My uncle swore by Bondo for everything - he was dead wrong

My uncle Frank used to say you can fix any dent with Bondo and a prayer. He ran a shop out of his garage back in the 80s and never used a stud welder once in his life. Last year I took his advice on a 2010 Civic quarter panel that had a deep crease. I laid that Bondo on thick, sanded it down, and it looked great for about two months. Then the temp started changing where I live in Phoenix and that whole patch cracked right down the middle. I had to strip it all off and do it right with a slide hammer and some panel adhesive. Cost me an extra $40 and three more hours of labor. Has anyone else learned the hard way that some old school methods just don't hold up anymore?

3 comments

3 Comments

jordanl8225d ago

That Phoenix heat always finds the weak spots in old bodywork...

andrew_miller9025d ago

Yeah, have you ever tried that rubberized undercoating on the lower panels? That stuff really helps keep the sun from baking the paint and trim off. I learned that the hard way on my old pickup after the clear coat just started peeling like crazy. That Arizona sun beats everything down eventually, but a good ceramic coating on the glass helps too. It's all about keeping the UV rays from finding every little crack first.

mason84723d agoMost Upvoted

Actually be careful with rubberized undercoating on lower panels. It can trap moisture underneath and cause rust to spread even worse if there's already a tiny chip or dent. I seen a buddy's Tacoma with rocker panels that looked solid on the outside but were completely rotted out underneath that stuff after a couple Arizona monsoons. Fluid Film or a wax-based coating is usually safer because it creeps into the seams and doesn't seal moisture in. Just something to watch out for before you spray that rubber stuff on.