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MG MGB Technical - good paste(?) for fixing rust

hi
79mgb
i have a few medium sised rust spots that i have sanded down to good metal, ready for repair.

is there a good body putty, adhesive,whatever you want to call it stuff, on the market that will do a decent job ? i will take all the
suggestions i can get.

yes, i know i should have it done properly, but i don't weld,forgive me.

thanks
john
john sutter

John, you don't say where these spots are, inside/outside finish etc. If you have sanded down to clean metal, then you should apply a primer ASAP. Then if it needs smoothing out pitted areas you can appply some body filler, sand smooth, more primer then top coat.
If you have holes after sanding, that's different. Ideally, cut back to good metal and weld in a patch. Failing that, you can pop rivet some good sheet metal over the hole, beat it down under final contour then use body filler. I would prime it first. Then finish the filler both sides with top coat.
Art Pearse

hi, again
79mgb

art
thanks for the wery useful info'
the rust is external.

but, you didn't name a good body putty,
is there one ?

john
john sutter

John,
Art was talking about the basic protection your car received at the factory - primer before topcoat. I think you are asking about the shutz which was frequently applied by the dealer - the under-body protection which originally was oil based (and now is plastic) and still widely available on the after-market. I hesitate to offer a British name. These harden with time and quite often have been painted over to give "an original" finish.
Returning to the question of basic protection,the factory had a process they called electrophoresis which provided a thin layer of protection and base for undercoat. Our repairshops now use a twinpack which is best done by professionals. We have the option of cold galvanising bare metal - basically its a zinc coating which is more effective than the factory's provided it is followed by an appropriate paint (yellow chromate). It can then be filled or painted normally.
Roger W

Roger, I think john wants the name of the body filler.
John, they are all pretty good these days. They are polyester resin with filler. Some have glass fibres - use these only if you have a large structural area to repair, otherwise just the ordinary. "Bondo" is one name. Just ask at the shop. ou have to mix hardener first and it takes only a few minutes to set up. wear gloves. To get a good finish, you need to take care with the sanding to shape. You may want more than one application.
Art Pearse

The trouble with polyester fillers is they are not waterproof and will usually lift after a while especially if aplied over metal thats been rusted. If you use this use a good primer first.
Best is to use a thin layer of fibre glass filler first followed by polyester, as the fibreglass is waterproof.
Trevor Harvey

and make sure that the rust spot is sealed also from behind, otherwise any filler will absorb moisture from behind, and you repair will be shot in a few weeks
dominic clancy

This thread was discussed between 30/03/2013 and 10/04/2013

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