Automotive Bodywork and Rust Repair Read online

  Auto

  m

  There comes a time when just about every

  car on the road needs some form of rust or

  otive

  body repair. Quite often, if the car is a daily

  driver for running errands, repairs are never

  made, and the car eventually ends up in

  junkyard heaven. For our beloved collector

  B

  cars, hot rods, and muscle cars, dents, dings,

  O

  and rust are not an option, and neither is the

  D

  scrap heap. And for just about any restoration

  YW

  project, the bodywork is by far the most

  expensive part of the process.

  O

  In Automotive Bodywork and Rust Repair,

  R

  veteran restorer Matt Joseph shows you the ins

  K A

  and outs of tackling both simple and difficult

  rust and metalwork projects. This book teaches

  you how to select the proper tools for the job,

  ND R

  common-sense approaches to the task ahead of

  you, preparing and cleaning sheetmetal, section

  fabrications and repair patches, welding options

  U

  such as gas and electric, forming, fitting and

  S

  smoothing, cutting metal, final metal finishing

  T

  including filling and sanding, the secrets of lead

  R

  filling, making panels fit properly, and more.

  Also included is a comprehensive resource

  EP

  guide. Whether you decide you want to tackle a

  A

  full restoration project, or just want to save

  I

  money by doing minor repairs yourself,

  R

  Automotive Bodywork and Rust Repair is the

  book to get you through it.

  Matt Joseph has published

  more

  than

  1,800

  feature

  articles on a wide variety of

  automotive topics, in many

  automotive trade, consumer,

  travel, financial, and general

  J

  periodicals and newspapers. He

  o

  has hosted two automotive-

  se

  themed radio talk programs,

  ph

  and presently works in TV. His

  previous books include The Standard Guide to

  Automotive Restoration

  and Collector Car

  Restoration Bible. He continues to work as an

  industry consultant, providing services to

  SA

  corporate, financial, and government clients on

  1

  various aspects of automotive design, marketing,

  66

  advertising, publications, and policy.

  U.S. $26.95

  For a free catalog of all our books, write, call or visit our website:

  39966 Grand Avenue

  ISBN 978-1-932494-97-6

  North Branch, MN 55056

  Item SA166

  (800) 551-4754 or (651) 277-1200

  Written, edited, and designed in the U.S.A.

  www.cartechbooks.com

  Printed in China

  Matt Joseph

  CarTech®, Inc.

  Dedication

  39966 Grand Avenue

  To the legions of craftsmen who, over

  North Branch, MN 55056

  the centuries, managed to forget about

  Phone: 651-277-1200 or 800-551-4754

  the rigidity of sheet steel and treated it

  Fax: 651-277-1203

  as if it were plastic in order to form it

  www.cartechbooks.com

  into a myriad of useful and beautiful

  © 2009 by Matt Joseph

  shapes and structures.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro-

  Front Cover:

  duced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or

  Being adept at bodywork not only helps in restora-

  mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any infor-

  tion, but modification as well. Here, a transmission

  tunnel is being altered to accommodate an aftermar-

  mation storage and retrieval system, without prior permission

  ket transmission. (Robert Genet photo)

  from the Publisher. All text, photographs, and artwork are the

  property of the Author unless otherwise noted or credited.

  Title Page:

  One of the more common areas of rust is the lower

  The information in this work is true and complete to the best of

  corner of doors. Material is being removed to

  our knowledge. However, all information is presented without

  facilitate a repair.

  any guarantee on the part of the Author or Publisher, who also

  Back Cover Photos

  disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of the

  information and any implied warranties of merchantability or fit-

  Top Left:

  ness for a particular purpose. Readers are responsible for taking

  The sound that you hear when you hit metal on an

  suitable and appropriate safety measures when performing any of

  anvil brims with useful information. A good anvil

  rings on impact. An inferior anvil thuds.

  the operations or activities described in this work.

  Top Right:

  All trademarks, trade names, model names and numbers, and

  Plastic filler is filed in much the same way as lead

  other product designations referred to herein are the property of

  filler. The same body files used for lead can be used

  their respective owners and are used solely for identification pur-

  with plastic fillers.

  poses. This work is a publication of CarTech, Inc., and has not

  Middle Left:

  been licensed, approved, sponsored, or endorsed by any other

  High-speed abrasive disks are great for cutting into

  person or entity. The Publisher is not associated with any prod-

  contoured panels, but are pretty much limited to

  uct, service, or vendor mentioned in this book, and does not

  cutting straight lines.

  endorse the products or services of any vendor mentioned in this

  book.

  Middle Right:

  It is best to cut a temporary line into either the old

  or the new panel, for a trial fitting.

  Edit by Bob Wilson and Scott Parkhurst

  Layout by Chris Fayers

  Bottom Left:

  Hammering off-dolly is a precision operation that is

  ISBN 978-1-61325-252-9

  used to shape metal without stretching it.

  Item No. SA354

  Bottom Right:

  Fabricating a splash shield involves rolling the first

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  of three lengthwise beads into it with a hand-

  operated bead roller.

  Joseph, Matt

  Automotive bodywork and rust repair / by Matt Joseph.

  PGUK

  p. cm.

  63 Hatton Garden

  ISBN 978-1-932494-97-6

  London EC1N 8LE, England

 
1. Automobiles—Bodies—Maintenance and repair. 2. Auto-

  Phone: 020 7061 1980 • Fax: 020 7242 3725

  mobiles—Conservation and restoration. I. Title.

  www.pguk.co.uk

  TL255.J67 2009

  629.2’60288—dc22

  Renniks Publications Ltd.

  2009016169

  3/37-39 Green Street

  Banksmeadow, NSW 2109, Australia

  Written, edited, and designed in the U.S.A.

  Phone: 2 9695 7055 • Fax: 2 9695 7355

  Printed in China

  www.renniks.com

  10 9 8 7 6

  C O N T E N TS

  Acknowledgments...............................................4

  Chapter 9: Filling ..............................................84

  Introduction ........................................................5

  The Secrets of Lead Work ........................................85

  The Project: Decklid Panel Repair ............................85

  Chapter 1: What You Should Know

  Applying Lead Filler Material ...................................87

  Before You Start............................................7

  Applying Plastic Fillers .............................................92

  Panel Types, Configurations and Reinforcements .....8

  Autobody Steel............................................................9

  Chapter 10: Special Projects

  Plasticity and Elasticity.............................................10

  and Procedures ...........................................96

  Work Hardening: The Metal Remembers.................11

  The Project: Fabricating a Splash Shield ..................96

  At the Factory and Afterward ...................................14

  Making Panels and Trim Fit ...................................103

  Necessary Tools and Equipment ..............................15

  General Considerations ............................................18

  Quarter-Panel Replacement ....................................103

  Door Re-Skinning ...................................................105

  Chapter 2: Limits of Materials, Equipment

  Hanging Doors........................................................107

  and Skills........................................................20

  Mounting and Adjusting Trim ...............................109

  Inherent Advantages.................................................23

  Divide and Conquer ................................................24

  Chapter 11: Before You Paint .........................110

  The Danger from Behind........................................111

  Chapter 3: Types of Jobs ...................................26

  Damage Repair ..........................................................26

  Chapter 12: Minor Rust Repair to a

  Small Rust Repairs.....................................................31

  Fender Edge ..............................................115

  Small Patch Piece Welding Methods ........................34

  The Approach .........................................................115

  The First Step: Evaluation.......................................116

  Chapter 4: Cleaning, Modeling and Cutting ..37

  Removing the Bad Metal ........................................116

  Preparing and Cleaning Sheetmetal.........................37

  Planning and Modeling the Repair ........................117

  Cutting Panel Materials ............................................39

  Cutting and Forming the Metal Patches................118

  Getting Shapes and Contours Right ........................42

  Final Fitting.............................................................121

  Chapter 5: Forming, Fitting and Smoothing...44

  Welding Considerations .........................................121

  Simple Tools and Equipment ...................................44

  Cleaning, Positioning, Fixturing and Welding ......122

  Applying Plasticity/Elasticity, Work Hardening

  Grinding the Weld Beads and Shrinking the

  and Annealing.......................................................45

  Bulged Area .........................................................124

  Hammering Techniques that Work ..........................47

  Final Steps before Filling ........................................126

  Bending, Beading and Prying...................................49

  Tinning ...................................................................127

  Power Forming..........................................................50

  Applying the Lead Filler ........................................128

  Pulling Approaches to Moving Metal ......................51

  Shaping the Lead and Finishing the Job................130

  Smoothing, Stretching, Shrinking and

  Forming Operations..............................................52

  Chapter 13: Repairing Collision Damage

  in a Decklid ..............................................133

  Chapter 6: Bumping to Move the Metal

  The Approach .........................................................136

  the Right Way.............................................55

  The Early Steps........................................................137

  Metal Finishing.......................................................148

  Chapter 7: Metal Finishing...............................60

  Filling ......................................................................153

  Indicating, Feeling and Other Human Tools to

  Determine Panel Surfaces .....................................60

  Chapter 14: Sources and Resources................157

  Filing Done Right .....................................................63

  The Art of Pick Hammering .....................................66

  Local Sources...........................................................157

  The Disc Sanding Alternative ...................................67

  Non-Local Sources .................................................158

  Knowledge and Problem-Solving Resources ..........158

  Chapter 8: Welding Body Metal.......................70

  Types of Joints ..........................................................71

  Appendix

  Welding Smaller Pieces into Large Constructions ...72

  Soldering Data ........................................................160

  Fixturing ...................................................................73

  Colors of Steel at Different Temperatures ..............160

  Electric Welding........................................................73

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  As the author, one of the greatest

  spent several days there studying and

  that you sometimes have to pinch

  rewards for writing this book has been

  photographing many projects in

  yourself to remember how incredibly

  all I have learned while doing it. Part

  progress. It was a great and enlighten-

  challenging and difficult some of the

  of this is because an author has to

  ing experience. I learned much about

  work being done there is, and how

  clarify his or her own thinking about

  how quality work can be done on a

  superb the results of that work are.

  the specific subjects of the work.
>
  production-like basis. Watching the

  L’Cars has some of the best equipment

  When you are explaining something,

  skilled metal men at MCR, Inc., com-

  that I have ever seen. More important,

  there is no room for cobwebs and

  plete complex and difficult projects—

  it has workers like Blaine, Wayne, and

  ambiguities in your own mind.

  certainly and quickly—inspired me

  Matt, who know how to use that

  A larger benefit is that doing

  with some of the confidence needed

  equipment to full advantage. These

  research for and writing this book

  to do my own sheetmetal work in a

  men also know how to use the sim-

  has given me the wonderful oppor-

  more planned and efficient manner. I

  ple, traditional tools of body work—

  tunity to meet some incredible peo-

  doubt if any other shop surpasses

  hammers, dollies, and the like—as

  ple—people who are among the best

  MCR’s ability to produce consistently

  well as I have ever seen it done. And

  practitioners of metal crafts in the

  great restoration results, on time and

  they do it with good humor, learning

  world. You will meet many of them

  on budget, with the muscle cars on

  and sharing knowledge with each

  as you read these pages.

  which they work.

  other as they go along. The results

  Herb Statz, from Waunakee, Wis-

  L’Cars, in Cameron, Wisconsin,

  are spectacular, embodying the high-

  consin, has worked tirelessly with me.

  and its genial proprietor, Bob

  est quality that I have ever seen in

  He modeled the skills, techniques,

  Lorkowski, embody the essence of a

  this work. These men make the most

  and processes shown in many of the

  craft guild approach to automotive

  difficult tasks almost seem like rou-

  photographs in this book. You can’t

  restoration. This is a full service

  tine chores, and bring what seems

  miss him. He and his skilled hands are

  restoration shop that can perform

  impossible to within reach.

  in more than half of the photos.

  almost every restoration task, from

  Sam Fiorani of the Eastwood

  Beyond providing hands, Herb pro-

  engine machine work to autobody

  Company helped me out with some

  vided the enormous benefit of his

  metal work, upholstery, and refinish-

  great photographs from Eastwood’s