Technical It was a “professionally restored” car

I try to keep to less than 1/8" of filler.
I usually skim panel. Block with 80, guide coat then 180 to remove scratch. Followed by a few touch up on a low spot or 2.




To achieve this there are untold hrs that are never billed. That is why most shops fill with bondo.
I currently try and talk all customers out of painting their car. I explain that I no longer want to work for free. I am currently stripping a TR250 that I tried to talk the owner out of doing for the past 2 years. The paint is failing due to poor prep and rust bubbling up filler as there was never an epoxy applied to seal the steel. I can also see rusty hand prints where panels were handled to hang and never properly cleaned

 

There is not anything that I build that will ever reach that level. I don't have the patience, the ability, nor the desire to do that. If I ever had one like that I would most likely have it ruined within a week.
I can admire those the are willing to go to that level, and maintain it, but that is not me.

 

We in to the Era of CAVE & PAVE ! I don’t any one doing real metal work any more. It seams to be a lost art, and I believe the Insurance Co. are to blame with the way they manipulate the body mans pay. They have a certain amount of money they want to pay for the work divide it by the hourly rate and thats how they get the hours for the job. I have been a body man over 65 years and I only know a few that can still do metal work without any filler

 

I still see good metal work in collision shops. Some of the paintless dent repair guys are amazing. Insurance always gets blamed for doing poor work. Never understood that. I got paid to metal finish cars in a collision shop. Did a good bit of it. We charged for it and the insurance paid.
Poor managed shops are the reason the insurance companies get away with anything.
Hacks been around since the second car crashed.
Bad work is traditional.

 

What I found in the drivers door from my roadster, done in the 60's.

The door latch was welded in and a lot of brazing done in places. Should have just replaced the door, but I just wanted to get the thing drivable while I can still drive so I "fixed" it. Beat as much of the metal back into shape as I could and repaired the damage around the latch area. Yes, there is some filler still on the door, but it's a lot better than it was...

 

So, as someone with no real experience doing body work are there any “industry” or manufacturer standards when it comes to permitted amount/thickness of filler?
While working with Mercedes-Benz and the G-Wagons we purchased for the Canadian military, their stance on accident damage to panels was 100% panel replacement. Period. Otherwise no warranty. As such, we wrote off lots of vehicles that “tipped over” which resulted in the whole upper body being “kinked” to one side above the belt line. It broke my heart to see that. One vehicle only had 800 kms on it, and a Major was driving it too fast on an on ramp getting onto the hwy. lol!

 

@Ziggster Each paint and body product has a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). They will specify what is in it, what dangers, if any there are and proper use.
Here's the name brand
https://www.in.gov/fssa/thehub/files/SDS-Bondo-body-filler.PDF
This will apply to filler, primers and other products used. It is good practice to review each of these you plan on using.