i HATE bondo!!! (49 Chev progress pics)

i sanded till my fingers were numb and my thumbs had blisters. GRRR, i hate bondo. well, sanding in general actually.
i roughed in all the details around the taillights and antenas on Donzie's 49 Fleetline then primed it all up. first in etch/fill primer then in some high quality catalized heavy fill primer. nothin left now but more sanding. but i'll leave that for the body guy. i'm just the fabricator.

heres your pics Donnie...

 

I thought you only worked with metal? Man this world has gone to **** when Mike is a bondo slinger!

 

Another fine job. Looks good.

Billy

 

believe me, i don't intend to make a habit of it. it was just the best way to finish this particular modification. i would have had hours more welding and grinding it all in when the body filler route was perfectly acceptable. i was'nt even gonna take it to this stage but i figured i'd help Don out and get it lookin a little smoother before the Detroit Autorama.
nothin left but the side pipes now.

 

Dont feel bad Mike-Its a ******** myth-ALL metal men use bondo before they paint a major modification or repair....if they dont they just forget to tell us about the "precious little".[Boyd TM].....plastic applied.......OR they turn it over to a painter in metal [and then he has to skim coat it] towards straightness!
Oh yeah we hear of the primer and blockingmultiple times then paint..... but that is a just for small repair...but also isnt primer just filler too? YUP!

 

yeah, i know that. i just don't like to use it myself. i'll leave that part for the body guys. i got no problem with contracting out that part of the job.
damn my fingers hurt.

 

What kind of filler did you use? I used to use bondo, until I found Evercoat RAGE......it's awsome. By the way..... that Fleetline looks awsome.....I got a '49 too.........I just put about a half gallon of RAGE on the front end of it, but about 90% ended up in the floor.........

 

Super metal work there!
I can shape filler but have a hell of a time gettin my metal work anywhere near yours.
Thing is the filler always seems to make my metal work look sooooo much better for some reason.
I really like the Rage Gold, sands really easy.

 

Bondo............the other metal ..............nice work Mike!!

 

Well, what can I say? That looks awesome! The lights and antennas both turned out great. This will be one bad-***, motherf**ker custom when she's done, at least in this town (ok, so like it's the ONLY custom in this town) but bad-*** nonetheless.
A big thanks Mike.
Want me to kiss your fingers and make 'em better?

 

Not true! You are correct about some of the stuff being myth, but plenty of guys take the time to do perfect metal work. On the other hand, lots of very high end stuff does need filler...just not always.

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

 

John- I know your qualifications and would NOT second guess you on this.
I also know that metal can be worked very close by a good metalworker......

My quote was not aimed at any of us in particular-BUT TO ALL OF US.....
the Idea of slitting a roof skin ,in a chop- multiple times and angles /adding panels-and shrinking and stretching and planishing a 4 by 6 feet cir***frence area that an auto roof can encomp*** -to 100 percent metal finish/no filler just does not happen in auto painting.

YES It CAN happen.....but very often ,the money is not there to back it up....SO my point was to reinforce the feeling that it is not a thing to be ashamed of using SOME plastic in a custom car......I see plenty of posts about this and some have lead [filler] used, which in my opinion is just as bad in some OTHER ways ,as plastic.

By the way, I want to say this-I really admire you [and other guys here] for your metal skills and the tech info you post here on that subject......

 

Taillight surrounds look much better when semi-finished and smooth!
Antenna holes look good too, but not my cup of tea...

R-

 

We didn't need to hear that "offer"

Great work Mike, I'm really jazzed to see it now

 

I HATE putty work too, I have only done it once (the spacetruck) but from now on, I think I will contract that part out, well at least the finish work.

So I guess you aren't gonna come down and help me mud the lander, huh?

 

Most use bondo, me included, (with 30 years experience), but...Mike Kleeves in Port Huron Mich doesn't. Visit his shop and you will be blown away....he must have a deal with the devil to do that kinda work. I've seen plenty of his fabrication....multiple panels welded together, and hammered into shape...steel or aluminum and no filler is needed...and no, he doesn't need hi-build primer either. Fab32 has seen it too...a very humbling experience.

I wish I had a pic of the aluminum 34 roadster doorskin he was showing me...built from sheet stock....approx seven hours work.

 

O/T but; Next time you think you hate bondo, try doing some exterior stuccoing by hand...

I had to patch an area where a door used to be this weekend... I kept asking myself, "I wonder if I could do this with Bondo?"

**** just wouldn't stick!!!

Great job on the Chev!!!

 

How many Chevy's are you working on? What happened to the one with the license plate thing on the decklid?

Oh, and it looks like your shop grew.

 

I visited Mikes shop recently and can tell you that the above quote isn't exaggerating one bit. His metalshaping skills are beyond words and he is so humble about his abilities.

 

Mike is the Marcel of the Midwest.

 

I've never had the chance to scrutinize Marcels work up close...sure would like to though...just to be a jerk!!

 

I don't think Marcel has anything on Mike. The day I visited I was with Rudy and Bobby Walden, who is another master at metalshaping, and when we left Mikes shop Bobby turned to me a said he was an "amateur" compared to Mike. I later relayed that comment on to Mike and he humbly said about Bobby, "I don't think so"

 

You're right about Mike...very humble. I met him around 1982 when I lived down the street from his shop. He has been doing this type of work since then...musta been in his twenties when we met. Some people are the best at what they do.....Mike is one of em.

 

And so is Bobby Walden, talented and humble. They are both very comfortable with their craft and I left both their shops utterly amazed.

 

I guess you will have to tell me about Bobby....I don't recognize the name...where is his shop?

 

Walden Speed Shop is located in Borger, Texas. As of late, about the last year and a half, Bobby has been the metal guy at SoCal. I believe he is relocating his shop to Southern California in the near future. I guess the one car that he did the metalwork on that is recognizable would be the Sniper. A very capable metalshaper. He and Mike were aware of each other and had spoken on the phone but never had met so when he was here this past summer Rudy and I got them together.

 

I believe Mike is better than Marcel. Marcel and his boys are plenty talented but I've heard his work takes some finishing after he's done with it. Maybe his prices are such that it's no big deal to spend some time putting the finishing touches on it.
Mike Kleeves on the other hand finishes work to the point of hardly needing primer. I know a lot of you here have a lot of experience with body work and metal finishing. I'm just saying if you haven't seen Mike's work you owe it to yourself to take a look if you get the chance, it's almost beyond what words can describe. I think Hatch is fond of saying that Mike made a deal with the devil to be able to produce the level of work his shop turns out. I'm inclined to agree.
I believe it was last year Mike had a display at Cobo Autorama. If he has one this year make a point of looking over the work. If your not at a loss for words after seeing his work I want to have you checked for a pulse.

Frank

 

so you can have too much of a good thing.

 

*****in work my man

 

Nice lines. Me likes.....