little help with rust since vinyl is gone

[Bonnewagon]

Congrats on attempting this. It will be an experience. Welding from the outside will be much easier and the slag can be ground down later. Edge to edge is called butt-welding and can be tricky on a project like your's. You would need to trim the replacement panels to fit exactly. An easier method is to flange the panels so they overlap and you have some leeway. An air flangeing tool from Harbor Freight is like $50 or you can form it with a hammer and dolly. Then you weld them on and fill any gaps with filler. The biggest headach will be the curved parts that go by the glass rain gutters. Also be sure you cut back to good solid metal or you will burn through.

 

[garyl24]

hey bud thanks for the reply. i am a little unsure what you mean when you say "overlap". if i over lap, one piece of metal on top of another piece, wont that make the metal at the lap higher than the body metal? thanks for the help

 

[CUTLASSJESSE]

im just gussing that this is a cutlass by the windows but replace the metal i had the same problem when i took my top off dont use fiberglass unless you want it to crack and look like sh*t a month later metal is the best way to go if you get someone that knows how to weld good then it can be done fairly simple

 

[Bonnewagon]

Here is an exagerated view of the overlap you get by flanging the patch panel. The flanging tool creates that lip or you work it with a hammer and dolly. I've even done it in a big vise. One fits under the other with the top being flush with each other. You can then either weld it along that seam out right, or in the case of a large piece, drill holes in the top metal and spot-weld it at each hole to get the patch mounted, then go back and weld the seam. Grind down the slag then fill any fissures or holes with plastic filler and sand, prime, for paint.

 

[garyl24]

so thats where the saying "do you need me to draw a picture for you" came from, LOL. thanks bud i understand now i appreciate it