92 Prelude SI

ok bought a truck with some rust, rust already ate through some parts so there are holes. im a noob when it comes to body work. I tried reading up on it but cant find anything how to fix hole. biggest hole is about 8 inch by 6 inch. im going to fix the whole truck and paint it. its a 85 Dodge Ram 50 with 103,000 miles. 4 speed. really fun truck.

so if you have any info on how to cover those holes. I know i have to weld metal to that body, but what kind of metal and what sort of welder, gas or no gas would work.

nftuatn

get an old hood or fender...cut you a section out of the truck...lay on the other panel and trace it if possible...and you need a gas welder..

92 Prelude SI

k cool thanx for that info. anything else anyone

RobertE

Depending on the location/size of the hole you can either replace the existing metal or use a filler. The hole you described should be patched with new metal. Either way the biggest part is taking your time and doing it right, the slightest imperfection will show through after you spent all that time and money prepping/painting it.

92 Prelude SI

yea the holes are good size, what other people said just get sheet metal cut into correct size and weld it on grind it down clean it up and make the truck look clean, prime 3 coats and paint missed some things in the middle with cleaning

nftuatn

little more to it than that but yes you got the general idea...post some pics ...before and after

Fabrik8

The hardest part is taking the patch panel and fixturing it so it is flush in the hole so it isn't too high or too low, and then getting it to stay where it is while it gets heated as you're tacking it in. There are cool fixturing magnets (one on each side of the panel edge) and other cool products that are made for that purpose, and worth spending a few bucks on.

But, I'd look into a set of hand flangers, or a pneumatic flanger if you think you'll use it at least a few times. A flanger will make a step down (the thickness of the metal) all around the hole, making a 1/4 or 3/8 flange, and then the patch panel will drop right down flush. Basically you're making a countersunk hole for the patch panel, and it looks exactly the same as any other patch method from the outside.. It's a lot easier to weld that way, and you don't have to worry about cutting the patch panel as precisely or worry about warping the metal as much. It's kinda cool because you can really easily tack everything in place and keep everything located properly. People have been shaving door handles like that for decades.
Body shops don't flange stuff very often any more (because it's time consuming if you're already really skilled with sheet metal) but it's great for DIY stuff when you're not a bodywork expert.

JDMSH*T!

fabrik8 is right. but you have to be EXTREAMLY careful when you weld it. careful to not warp or just blow a hole it it from the heat. you wanna use a gas mig welder w/ .030 wire is great. if you get a welder i can help you w/ a bit of work. im a certified welder and have restored alot of 68-72 chevy trucks.

Fabrik8

Oh, I forgot to add that the most fun part of it isn't the welding but rather the hammer and dolly work to knock the weld distortion flat as you go along. If the sheet metal is heavy duty enough, you may not have to do that, but it still warps really easy if you're not careful.

92 Prelude SI

wow thanx for the info, seems like a lot to do. hopefully it will be someone a fun project for a few months since I work 2 jobs and either are a shop job.