trim removal
 

i was wondering:

how do you cover the holes that the chrome trim clips on?

I was thinking of welding small plates from the inside and then filler paste>primer>paint on the outside

You can do it that way. Be sure to clean and seal the inside good so moisture doesn't get in the joint and start to rust. If you use a MIG or TIG you can just fill the hole and it will be flush on both sides and reduce the risk of trapping dirt and moisture. Be sure you weld a little at a time in each area so you don't get the area too hot and warp the sheet metal. Build each one up a little high then smooth them out a little low. When you have all the areas done and all the rest of the car is ready to prime re-sand all areas that you took to bare metal, prep them and prime them with an etching epoxy primer (everywere there was bare metal) then prime the care with high-build or standard primer. That will give you the greatest rust protection and the best bonding so you don't have places bubble up later.

I haven't done this yet, but I bought a "copper spoon" which is specifically designed for welding where there is no backing. It is basically a flat copper plate attached to a handle. The steel weld will not stick to the copper so the back side of the weld remains smooth. I think I got mine from Eastwood. Their customer service is great and they run sales all the time.

Yeah, bugsoup has got an excellent idea! When I welded up my trim holes I burned through the first one really badly. My friend told me about the backing idea, and it worked beutifully. I used an old bronze bushing, that we cut and flatened into the right shape. Just take your time and get the backing plate as flush as possible to the back of the panel. Good luck and remember that you can only make good welds when you are relaxed and not frusterated, so take your time ;)
Cheers,
Dave

thanx for the feedback guys. im really sorry for the late reply, but im studying for my exams. you know.. university stuff :rolleyes:

1303, what the other guys were saying about the copper spoon..... wedge a 2 pence piece behind each hole and this will give you the same results at a fraction of the cost :laugh:


Rob.

Or...
 

There is another way. Those holes are so small that fiberglass-filled bondo will work. Sand down to the metal around the holes (bondo doesn't bond to paint and you'll need to spread more than just the hole for perfect smoothness.) Make sure you've scratched the paint out of the inside of the hole as well with a screwdriver or something. Spread the bondo. Sand it down flush and spray it with primer to see where it might need fill (when the primer is wet you can see what shiny paint would look like on it.) Use filling putty to smooth out the imperfections. I did this on my first super and it looked great. I'm in the process of doing the same thing now and should be finishing up tomorrow. In fact, I'll be posting some more pictures in my web link soon.