Home rust repair - the 1970 way

[andyk_79]

My folks have had this book for years (printed 1970) called Readers Digest Book Of The Car. The rust repair guide uses an ............. interesting method.  Scrunch chicken wire into the cleaned up rust holes and use this as a framework for building up body filler.

 

On behalf of all car owners who have bought a car that has previously had this or similar methods applied, screw you Readers Digest!

 

[PB260Z]

That is up there with another 70's classic.

Fitting a vinyl roof to hide rust 

 

At least we know who to blame.

[garvice]

Seen that method in a few books.

[Yo-Yo]

we've come a long way baby

[MATTY]

Sadly that technique is still use today by some, i guess old habits die hard lol (and no i dont use that method)

[Mr Camouflage]

Had a commodore once where that was done, except they used newspaper.

[gilltech]

Yes that Readers Digest manual was popular back in the day, I have a copy too.

Chicken wire was the DIY material of choice, years before expanded metal mesh became available. Would have required a hell of a lot of bondo.....

Once saw a construction worker working on his car outside a work site, stuffing chicken wire into the rusted out lower door sections & trowelling in cement render.....guess his repairs will have outlasted the rest of his car.

A mate of mine bought what he thought was a tidy VW with a very presentable repaint, until it got tee-boned one day & he discovered that the rusted out doors had been heavily bogged up using bits of wood & pine cones & flattened toilet rolls as backfill.

I'm sure the panelbeating industry will have many wonderful stories.....

[Ledge]

That sort of quality work keeps me in business, Keep it up chaps

[nat0_240_chevZ]

AndyK, I must admit I remember reading that book when I was quite a young lad. (still am compared to Paul!)

Even at 10 years old I worked out this book was.......well, ........ quite out-dated......(biting my tongue)

however I do give that book credit, for explaining basic principals of automotive engineering on a level that a 10 & 13 year old can understand. I do remember going through it twice and learning more basic principals at a later stage as a kid still.

 

Even now I still remember reading it and from there having a need to learn more, hence on my path for future studies, till i am where I am now, and still seek more....

I would almost definitely recommend this book for all other aspects of automotive design, just skip the body repair section......Please, for all of man-kinds sake!!! and especially if you own a car which is already, or likely to be, one-day, a classic/relic.

 

Its also great how this book paints a picture of some of the early variants of modern technology like fuel injection, ABS brake systems, fail-safe braking systems, like in Volvo's etc and many others as a mandate.

but of all, the diagrams were easy to read, understand and visualise, even as a 10 year old.

 

nat0

[gav240z]

That sort of quality work keeps me in business, Keep it up chaps

 

LOL, that made me laugh.

[PeterAllen]

I haven't read any of you state what is actually wrong with it...

 

Next you'll tell me not to put sawdust in the diff to quieten it down or to stop using coathangers as filler rod!

[MaygZ]

I haven't read any of you state what is actually wrong with it...

 

Next you'll tell me not to put sawdust in the diff to quieten it down or to stop using coathangers as filler rod!

 

Don't put sawdust in your diff ..... use bananas

 

Don't use coat hangers as filler rod .... they're supposed to be used as radio antennas.