Bondo

[Buick35]

When did body filler start being used?

[joe_padavano]

From the March 1940 issue of Popular Science. The first resin-type fillers were developed in the early 1940s. J.C. O'Donnell invented the product that would become Bondo in 1955.

 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2021 by joe_padavano (see edit history)

[CarlLaFong]

Convert your car to burn Diesel~?~?~?? Whoo Boy!!!

[joe_padavano]

42 minutes ago, CarlLaFong said:

Convert your car to burn Diesel~?~?~?? Whoo Boy!!!

Yeah, I caught that. 😁

[Guest]

Good old Bondo, apply it smoothly and get out the 6" grinder with 16 grit to level it off!

 Apply enough and have tail fins.

 

 When I first went in business, I almost bought a 24" belt sander to get it smooth.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Roger Walling (see edit history)

[kgreen]

If anyone wonders why we have a world-wide shortage of Bondo, it is because the PO of my car applied all of it to my car.

 

[28 Chrysler]

I had plenty of the old black filler as a water jacket repair on my 54 Ford wagon.

The bottom 1/3 of the body was built from the same stuff.

[SC38dls]

Back in the 60’s I held the headlights in place on my 57 DeSoto rust bucket. The rocker panels had over a gallon of bondo in them. I think it was kind of green back then but it didn’t rust!  You could sand it smooth and paint with a brush with porch & deck enamel and from 10 feet it looked good. It was cheap too!  
dave s 

[Frank DuVal]

3 hours ago, kgreen said:

it is because the PO of my car applied all of it to my car.

Well, it could be a '68 Maserati Mexico, which was done that way at the Italian factory.😉

 

Hand built you know...

[TAKerry]

5 hours ago, kgreen said:

If anyone wonders why we have a world-wide shortage of Bondo, it is because the PO of my car applied all of it to my car.

 

My 77 t/a was like that on the lower rear quarter. At least a half inch of the stuff. I spent days getting it all out only to come to the realization that a replacement quarter was going to be easier to fix than the mess that was there.

[jrbartlett]

I once bought two front fenders for a '38 Chrysler -- both restored and painted. One weighed maybe 25 pounds, and the other maybe 60 pounds. The seller said the second fender belonged in the Bondo Hall of Fame.

[60FlatTop]

My uncle Frank Schwan was a body man all his life. He was the epitome of the big, smiling Dutch uncle. My Dad told me that around 1958 Frank bought a can of fiberglass and never stopped smiling. His Maple Street Garage being across the street from Ritzenthaler's Saloon did hurt any either.

 

Over the years I got into the habit of just calling it peanut butter.

[Peter J.Heizmann]

Back before I retired my boss Matt and I were discussing our sports cars when we were in our teens.  He had an MG Midget that had some serious rust issues.  He took it to a local shop for inspection and the mechanic said there was no way he would issue an inspection sticker with the rust condition.  Matt told the mechanic he could not afford to repair the rusted area but offered to buy what seemd like a ton of Bondo.  The mechanic told him he will slop on the Bondo then told Matt to go out and drive through whatever mud and dust he could find to cover the Bondo up.  He then issued and inspection sticker without washing the car until the frame collapsed due to the rust a year or so later.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Peter J.Heizmann (see edit history)

[trimacar]

1 hour ago, Peter J.Heizmann said:

Back before I retired my boss Matt and I were discussing our sports cars when we were in our teens.  He had an MG Midget that had some serious rust issues.  He took it to a local shop for inspection and the mechanic said there was no way he would issue an inspection sticker with the rust condition.  Matt told the mechanic he could not afford to repair the rusted area but offered to buy what seemd like a ton of Bondo.  The mechanic told him he will slop on the Bondo then told Matt to go out and drive through whatever mud and dust he could find to cover the Bondo up.  He then issued and inspection sticker without washing the car until the frame collapsed due to the rust a year or so later.

That seems like a cute story on the surface, but when one thinks about the frame collapsing while driving and putting both occupants and other drivers at risk...not so cute.   

 

I don't know if it's the same, but I always liked the way Colorado did it, when I worked out there a couple of decades ago.  No inspection, but a policeman (or police person, sheesh) could pull you over at any time, and if car appeared unsafe take you off the road.

 

I was following a West Virginia truck the other day, the truck bed on the driver side was at least a foot lower than the passenger side.  Surely a broken frame or springs, and yet they were driving and putting others at risk?  Nope, I'm too old to accept that...I want to die on my terms, not the stupidity of someone else...

[28 Chrysler]

1 hour ago, Peter J.Heizmann said:

Back before I retired my boss Matt and I were discussing our sports cars when we were in our teens.  He had an MG Midget that had some serious rust issues.  He took it to a local shop for inspection and the mechanic said there was no way he would issue an inspection sticker with the rust condition.  Matt told the mechanic he could not afford to repair the rusted area but offered to buy what seemd like a ton of Bondo.  The mechanic told him he will slop on the Bondo then told Matt to go out and drive through whatever mud and dust he could find to cover the Bondo up.  He then issued and inspection sticker without washing the car until the frame collapsed due to the rust a year or so later.

On the rusted used cars in the upper Midwest "mud" was applied to a piece of news paper or tag board and contoured to the panel over the missing area.

When the "mud" had almost set up the paper was pulled off. Scuff it, paint it, auction it.  

[Peter J.Heizmann]

56 minutes ago, trimacar said:

That seems like a cute story on the surface, but when one thinks about the frame collapsing while driving and putting both occupants and other drivers at risk...not so cute.   

Very true, David.  I certainly did not condone the practice just repeating what Matt did as a dumb teenager...

[JACK M]

I never did anything stupid as a teen.

 

You guys are sooo gullible.