what do i do when i take my 3 piece spoiler off? there is going to be holes and i dont know what to do, where would i take it to get filled in and is it expensive? thanks

 

Depends on the shop you find, and how nice they are. They'll have to weld the holes shut, and you'll probably want them to paint the panel, right? You can't just fill the holes with bondo. You might be able to "try" using a fiberglass mesh sheet, but the correct way is to have them welded closed. If they want $400, consider buying a MIG welder (not an oxy-acetylene setup) from Sears for $250 and doing it yourself.

 

How many holes are there to fill???

Also how much would you expect to just fill the holes........not paint it.....??

Thanks in advance

 

when i took my car in the first time they welded the old holes closed..it was all part of the total cost but i can imagine theyd want $200-$400 at least($100-$300 usd)

yeah tom is right dont try to use anything but weld..its strong and itll hold up for a long time..

iroc2nv

 

There is an alternative route to welding and since the location isn't really that exposed to water and can be sealed from the backside, it is a DIY project.

First.. remove the spolier exposing the holes.. it requires taking out the tails. (pics are not of a 3rd gen but apply all the same)

 

Next a grinder or heavy grit paper (at leat 80 grit) to rough the paint off down to the metal.

 

Put some sort of tape to the backside of the holes to hold in the filler ( so it doesn't sag out the backside of the hole) and apply the filler to the outside of the panel. Be sure to press the filler into the hole so it spreads behind a little.

 

Smooth the filler flush to the panel.

 

Next use a high build primer or a primer/surfacer to fill in and smooth out small pinholes/imperfections in the filler. Sand the primer with 220, reprime and smooth with 400-600 paper and it's ready for paint.

 

On the backside of the holes where the bondo has pressed through.. peel the tape away and use a body seam sealer, epoxy primer or undercoating to assure the filler is sealed from water exposure.

Take note this is one alternative to welding and it does work. While not the best way.. it's easier than learning to weld and risk warping you ¼ panel.

 

This is my (personal) choice of body filler also in case you care...

 

:hail: :hail: :hail: , deadbird

Althought i have NO experience to make this a DIY project......

I do now know what to expect of the work involved when going to a shop cause most of them try to pull **** on me cause I'm only 17 and they don't take me seriously...........

The only problem is that i have 4 extra holes in my decklid from my wind and it needs to be placed at the back of the decklid.......

 

Also, don't forget, aside from the 3 holes (per ¼ panel side) from taking the side spoilers off, there will be 4 (I think) holes in the decklid from removing the center section of the spoiler as well.

 

Welding is THE BEST way to do it, but the bondo method works good too, as long as the prep work is good and your surface is down to the BARE METAL.

Welding is ultimately the best way to go though.

-Shawn

 

I would weld the holes.....DEFINENTLY! I welded mine...then used dura glass....bondo......then a glazing putty. I was REALLY happy with the results.

 

Just a suggestion here, the 4 holes on the sides are fairly large, and should be filled with a plug of sheetmetal the same size as the hole, (same thickness as the body panel too) and carefully MIG welded a little at the time, to reduce warping, and allowed to fully cool between welds. Also alternate the welds from side to side of the hole. For the decklid, it may be easier, and probably cheaper if you have to hire out the welding, to just find a decklid in the junkyard that has no spoiler, and therefore no holes.

 

Sounds like a pretty good Idea if your not very familiar with autobody.

 

Just a suggestion if you take the bondo route: Pound the area down with a hammer. If you just try to fill the hole with bondo, there really isn't anything holding it into place after it hardens. If you pound the whole area (consider the "area" to be the size of a quarter or half-dollar) down just a little bit, then smooth the filler over the whole area, there's absolutely no way for the filler to fall through the hole, and because of the large surface that it's adhered to, it won't lift either.

 

Or go to a yard and get a deck lid off a car that has not had a spoiler. It is way easier then weling or filling. It will cost less than getting some one to do teh fill work for you. The only draw back is taking off and putting on the new decklid, but you can adjust it to get rid of the overbite the 3rdgens all have. We have seen tons of yard cars with virgin decklids.

Just a thought. There is even a tech article on replacing your deck lid. Good luck which ever way you choose!

 

I would definitely just buy another decklid if you can't weld...I'd do that if you can weld, as a matter of fact. We got a decklid panel from a yard for about $10. I wouldn't trust bondo, or any other plastic filler long term, no matter what you do to it. It will eventually crack and fall out.

 

I'd agree and said it above.. body filler is not the best way to fill the holes but, it is an alternative and, in practive, not theory, it does work and is durable.

When I 1st started doing hollow metal (commercial steel doors, frames and windows) a little over 5 years ago.. I though it was a crackpot idea myself... of course.. using 220v lincoln arc welder to weld 16-20ga metal seemed a little fishy as well. Over the course of time I worked at that shop... never did we have anyone complain about holes we plugged using body filler. And trust me.. a commercial door frame see more abuse, stress and bad weather than the holes in a f-body ¼ panel will ever see in it's life time.

Z -grip Evercoat filler is also designed to hold to galvanized metal that has not been ground on which is why I like it for that particular application.

I agree welding is the absolute best method to fill the holes but, body filler is not a horrid alternative if done right.

That's just my opinion though... I could be wrong

 

That's what I would suggest. Don't use a regular claw hammer, use a ball peen hammer.