bodge and more effort than welding if you ask me and any one else on hear do it right!

fiber glass is for boats and crap not cars what fool ever thught of fixing rust holes in it was a real

maby a pikey/chav or something i mean they probely had some left over from the body kits (edit: I know when some fool told them they cant weld there sill's as they got stupid plastic ones maby they were mistakeing the proper sill with the silly body kits and maby thats where it all started just an idea)

They think there but there not ive seen loads of fiber glass where they run a bead of silicone down to look like a weld and then underseal the hell out of it wast of time.

besides its not to hard Mig welding get some one to teach you its good to know and fun if you ask me if its littel job's i love welding

oh and if it looks like bird crap take a grinder to it and it'll be right

(God i went abit ott with the smileys haha)

Edited by me madjoe 90, 02 December 2009 - 11:52 PM.

[jaystar89]

lol yeah thats kinda what i had thought. Im just gunna need to wait untill i can get a welder.

Yeah the holes are small. im talking a few inches long by half an inch wide so nothing serious

ill get the grinder out, cut out some rough sizes, use that as a template and cut out the rust.

thanks for clearing that up

[cobblers]

I thing fibreglassing is worse than just leaving the hole there - it adds no strength, and will hold damp against the rust, making it spread faster.

Some idiot had fibreglassed all the arches and round the windscreen on my mates VW T25 and it's just held the water against the rust and there is nothing left of it!

MIG welding is easy enough to do to an "MOT" Standard (IE the plate doesn't come off in your hand) so long as you don't use a gasless welder and make sure you cut out the rust and don;t try and weld to any slightly corroded and thinned metal.

[chappy]

fibre glass should ONLY be used for tidying up seams.

Generally what happens at the bodyshop is, weld on the new panel/patch, grind back welds, fibreglass to fill any possible gaps, sand back, filler then sand back again to smooth finish, primer, flat back, base coat, laquer, tea time.


PLEASE DONT UNDERSEAL WELDS IN THE BOOT!

someone had done it on mine before i got it... it was the biggest PITA ever.

[Deathrow]

fibre glass should ONLY be used for tidying up seams.

Generally what happens at the bodyshop is, weld on the new panel/patch, grind back welds, fibreglass to fill any possible gaps, sand back, filler then sand back again to smooth finish, primer, flat back, base coat, laquer, tea time.


PLEASE DONT UNDERSEAL WELDS IN THE BOOT!

someone had done it on mine before i got it... it was the biggest PITA ever.

Why was that?

I only ask because I was considering doing this on mine for added protection.

[midridge2]

fibre glass and filler are not the same.
ive never worked in a bodyshop were they have put fibre glass over a welded joint, they use bodyfiller.

[jaystar89]

Do the panels all need seem welded? or will a spot weld be sufficient? - also, can the outer sill be spot welded on (the panel welded under the edge of the floor)

[chappy]

Why was that?

I only ask because I was considering doing this on mine for added protection.

errm, i assume you mean why fibreglass then filler? (sorry its been a long day)

well, for example, just recently theres been a quarter panel put onto a 2009 golf, it goes to the b pillar and half way up the c pillar. The panel was tacked then filled in with weld, but where you get some joins (this time is was the between the rear window inner panel and the rear quarter) so the welds were stripped back, and the panel was cleaned up with the ROS then those small gaps were then fibreglassed, smoothed, cleaned up again with the ROS then fillered.

ive never worked in a bodyshop were they have put fibre glass over a welded joint, they use bodyfiller.

Depends how big the gap is....

different people have different techniques and opinion. but i won't expect people to appreciate that on a public forum.

[midridge2]

when the car is assembled in the factory their is no f/g used to cover holes, why when you replace a panel should the body shop put f/g in.
yes body filler is used to hide a join when you do not replace the full panel but i will say any bodyshop that uses f/g to hide a hole is doing a bodge job.

[Trail of Dead]

Cobblers said: "MIG welding is easy enough to do to an "MOT" Standard (IE the plate doesn't come off in your hand) so long as you don't use a gasless welder and make sure you cut out the rust and don;t try and weld to any slightly corroded and thinned metal."

What's wrong with using a gasless welder?! In my situation I won't have much of a choice but to use a gasless MIG welder as I'll be welding in my carport.....there's enough of a breeze to blow away all the shielding gas in there. Flux Core can produce just as strong of a weld as a gas setup can. We're not talking welding up depleted uranium plates on an Abrams tank here! We're talking about welding up little holes on the thin sheetmetal of an Austin Mini.....flux core will work fine if that is what your going to be using! Just make sure you got a good Gasless welder and if it makes you feel better buy one that can run both!

Edited by Trail of Dead, 03 December 2009 - 05:46 PM.

[Deathrow]

Why was that?

I only ask because I was considering doing this on mine for added protection.

errm, i assume you mean why fibreglass then filler? (sorry its been a long day)

Sorry no, I meant the underseal in the boot thing, my bad.

On the other matter, my entire project so far has been done with a gasless welder, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

[zebidee]

fiber glass is for boats and crap not cars

Unless its a fibreglass shell

[jaystar89]

fiber glass is for boats and crap not cars

Unless its a fibreglass shell

well see this was my origional thought. It was more of a hope atctually, would have made my life easier if i could just fiberglass the holes.

Ive decided to do it correctly. I bought a boot repair panel and a passenger footwell panel. Can i put the panels in the car and weld around the seem without cutting into the car? then just weld around where the hole is to the panel. (the rust has all been cut away) and then just body fill the gaps

Edited by jaystar89, 03 December 2009 - 10:32 PM.