getting ready to build a 50 merc.i want to use lead for the filler.i have a 750 hp bjg block i was going to put in it.the question is after i chop th top and all that shit will the lead or bondo for that matter crack out or pop if the car twists?anyone know of anybody near burlington nj that does sheet metal panels and lead filler,and top chopping?thanks for any info.
Unless you're going to paint it with Nitrocellulous Lacquer, lead is a waste of time... Why add more heat?
The new bondos flex more than the old...Rage Gold is great stuff...and it's a lot lighter than lead will ever be... Besides, if you're worried about flexing on that Merc, you'd better not chop it...!!! R-
StudHad, I have read many of your posts and have much respect for you. My dad was a welder all his life, but it's one talent I did not bother to pick up on (my OWN fault, and now I regret it). Can you add a few details to your post? I am back in the traces and still willing to learn. Guys like you can help newbies plus guys like me who missed class on this matter. THANKS in advance, buddy!
Lead isn't hard, you can do it yourself and learn a new skill. Leading is easier than welding ! Get the paddles, beeswax, files, etc.....
Bondo...but i'd be focusing on doing some bracing on the frame and body to keep it from flexing as much.
That's alot of HP and neither bondo or lead or going to have anything to do to stop flexing. You need to reinforce the frame and body substantially first. I prefer lead but I grew up doing it. We still used bondo over the lead to fill file scratches etc but kept it to a bare minimum.
True enough. Thinkin it through as you go makes it easier. When you do fill it lead will flex more than any plastic filler (go ahead haters and tell me I'm full of shit if you wish). The secret will be the final thickness of the filler used, plastic or lead, but even thin layers of mud will crack very early on if not immediately. I'm thinkin you most likely will beef up the frame for 750HP and don't need to be told that. As far as who to do it...
thanks for all the input.i wanted to do lead to be different than my other cars.it will be mini tubbed and i was thinking of a cage but i have enough cars with cages.maybe i will just put my flathead in it and call it a day. thanks again when i get started i will post pics.
Painters caulk will give you a lot of flex.So when your car is doing wheelies and the body is twisting,there will not be an issue.The key is to paint over the painters caulk with some por 15.Just make sure you use a good paint brush to help with the brush marks. Hope this helps take care.
i have a couple of engines i can use, don't want small block chevy or ford everybody has that.i didn't really want use the big block(but i have) but i seem to be torn from going flat to big.i was even looking at my 250 chevy.just trying to figure it out to have some direction,but i change my mind more than some change their underwear
Besides, if you're worried about flexing on that Merc, you'd better not chop it...!!! R-[/QUOTE] Or put 700 horse under the hood (bonnet) Customs dont need to go fast
Jimi I am no expert (still learnin) but a top on a Merc can be hammer welded almost everywhere except the A and B pillars (not counting a hardtop chop) the back can be metal finished cuz the inner structure can be removed then replaced no one will ever see it. At the A and B pillars gas or tig weld them knock the welds down so they are low spots lead them back smooth. Or dressing the welds can be done but not too much or it could weaken the post or add tubing inside the post plug weld them ect and no worries it should be stronger than before it was chopped. If the car is hammer welded or the welds dressed pic & file ect-no filler. If you got the time its the best period. My car has lead in it where I couldnt metal finish or because I got lazy and tired. I have sanded a lot of bondo in my life and dont care for it! That point has been debated on here over and over and over and I am sure it will be on this thread. Dave Hitch
First, work out a good plan. Going form a 700HP big block to a flathead, sounds like you don't know what you want. you need to plan a build right from the start to do it efficiently, correctly, & timely. If you want a custom, build a custom. If you want a hot rod, get a lighter car. You'll go faster with the same engine. Later on, when you have more experience, money and time, you can fool aorund with building 'crossover' cars. As to your initial question. Metalfinishing is the prefered treatment for the top of the line builds. Not many out there that can actually do it though. it's a real talent! Leadwork is easier than metalfinishing, and will hold up better than bondo in stressed areas. also a bit easier to find someone who knows how to do it. Bondo is easiest, by a long shot. But the thing is, to do your metalwork as best you can and try to keep your filler to under 1/8 in. and it will probably last as long as the car. Weld solid all seams, work cleanly, and coat the backsides of all welded areas with a rust preventative, or sealer. Widmer's Garage, in Hamilton/Trenton, is a respected restoration shop. I'm sure he does lead work, or knows someone close who does. I do it, if the circumstances and customer allow, but I'm booked up pretty far along. Good luck!
Bondo is the easiest way to go but there is no personal advancement by doing what is always the easiest. Learn a new skill and go with lead. You will be proud you did. Anyway you still are going to have to use some bondo to get it perfectly straight.
I am building 2 mercs right now and I use both lead first then a little plastic to finish.Thinking you will finish the car in just metal is near impossible on a fifty year old car Thats just stupid
Bill i agree , I very seldom see a fifty year old car smooth enough for prime . even when one good car comes along the car will end up with so much primer that it shrinks later where a thin coat of filler would last longer and less blocking .me thinks
My advice will be insufficiently traditional ... despite the fact that I'm probably old enough to be your grandfather. Bondo deservedly acquired a bad name back "in the day" when it was a really bad product. Today's body fillers are a totally different product. Lead acquired a good name only because it was the only product available in it's day ... but it requires a certain skill to achieve satisfactory results. Metal finishing is indeed the pinnacle, but it too requires a deft touch that comes only with experience. So ... if you're some goober like me who's working in your garage, or a backyard shop, go with body filler. Evercoat is pretty good stuff and it's very forgiving. If you fuck it up, just sand it off and try again. It's infinitely superior to it's ancestors, it flexes in a way it's low-rent predecessors did not, it's chemistry is compatible with just about every finish imaginable, it's affordable, and it lends itself readily to those of us who don't do body work for a living. Simply said, I'm voting for body filler for the great unwashed masses of us who do this simply because we love old cars.
The Jalopy Journal
