body seams what options do i have

[crewzinforabrewzin]

i am starting the body work on my '66 the body seams have some minor rust the truck spent it life in the desert until about 6 months ago when i brought it to the coast and where there was none now i am getting rust every where the seams on the corner panels of the bed and the seams where the bed rails join the side panels can they be ground out , i think a wire wheel and some sanding will be enough but can i fill them with something like J B weld rather then bondo i hate to go through all that work and have them crack

[Max]

Wire wheels work great for that and sometimes you can just lightly chisel it out in pieces. I'd get the cracks clean, spray ospho (rust killer) on it, prime it and put seam sealer back in there (comes in a caulk-type tube at auto paint and body supply stores).

I think if you used JB Weld, it would dry very quickly and you'd be sanding that stuff into shape for awhile. Plus, not sure how JB Weld reacts to primers and paints - you'd have to find that out.

[Shawn F.]

If you use any kind of seam sealer then at least use a two part seam sealer. It is better. Still not the correct way to do it though. The correct way would be to weld the seams up and grind it out. But that is very time consuming and you have to jump around so you do not warp the metal and have waves all over the place.

[crewzinforabrewzin]

yea been thinking about it a j b weld dont seem so smart i have been an industrial painter for 8 years sprayed more automotive paint then most bodyshop guys but never on a car or truck the paintin will be no problem but i aint ever had to do any body work and this isnt where i want to learn

[Greg D]

I was going to fill the horizontal seam on my old 66 short's box.
After much thinking I figured out the 2 best ways to do it would be to run a bead of weld in it, grind it down abit and lead the rest. Or use a small rolled strip welded in then smoothed.
Just on old school style opinion.

[crewzinforabrewzin]

kinda what i been thinkin was welding and thin layer filler or lead. just getting in there with a wire wheel then slpappin some caulk in the crack dont feel right. it would be nice to see them seams disappear completely

[Max]

Ol' RatFinkMike got rid of the seams on his '66 and after you notice it, it looks baby smooth that way.

If the seam sealer that came on the truck originally lasted darn near 40 years, I figure it won't hurt to put it back in mine. Besides, I think they make it much better now and I know for sure the primer and paint systems out today are much better than what was originally used.

[Shawn F.]

I'd still weld it. As for paint, I think the old paint from years ago are better in one way (more user friendly) and now they are so complicating and have to be careful spraying it because it will curl, fisheye, tiger stripe, etc etc. Also the paint now is made to help the "environment" and that doesn't always help the painter.

[jakdad]

I agree with Max. The original seam sealer lasted 40 years and it's made to paint over. I like todays paints, primers etc. They are best painted by a pro. The base coat/clear coats are dangerous to use without a respirator. The old acrylic enamel are nasty to work with. That old sticky crud gets all over everything. The new materials go on better, last longer and look better.

[Shawn F.]

jakdad I agree (I do autobody and paint as a living) but the new paints are just so much more pickier (can't think of another way to describe it) to where you have to wetsand the primer down very nice or else you will have scratches, clean the HECK out of it and just all the prep work. I worked with some older guys and they liked body work and hate painting and said that when they used to spray the laquer and enamel you can spray over 320 or 400 grit scratches and it would cover just fine, lay out nicely and shine nicely. Now you have to be very careful, have the right needle in the gun, right air pressure, right cure times, can't lay it on too heavy (especially the clear) or it will cloud, etc.
I don't know, I have only spray enamel (I call it tractor paint because like you said, it's messy) about 10 times and it is easier to cover, etc but not as nice.

[Phil]

jakdad I agree (I do autobody and paint as a living) but the new paints are just so much more pickier (can't think of another way to describe it) to where you have to wetsand the primer down very nice or else you will have scratches, clean the HECK out of it and just all the prep work. I worked with some older guys and they liked body work and hate painting and said that when they used to spray the laquer and enamel you can spray over 320 or 400 grit scratches and it would cover just fine, lay out nicely and shine nicely. Now you have to be very careful, have the right needle in the gun, right air pressure, right cure times, can't lay it on too heavy (especially the clear) or it will cloud, etc.
I don't know, I have only spray enamel (I call it tractor paint because like you said, it's messy) about 10 times and it is easier to cover, etc but not as nice.

where do you buy your "tractor paint" I would think a solid orange would be pretty easy to do

[Shawn F.]

Keystone Automotive. PPG stuff. It was plain gloss black enamel and I added a flex n flat to it to get an eggshell to it and then another time I added the same stuff but more of it to get a semi gloss for engine compartments. It came out nice but clogged all the new air filters up in the booth, got all over EVERYTHING and you came out sticky. It also took forever to dry compaired to urethane or bc/cc.

[Shawn F.]

Oh and it also came out nice, slick and covered all the defects very well (it was one of those customers just want it nice but not spend money) deals.