Best way to repair a small rust hole?

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PostPosted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 7:56 am
I'm a new member and complete novice when it comes to body repair and painting. I've got a 2002 Chrysler T&C minivan in great shape except for one smal larea of rust bubbles on the edge of the right-rear wheel well (where the metal is rolled over to form the wheel well edge.) I wire-wheeled the rust and applied a rust neutralizer. Now there's a one-inch crack about 2mm wide at the center which opens up the cavity formed by the rolled edge of the wheel well. I assume this means that there's some rust inside the cavity that I can't reach, although I sprayed rust neutralizer into the space. My plan is to slightly pound down the area around the crack to make a slight depression, and then apply some Kitty Hair to fill the hole and finish the surface. Is this a good plan? Also, do I need to apply some finishing Bondo on top of the Kitty Hair, or can I get a good smooth finish from the Kitty Hair alone? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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PostPosted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:01 pm
I always recommend welding in new metal when fixing a rust hole or cancer. It really is the only way to fix it 100%.

If you want to use fiberglass filler or kitty hair, it will work fine. It won't last a long time (usually), but if you perform the repair right, it should last at least 1 - 3 years. The key to the procedure is removing as much rust as possible. The fiberglass filler likes to stick to very coarse ground metal or 36-60 grit scratch made by a sander/grinder. Dimpling the surface like you mention is exactly what you want to do. I have performed this repair on old Bajas and cars I didn't care about and you can't tell the difference. ;)

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 3:20 am
Remember,,If possible, treat the back of your repair.
"The number of parasites in the USA has now eclipsed the number of productive members of society"


Capt Rick Hiott.
www.reelfishhead.com

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 3:48 pm
Good point. I try to "fog" epoxy behind the panel with a wide fan and lots of pressure. If that doesn't work, I drip it down inside the door bottoms and slosh it around or spray undercoating. If you are in a humid climate, cars tend to rust from the inside out I'm finding.......

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