Rusty cars are repaired with fiberglass patching kits.
Old cars typically have rust spots and these are easily repaired by sanding and repainting the metal. However, a rusted-through area on a car takes additional steps to repair. A hole caused by rust must be patched using a durable material. There are a few ways to complete this task. If you have auto body experience, the project will take an afternoon or less, depending on the size of the hole. If not, plan on spending your weekend repairing a moderately sized rust hole.
Instructions
1. Cut away all the rusted metal around the rust hole using a metal saw until only solid metal remains. This will require the cutting of solid sheet metal.
2. Clean the remaining metal surface around the hole with an alcohol cleaning solution and rag.
3. Place the fiberglass patch material over the hole from behind so the material lays flat across the hole. Use heavy duty scissors to trim the fiberglass patch material so about two inches of material overlaps the metal around the hole.
4. Apply the body filler to the edges of the patch behind the panel where it overlaps with the metal, using a plastic scraper. Allow the body filler to dry and secure the patch in place. Drying time will range from three to six hours.
5. Apply body filler to the front surface of the patch. Fill the gap completely with a half-inch layer of body filler. Use a plastic scraper to complete this step. Allow the body filler more time to dry, as larger areas will take longer to completely dry.
6. Lightly sand the surface of the repair with 200 grit sand paper and a flat sanding block to smooth the surface of the body filler. Wipe away the sanding residue with a clean towel. When satisfied with the results, apply an automotive primer to the surface of the repair. Apply a top coat to finish the repair if you like.
Tags: body filler, Allow body, Allow body filler, Apply body, Apply body filler, around hole
