While my car is gutted, Im considering taking a 4 1/2" grinder to the floor panels to smooth out the bondo, clean it up to smooth metal, and then refinish it with a rust preventer. Do you think this would be a good tool to use or is there anything else u could suggest? Down the road, the last thing I want to do is tear out my new new interior to replace the floor boards...

 

Why would there be Bondo on your floor panels? I would use a wire brush wheel on the grinder. Time consuming and dusty but effective.

 

I think my floor panels were replaced by the previous owner becuase there is very little rust damage on the floor. It looks like the seems were patched with bondo. It doesnt look that bad, but while Im there you know.

I have a wheel on a drill and it walks away from me when I try to use it. When I cleaned up my trunk, I used paint stripper and 36 grit, but that was a slow process, so Im thinking about busting out the grinder...

 

If you get the braided wire brush wheel for a grinder it will be much more effective than the wire brush wheel on a drill. A regular gringing wheel will likely be too abrasive and won't cover as much area as quickly as a wire wheel. If you get the bondo out from the seams, replace it with a good seam sealer.

 

Ok, thank you..
any other ideas while im working there?

 

+1 on the new seam sealer AFTER you use a rust encapsulator. Get all of that water soaking bondo out of there as you can. About 14 coats of paint over the Rust Encapsulator ought to do it. And, wear a mask while working to get the bondo out. Use a shop vac to suck the loose stuff out. Do it on a hot sunny day.....and do it outside with both doors open.

 

LOl, my car is in my basement/garage..but ill make surethe doors are open and i have a fan on and such...

 

Can I get the seem sealer locally?

 

Yes, get it from an auto parts store specializing in paint/body work. Buy a good brand such as 3m so it will stay flexible and will not shink and crank in the future. It comes in a squeeze tube, or you can get it in a tube to use in a caulk gum.

 

I definitly would rather using a cualk gun that by hand. Couldnt you use normal seam sealer like Lowes has or something?