Side panel repair

[JOHN SCHUTTE]

Got my side panels for my 1250 this weekend and worked on them yesterday. Tried the "easy-off" paint removal method. It works, but, very time consuming and for the money, I will stick to actual paint stripper. I had alot of rust on the right side panel and uncovered some small holes in the middle of the panel. There is some eaten up metal on one of the lower edge/corner(bottom by the dash tower). My question is could i use a liquid metal filler and have good results? Any other options would be great to hear. There is a good amount of pitting from the rust. Tonight i plan to use navel jelly and stop any more rust form forming. Thanks for any info.

[nikster]

Did the oven cleaner thing & did a great job in removing gunk & oil build up but....................

got some AIRPLANE stripper from the local auto store.

Talk about LETHAL stuff. Wore rubber gloves & protective covering for my arms. But good gosh, did it do a job.

Nik,

[JOHN SCHUTTE]

Last night i tried Klean-strip ks-3 paint stripper. This stuff works great! Within 2 min. the paint had bubbled up and could be scraped off down to the bare metal. Dont get it on your skin! I got a drop on my arm and before I could wash it off it felt like I was on fire! Gotta be careful! You can find this stuff at Lowes. Any tips on filling in the holes on my side panel, or just find one in better shape?

[Matt G.]

I would just find a better one. Otherwise, I've had some success brazing pinholes in sheetmetal, but you'll have a lot of grinding/sanding/filling to do if you go that route.

[JOHN SCHUTTE]

It's is pretty rough. I didn't know if liquid metal filler, bondo, or fiberglass would be best. Might just find another panel.

[tubbyfirefighter]

Hey Matt, what about using a small mig to fill the holes? If its not too bad, that would be cheaper than finding a new one right?

[Matt G.]

It's really easy to melt holes in sheetmetal while trying to weld up rust pits. That's why I suggested brazing.

[Mlamar]

I am not a big fan of fillers, but I have used them on pitting and some small holes. If you go with a filler I would use a good quality such as "Professional" by Bondo in the gold can. It's real smooth and hardens real well. Bondo has come a long way since my days as a teen fixing the old junkers I use to drive. Since it is a side panel you can do most of the build up on the inside to give it a bit more strength. If you go the bondo method be sure to have a good bare surface and wear gloves. That stuff really sticks. I suggest a better panel but that is not always possible.

[JOHN SCHUTTE]

Thanks to everyone who submited their ideal and thoughts on this post. I have sent my side panel off to be repaired. I'm going to have the holes backed in fiberglass and the front side done in a body filler. This is going to be the cheapest way to go (12 bucks for a fiberglass kit). I can't see spending 60 bucks plus freight for a NOS.

[GreenMeanie]

As long as the vibrations don't knock the filler out you should be alright.

Will be doing the same on my JD panels.