has cancer in the lip of the hood about the size of pencil erasers. I've been sanding my Pontiac down to ready it for paint.............then I noticed a bubbling occur on the hood. So I sanded all the way down until I found the culprit. I just wanted to get the car out of primer and into a pearl until I could manage Kandy. Which means that I WILL be repainting it, BUT I'm so not Rockerific enough to just spray over it. So how do I fix it? I know enough to say slapping mud in will only be a band aid for a problem, so how do I fix it correctly? Thanks Boys! xxx Brandy
Awwww...Fix correctly.would be to cut out the cancer,and patch in a new piece of sheetmetal,welded in of course. JB weld just won't do here.Sparky
Yuk, Brandy, Rust! I would cut out an area big enough to get past the affected area, then weld in a patch. I think there are other ways, but i like to replace metal with metal. trey
And here I was thinking I would see some nice headlights and some bumpers, with a title like that your going to have 10000 views before you have 10 posts.. Jonney
Yep, you'd be better off to cut it out. Oh yeah, that's not nice gettin' us all worked up with that title.
Brandy, you can avoid cutting & patching by doing this: Grind or sand away all the bad metal, everydamn little bit of it Go to Deifel's and get some rust kill, they'll know what you mean do the rust kill treatment cut out small bits of metal to weld into the small holes repeat as necessary You know, I think these boys here would pay good $$$ to see pics of you, hmmmmm, I'll have to see what I have from the Loud Pipes show ! Skip
Wow you got my attention... well lets see if I can recall some blacksmithing techniches I picked up from my dad how long has it been since I worked with metal uh... oh yeah yesterday. Cut out a section big enough to get all the cancer. get everything away (for example that beautiful chrome) that could warp from heat or start on fire (gas lines? what gas lines?) then cut a new section of metal about the same gauge as the sheet metal. Get it bent to match the curves in the car. hammer and anvil is the tech I would use but there might be a better way. Line it up and weld it into place. grind the welds off and wahlah a perfect fit. good luck
Ahhhhhhh suck! That's what I was thinkin, until I got to the lip on the hood. It rolls in and makes this lovely curve. Which means it would take a certain level of metal fab, that I just don't have....YET.....any ideas how to re-create the lip? Sorry Z, but you KNOW it was FuNnY! xxx
Can you get to the back of it?? If so remove all the soft/crusty/dark stuff by blasting it if you have one. Then use a large piece of brass on the back and weld them up,if they are not much bigger than a pencil filler metal may not be nesassary.The brass will hold the weld from falling through.
Skippy, that sounds more like my route since I can't fab metal and I can't get to it from the back unless I cut out the inside of the hood. Thanks! As for those pics, we can work somethin out! I know you have a hotrod project you need funded! xxx
Brandy, if you don't have access to a welder and the like, you're welcome to come over here and fix 'er up. Just lemme know so I can move the Merc Skip
Thankfully the hoods off of her so you won't have to move too much! Thanks Skip! I'll be hollerin at ya later this week.........after I finish with the rest of the car. xxx
Hey Brandy, Just spoke to Nooch, he said he has somehting about as thin as a pencil that should be a good fit for the holes in your body you need filling. Danny
Rembemer the rust is coming from the inside out from years of wet sediment collecting in an area so it is usually a lot bigger than it looks and the metal close to the edge is going to be thin and more difficult to weld. Any hope of finding another hood that is at least close in contour that you can steal a piece out of so you don't have to fab it yourself?
Dammit Brandy you are such a tease! Cut it out the rust that is. Excuse me, I need a few minutes alone. Brandy naked.
Another option would be to lead it in. It's not that hard if you know how to use a torch. Grind it down to fresh metal. Absolutely no rust whatsoever. Make sure it is absolutely clean. I wipe it down with laquer thinner. Then use body solder paste (Eastwood makes some good stuff). The reason for solder paste is to tin the surface, much the same way as prepping a good solder connection. The paste is a combination of acid and powdered lead in a water-based solution, so use a respirator. Use proper safety equipment. A respirator is a must - not for lead fumes, because you shouldn't be getting the lead hot enough to vaporize it. You need it for acid fumes, but just to be safe, I stack filters to include a lead filter. I also get a blood test for lead every year 'cause I do this often. I also use goggles, since acid vapors can be absorbed through your eyes as well. Set the torch with lower pressure than you would use for welding (very little roar). Use a neutral or slightly less oxygen than a neutral flame, but no black soot. The paste is brushed on then heated up just until it turns brown, then wiped off quickly leaving only freshly-tinned metal then neutralized. Work small areas so it doesn't cool before you wipe it down and neutralize the acid. Neutralize it with a baking soda paste so you don't leave an acid residue under the lead which will be applied later. I use regular old baking soda and water mixed to a consistancy of whipping cream. Once it's neutralized, you can lead it in. Stick lead is used and you will also need wooden paddles which can be made from any hardwood scraps you have lying around, or bought from Eastwood (or other vendors). You will also need lard to keep the lead from sticking to the paddle. The idea is to heat the end of the lead stick just until it is kinda slushy, but not liquid. You also need to heat the tin in the area where you are applying the lead so it is the same temp to allow it to bond best. It is applied to the panel with a twisting motion, so the slushy part of the lead sticks and the rest breaks off, then heat up the newly-applied lead a little more and mash it into the panel with your wooden panel, reapplying lard to the paddle as needed. Use a body file to cleanup. If you're really good you won't even need a skimcoat of bondo when you're done. PM me if you have questions... Mike
Oh gosh Mai! ANYTHING for you baby! Private message SENT! Excatman, the metal inside the hood is pretty much gone. I was poking around and poked thru it. Lead would be fantastic and I ALWAYS wanted to learn to use it. But I dont think I'm ready for it..........or maybe I need to be? I've got lots of spare Chevy body parts I can use to learn on, maybe I'll spend my day off givin it a go. xxx
Why not just get another HOOD ? simple and effective.......and something you could do by yourself.....
Actually, I was just discussing if Tri Chevy hoods fit. There are several in a junkyard across from me. They don't have the hood strap grooves.........Ragdoll wants to fill her Pontiac hood in and rid herself of the straps. I was thinkin if they swap out, I could trade her hoods. So now, do they swap out? xxx
Is there a brace that runs right behind the hood lip? If there is, it's pretty likely that there are more little holes, all the way across, and also in the brace too. Not a very cheery thought, but a good possibility. Finding a good solid hood might be the best answer. Otherwise, cut and weld, and rustproof as well as possible, as already described. As far as using a Chevy hood, a 57 probably wouldn't fit, ( they have a lower cowl and a flatter hood). A 56 has a pretty sharp point to the front of the hood, so it wouldn't match very well. A 55 might come close , maybe ? The cowl might match up, but I don't know if the fender lines would though. The front of it would probably be way off, but this is just a guess. Even if it came close, there would probably be less fabrication in fixing your original hood, plus then it would still be all Pontiac.
On a 56, [not sure about your 55] that part of the hood is double thickness. The dirt and moisture gets in between the two surfaces and rusts the metal. The only repair is a replacement of the diseased part. Coat with weldable primer when going back together with new metal...really common problem with these years ponchos. I've always wondered if a 57 Pontiac hood will bolt up. Some measuring would tell the story.
Sacrifice enough Ford emblems and the gods will send the Pontiac guru. Yes the hood is double thickness there.....some sort of brace. The brace is "there" like the Titanic is "there". I put my finger thru it tonight. I have PLENTY of 57 Chevy hoods available tho. I guess I'll be out with my tape tomorrow. I don't have acess to a 57 Pontaic hood. But I wouldn't bat an eye to tear apart a Tri Chevy. Thanks Rock! xxx
Oh, Brandy, Thank Christ. For a minute there I thought.............................. And just how are you planning to get rid of that "YET"? Only one way I know of and this is a manageable job you can do yourself. Get to it girl! Pete
Patch.... Get some sheetmetal and try knocking on it with a hammer untill it looks similar to the rusted area on the hood. Its just steel,and nobody will get hurt if you cant make it. It may sound scary,but just untill you have tryed. If you manage to make a patch that seems to fit,hold it over the rusted area,and scribe a line on the outside. cut along that line with a thin cutting disc,remove rusted part,put patch in there,align,and spotweld. and finish when you have spotwelded it good so it wont twist. Or let someone do the welding,that might be best,if you have no welding expirience. Even if you like it very much,its still just a hood,and I dont think you are able to mess it up completely by tryin to make a patch. All other methods mentioned will take just as much time to do,and not be equally good. imao.
Mmmmm nah, I'm not a sell out. No pictures of Brandy, not now, not ever. No matter HOW much Mai ki ki pleads with me to send him more. Thanks Zodoff, I'm gunna load it into the truck this morning and take it to the shop for a go at beating myself a bit of sheetmetal into submission. Figure if I can beat men into submission, well then sheetmetal can't be THAT difficult. If that doesn't work and I end up with some sort of abortion..........then I'm off to Skips for some learnin. xxx Brandy
Morning Miss brandy glad to see the panty sniffers didnt get to ya. Good luck on making that chevy hood work. Jonney
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