This is my first attempt at major body work and I only own a flux welder. I still need to wet sand and buff to get rid of the orange peel so be gentle.


I had a long weekend so I decided to fix the two quarter sized rust bubbles in my paint on my rear fender/ quarter panel. Unfortunately the rust hole kept growing and I found a bunch of bondo in the fender. So I grew a set and cut all of the bad areas out.





The inner fender was toast and also needed repair so I made cardboard templates and started welding.





Then I coated it with POR 15 epoxy paint.



After a bunch of measuring and paper templates I cut out my donor piece from an extra fender the previous owner gave me






Then I traced it on the body and cut the car to match



Tack welded it in place and was fairly pleased with the fit



After a pathetic excuse for flux welding I had it in place



Then I ground it flat



Little body filler to get it smooth

 

Primer



and paint. I know there is orange peel. I need to let it cure then wetsand it then polish






All together I am really pleased for my first attempt at body work

 

thats not bad!!! come and fix mine , i have rust in the same spot. im sure nobody would be able to know unless they read this

 

On the contrary, It looks like it went pretty dang well for a first time !

 

Thanks a lot I am really proud about my work

Thank you, I was more referring to the starting state but I am glad people think I did a decent job. Body work scares me but I am too broke (married) to get someone to do it for me.

Now I know why the previous owner gave me the new body panel.

 

Outstanding! Impressed with what you did for a first effort. Want to come work on mine?

 

Looks like you did pretty well, but did you use weld thru primer on the back of the repair patch and surrounding. If not, it will be rusting pretty fast, bubbling the weld seam.

 

I did and I sealed everything with seam sealer like the factory panels.

Hopefully not driving it in the winter will also keep the rust away.

 

Nice work... Proof you can flux weld body panels, I've heard it so many times it can't be done... Did it to my A-pillars not too long ago.

I HATE body work. I've spent my free time the last 2 weeks or so sanding, sanding and sanding... Next 3 nights after work I'll be sanding lol.

 

What, you couldn't cut in the whole new panel?! Just kidding, nice work! All I have is a flux welder too. You did much better than me. I keep burning right through this paper thin metal.

 

My heat was very low, I believe the lowest or second lowest setting. Wire feed was also fairly slow. Using a Lincoln 140.

 

I though about it but I got scared.

I used lowest power on my lincoln flux HD The key for sheet metal is to keep tacking then connect them when the tacks are a 1/4" apart. At least it worked for me.

Also watch this. Remember angle and distance make the weld cooler. Straight in and close = hotter.