x2! - Og

 

That's when I say, "It's my damn truck!"

 

That sucks. I just went and looked up the myplates. Maybe if they had advertised that it was available then there would have been more of a market, I never heard about it.

 

X2. I can't speak for anyone's finances but I would have went a head and spent that $400.

 

I dunno - I was always taught that you reworked the metal as much as you could and used Bondo ONLY to smooth it out. Bondo over 1/8 of an inch thick will not last.

 

24 years and going strong on my 67 Beetle I fixed myself as a teenager. I know for a fact I've got Bondo on one fender more than 1/4" thick. Did a professional restoration on the car back in 2001 and left the Bondo job in place since it had been trouble-free and its the original fender.

Its not the best way to do a repair but if done right, it'll outlast the useful life of most vehicles.

 

If you put it on in several thin coats, then it might last. Just globbing it all on won't.

 

Exactly. First off, plastic filler shrinks as it dries. The thicker it is, the more it shrinks. Try and fill a deep dent with one application and it will pull from the metal slightly as it dries weakening its bond. Secondly, it wont cure right if its applied too thick in one application.

However as mentioned, ideally you really want the thinnest application necessary.

 

im not a body guy, but your probably trying to focus on too small of an area at a time. i think you should hit both dents with the body fill to hide the damage, then continue with the paint (remember to clear coat too!). it may yield a better result that you can live with.

best thing to remember right now, this is way cheaper than the other route AND is valuable knowledge.

 

X2