Bondo

[Phil Planck]

Posted on the 912 forum.






Phil

[JOP]

That is sure insane that anybody would use so much bondo to make a Porsche look its good shape again

Poor buyer whom think he got his dreamcar....freshly painted and all.

I know that on old Volvos they would pour cement in the threasholds to make them solid again to be able to pass the yearly inspection

[Don C]

This is going to be a scary thread! What will we find?

[JTR70]

It is this common abuse that gives bondo its undeservedly bad wrap.
Lead solder is at times also just as overused but requires a torch, special tools and a degree skill to apply giving it more credibility in the restoration world. Unlike Bondo's extreme ease of use which also feeds the abuse not just anyone can apply it like bondo in their driveway.
Thanks for posting this Phil!

[bbspdstr]

So what do we do now, post pictures of over-bondo'd 912s on THIS site?

(I could supply some!) (or I could get back to work on jobs that are way behind and get them out the door before the bondo cracks....)

-Bruce

[Phil Planck]

Sorry Bruce. I was just giving credit for where I got the pics. They were posted by a west coast restorer like yourself during an interesting thread on how much bondo is too much.

Here is some additional text from him:

"A lot of my 356 projects have had quite a rough life. Every so often I have the pleasure of restoring a very well preserved example but whether it be a 356, 912 or early 911 those cars are few and far between. The photos below are of a 57 coupe and 63 cab."

His first name is even "Bruce"

[bbspdstr]

Phil, I am just teasing.

Any true restorer worth his salt (or has the talent) would love to be paid what it's worth to use NO plastic filler and maybe some lead where it's too difficult to 'metal finish' every square inch....the problem is that process costs 'stupid money' when done by the hour.

It's tedious, difficult work that is more art than science...as you know....so most all jobs at most all restorers get some filler out of a can, often over 80% of a body. If the car is good, the majority of the filler ends up on the floor as powder. If it's translucent when the sanding is done, it's filling scratches and file marks and very shallow small low spots, almost as a dimensional guide-coat.

As said so many times as to how "guns don't kill people, people kill people"....plastic filler gets the same bad rap. It's not the product, it's the misuse (or lack of skill to need too much).

-Bruce