Tailgate patch up project w/pics**

Otto · Mar 29, 2009

Alright so before I get blasted by someone asking why the F I didnt get it spot welded, first of all I dont have a spot welder. 2nd, Bondo body filler is 10 bucks and I'm a crafty son of a bitch. lol So here it is, took me 2 days..

Left out the first few steps, but I started by sanding down the heavy rust spots with an electric sander drill bit and hosed it down. Then I basically just used some good ol scotch tape for a makeshift base to apply the body filler, double layered.

Made a sort of lip at the bottom by lightly folding the tape under the bottom.

Next up, slapped on the body filler and smoothed it out

Sanded it down, put some tape on the decals, primer, paint..voila

Otto · Mar 29, 2009

Finished product:

koda6966 · Mar 29, 2009

Not bad. Now you just have to fix that bumper!

krugford · Mar 29, 2009

I don't think I would have wasted my time with body filler, the tape will last just as long.... and the fact that you didn't even try to sand down the filler to anything resembling smooth.

Since you used tape stretched across the hole to hole the filler, scotch tape none the less, sanding the filler down properly would have only left you with a paper thin layer. I don't even think bondo sticks to scotch tape.. You don't need a spot welder to properly apply a patch. There are such things as flush rivets (takes skill) and epoxies that will do a much better job than filler.

How many days were you aiming to make this look good? Give it a few weeks and it'll turn into a road hazard for the guy behind you.

koda6966 · Mar 29, 2009

How much did you spend on the tape, filler, and paint?

Otto · Mar 29, 2009

-duplicate post-

Otto · Mar 29, 2009

All in all, about 25 bucks including primer paint and filler.

I was in Crappy Tire anyways looking for paint to redo the front bumper(a few paint chips) so I picked up some filler(10$) and see what I could make of it. And yeah, I didn't want to sacrifice durability so I kept a fair amount on. It's really hardly noticable.

Forgot to mention, there's a considerable amount holding in the back underneath as well...I'd give it a year or 2 maybe. By then I should be able to find a decent used one at a junk yard. But meh, I had fun.

koda6966 · Mar 29, 2009

Otto said:
All in all, about 25 bucks including primer paint and filler.
I was in Crappy Tire anyways looking for paint to redo the front bumper(a few paint chips) so I picked up some filler(10$) and see what I could make of it. And yeah, I didn't want to sacrifice durability so I kept a fair amount on. It's really hardly noticable.
Forgot to mention, there's a considerable amount holding in the back underneath as well...I'd give it a year or 2 maybe. By then I should be able to find a decent used one at a junk yard. But meh, I had fun.

Alrighty. I have the same problem with my tailgate as well, plus the handles broke. I think I'll just wait and swap tailgates when I find one in my color. It would be about the same price to do what you did and buy a handle from the yard.

JoshT · Mar 29, 2009

Wow scary!

I wander who's window that chunk of bondo is going to take out going down the road. Glad I'm not in the area. Please tell me that that is the first and only time you have or will ever put your "crafty son of a bitch" skills to that kind of use, and that you'll replace it ASAFP.

Nhaz · Mar 30, 2009

Ive patched my hondas (many hondas) over the years with boat hull repair

AKA short strand fiberglass. its about as strong as steel when its done setting. which is about 20 minutes.

Its so strong you can beat on it with a hammer hard and all you will do is dent it some. I used this stuff to replace floor pans in my hondas. didn't bother welding anything. used a jack under the car held up a garbage bag wrapped chunk of cardboard to the bottom of the hole. and poured in the mixed short strand fiberglass like it was cement.

It also sands down nicely like bondo and its paints fine too.

But Living in Canada makes for lots of body holes on hondas and since the average life on my hondas was about 3 years I tended to not even bother sanding and painting. Oh and the short strand didn't fall out. the cars fell apart around it.

85_Ranger4x4 · Mar 30, 2009

That seam along the bottom is common for rotting out. If you do find a good one, take it to a bodyshop and have them fix it before it rusts. They spread out that pinched mess, sandblast it, seal it, crimp it back together and seal it again along the top of the crimp so nothing can get caught in the crimp to rot it out.

I had to have that done to the doors on my F-150, it is the same crimp. So far the tailgate is still good so I am waiting awhile before I have it done. I caught it early when the paint was just bubbling, it was $50 a door to fix at my local dealership, they have done enough of them they are pretty quick about it.

Chances are a rock will get thrown at someones window by his tire before that bondo flies out with enough force to hurt ANYTHING.

Otto · Mar 30, 2009

It's pretty durable stuff. So far no corrosion and to be honest, I'm not a very heavy off road driver. I put on the 2 layers, 3rd layer for the softer spots and extra thick underneath the backside. When I went to check on it in the morning, pretty much rock solid so I guess as long as I keep it on the road and what not, should hold up...only thing is the paint's a bit flatter than I would have liked it.

Otto · Mar 30, 2009

JoshT said:
Wow scary!

I wander who's window that chunk of bondo is going to take out going down the road. Glad I'm not in the area. Please tell me that that is the first and only time you have or will ever put your "crafty son of a bitch" skills to that kind of use, and that you'll replace it ASAFP.

must be a big deal lol

JoshT · Mar 30, 2009

Well I guess it's not an aircraft and it's not my truck it's yours so do what you want.

I can just see that tape turning loose and the whole chunk falling out going down the road. I would have at least used actual fiberglass rather than body filler. As I said it's no aircraft, and I was trained to work on those not cars.

pocket-rocket · Mar 30, 2009

koda6966 said:
Alrighty. I have the same problem with my tailgate as well, plus the handles broke. I think I'll just wait and swap tailgates when I find one in my color. It would be about the same price to do what you did and buy a handle from the yard.

Mine is rusted out about as bad so I leave my tailgate down when I don't have anything in the back. But I did find out while I was at a junkyard grabbing a tail light that they only want $34 for tailgates there, so I'm waiting too. Last time I was there, they had about 5 Rangers around the same year as mine (one with the bed gone but the tailgate the same color as my truck was sitting on the frame and I was broke...), this time there was 1.

Tailgate patch up project w/pics**

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