88BlueGT

1) its a hatch
2) more like 550+
3) why would it be a mess? It needs to be show quality and I hate saying this but I will settle for nothing less.

86HOGT

If there's any dents at all get them as flat as you can. YOU DON'T WANT TO USE MORE THAN 1/8" of body filler(bondo) If done right, there's no way that filler can get water behind it.

Black Snake

Ima try to explain this the best I can, bare with me.

When I did the body work with my car I had to be very carefull.

1st. Be sure to mix your bondo right doesnt work if its too soft or to hard. Also dont go crazy with the bondo, you dont need much.
2nd. Dont use you hand to sand. Use a block.
3nd. Dont sand in small strokes, use long strokes to get the whole surface area.
4th. Weld up any holes left over, dont just try to cover it with bondo, may not work. (tust me)
5h. Use a black primer to check for any spots you may have missed. Its easier to see with black paint.
6th. Take your time dont rush it. It should take you no less than 5 days to do the car.

chrisb12002

the best body filler i have used is called dyna fill...it is lightweight, easy to apply and work with and it doesn't dry quite as fast as bondo(gives you more time to work with the filler). You will want to take it all the way down to bare metal(you dont want to apply new filler over old) After you get it to bare metal if the dent is more than 1/8" deep you will want to work it out either using a hammer and dolly (if you can get behind the panel) or use a slide hammer. If you are using a slide hammer drill a very small hole in the deepest part of the dent and the screw the end of the slide hammer into it and hold the end of the hammer and operate the slider to pull the dent out..then weld the hole up and grind it down smooth using an angle grinder with about an 80 grit flapwheel (dont use the normal grinding stone it sill scare the metal to much). After you are satisfied with the shape of the metal spray 2-3 coats of epoxy primer or etching primer to seal the bare metal to prevent rust. The apply your filler is small amounts, once you can no longer dent the filler with your fingernail it is ready to sand. Start using a 60 grit paper on a flexable sanding block/pad just to get the rough shape..then progress to finer sand paper ending with 320/400 grit. the best way to tell if you have low/high spots is to use a can of flat black spray paint and just lightly spray the area so it is dotted looking and use your fine grit paper, the low spots will still have paint in them add filler as needed and repeat process. You will want to use your hand to feel the progress as you go, a seamless transition from beyond the filler to the panel is what you want to achieve because if you can feel that the filler is higher than the panel it will show when you lay down your color. It does take some time if you have never done it before but the best thing about is that if its not working you can just sand it off and start over... i help this helps you in you body work adventure..i would stay away from the mainstream bondo, the dyna fill has worked best for me although the bondo brand also has a lightweight filler out now which works well..also after you get a good shape you will want to add a very thin "skim" coat of filler to fill in any sanding scratches and dont be afraid to spread it beyond the repair area to get a smooth transition....
Good Luck

88BlueGT

OK so I guess that I am going to take it all the way down to the metal (1 coat from metal) and than work off of that. You guys dont even understand how much I appreciate the help. Its really appreciated. I dont have money right now for primer (I literally have 25 dollars for 10 days lol) (spend all my cash to get the doors) so I guess I am just going to take it down to the metal right now.

Also, where can I get dyna fill at? Do you think that they will have it at autozone? advanced auto parts?

Thanks guys

Dan

Tims 88GT

88blue I said not to mess with the top because when you make the kind of power so many things can go wrong. the top plays a major roll in the strength of the car. if it is not done right than you could have problems.

chrisb12002

i usually get it from Oreilly auto parts..also you may want to pick up a small can of the lightweight bondo

roadrunner

You can use glazing or spot putty to fill small dings, like hail damage.

JD1969

NO! glaze is meant only to fill sanding scratchs not anything requiring any sort of build up. 88BlueGT, I suggest you find a forum dedicated to paint and bodywork, you will get a lot better answers there. A few people have givin OK advice in here but there has also been a ton bad info. I hate to say this but if you want it to be "perfect" as you have said, I highly doubt you will be satisfied with the results if you do it yourself. It takes a pro years and years to develop the skills to make a car perfect, what makes you think you can gain those skills on your first car? I am not trying to be a dick here, just being realistic. If you mess the car up now it will cost 2-3 times more for a pro to fix all your mistakes.

ben5.0

so u literally ahve $25? where is this $4k comming from for the paint then? and why does this have to be show quality? bodywork is definately the hardest thing to and get perfect. i agree %100 with JD1969. i thought i did a great job on my bodywork, until i sprayed the paint and actually got a good look at everything. prep work is definately %90 of a paintjob