I am interested in learning how to do my own body work, and use this knowledge on my truck with my future paint scheme plans I have! Is their a BONDO FOR DUMMIES out their? I have looked at different online bookstores and even Ebay for a Dummy book for this issue and don't see one?

My truck is currently a 4 color paint scheme and I would love to make it look like the the image posted below if at all possible, But I don't want to pay someone to do all the work! No I won't be doing the paint work, But the paint work is only 35% of the estimated final bill to complete this project!

I got 2 online estimates, and 1 phone estimate in the range of $1100.00--$2900.00 to complete this project, and while the paint cost is only $444.03 as I called with the paint codes and got the cost of material to complete this project. The paint costs break down like this, 2 gallons of paint, 1 paint kit (1 gallon of thinner, strainers, stir sticks) and one extra gallon of thinner.

This truck is almost rust free with exception to the passenger side rear fender well which is in real bad shape. Truck has aftermarket front fenders, and everything else is rust free with exception to the rear fender well.

That means shops are wanting to charge me somewhere between $785-$1630 just to do the body work when it ain't that bad... Most of the gaps are correct, and the after market fenders have not began to rust yet, and I will have a new replacement tailgate form Rock auto, so that isn't a rust issue either but the shops are wanting to charge me so much!!
I can only go by what the shops have estimating in saying that they claim their are over 1,000 rivets used to hold on the chrome trim, and since I am wanting the chrome trimmed removed, the upper one I want removed, I will be replacing the lower larger 2 inch trim back on the truck as I like it but I don't like the upper trim, it's ugly and doesn't belong on the truck, But the shops are claiming over 1,000 rivets used to hold on the trim. That's where all the expense is coming from for this paint repair.

So if I can learn how to properly remove the rivets then I could save many hundreds if not even a thousand or more in doing this step myself!! Is it possible for a wrench turner to turn to a body man aswell? Would you attempt to do this part of the project or just go ahead and spend the money and not learn a new trade, or atleast become knowledged enough to do this step of the process.
Where do you stand? Please enjoy the photos, I love the after look I want to achieve with this project. the green totally kicks Butt! This green is 1972 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Green I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is going to look so great against my creme factory color!






My goal is income tax time to get her painted, She will look great come spring to be out riding around in the beautifully repainted truck!

 

Bondo is for filling dents, if you drill out the rivets the bondo will not work on the holes. You need to weld/braze the holes closed. Problem is when you weld on body panels they warp, it is an art to do it right. Now add to the mix the dark color you want to use you may not be happy with the results.

Might want to check with a community college or adult education program and take some classes in body work. My experience with body work is just enough to make me dangerous, but I will occasionaly do it any way! ha ha

Good Luck

Edit: the less bondo you use the better off you are.

 

Here is a link for you,, it will give you a little insight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymnTU...os=DAM9exCIPVI

I have done a enough body work to know that if you have never done it before you should get a scrap piece of metal,, Old fender works great,, and practice on that before touching you truck..

Although I enjoy it, it can be fustration as h***, but rewarding when done right.

Have fun..

 

Not trying to be a downer, But 500 bucks worth of paint wouldn't come close to painting that truck. If you get what you pay for ever applied, it's to paint. If you are considering using alkyd enamel don't waste your time. In six months it will be as shiny as your pants and if you brush up against it you'll have dry color on your clothes like when you get up against aluminum siding. Hate to see you put all the time into it and not be happy with it.

 

bondo is a brand...


it just bugs me, like when peple say NOS for nitrous.


also the amount of prep work is more important than the paint you use... just saying

 

Yeah yeah yeah - and I wipe my nose with Kleenex too.

 

I bet when the president of curad gets cut he asks for a band-aid! I know what you mean about the bondo thing though. That word has such a negative meaning when it comes to bodywork. Kinda means "scab job". I've been a body man for 18 years and never used "bondo". Now "evercoat" or "rage" or "marson" yeah i've used alot of that! I cough that stuff up in my shower drain every night.

 

I was quoted for 1 gallon of green and one gallon of cream, 2 gallons of thinner, and 2 gallons of clear and that isn't sufficient enough? That's 4 gallons of shoot material? I also asked for mid-grade-mid-range paint on the quality scale,(base coat clear coat) with extra gallon of clear. I didn't want the stuff that will wipe off on your clothes in 6 months, but I don't need a $4,000.00 dollar paint job either. I'm not repainting door jams, tailgate jams or dash board or interior, this is an exterior paint job! Nobody will get close enough to critique the door jams of my truck, and if they are that close to my truck then they are probably riding in it, and I dare them to say a word of disgrace against my paint job/truck when completed out of fear of having to walk!

Are you willing to help the uneducated one? What paint should I be looking for? Is "base coat-clear coat" not a quality paint? And just how much Paint should I be looking at purchasing? And about how much thinner should I be looking at? What about clear?
I have my neighbors Brother-In-Law coming down tomorrow for a quote, and having owned one of the vehicles he previously completed the entire passenger side of this vehicle, his work is very worthy as I have seen it first hand! He painted the van I owned, after the van was wrecked he rebuilt the passenger side of the van from front bumper to rear bumper, and then the van sat for 2.5 years before I purchased it, then we/I owned it for 1.5 years, and it still looked brand new at time of trade for this truck.


If I were to forget about buying the paint, and let the painter buy it, then what should a paint job cost? Not looking for your paint shop quote, just looking for a realistic range of what this paint job should cost!


I mean if I get a $500.00 paint job well it is obvious I get what I paid for, but I don't want nor need a $4,000.00 paint job either! That would be crazy, to paint this truck and be afraid to drive it out of the garage!
I want to haul wood, lumber, gravel, deer, furniture, and anything else.. this truck will go to the landfill, junk yards, and even late evening cruises into town or to the local parks for grandson to play!

 

I think when he said alkyd enamel, he was talking about single stage.

 

Wow thats alot of questions! Yes base clear is absolutely the way to go. Here's where the math is not adding up for me.A gallon of "generic" clear is $150. A gallon of generic basecoat is $200. Problem is that the basecoats don't cover well, meaning that you might put on seven coats of color then clear it and when you pull it out in the sun you can still see through it. Greens and blues are particularly bad for this. It's not as bad with name brand paint,but i'd bet that gallon of green in PPG global or DBC is $600 without the reducer.