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Filling rivet holes

N

Neglected68

Member
My '68 coupe came new with sprint package B which has too much chrome trim for my taste. After removing a gaudy piece of chrome and the attaching hardware, what is the best way to fill the 1/8" holes in the sheet metal left behind?

TIA!
 
best way is to weld them shut. Are you thinking that you are going to want to put your trim back. If so welding may not be that good of an idea. You could try body filler but I have heard horror stories of it popping out. I personally believe that if you smooth over both sides of the filler you should be all right. I have done it this way in the past and I haven't had any holes pop out yet.
 
Grind the paint off then hit the hole with a tapered punch creating a counter sunk hole. Still not the best way to fill them but the concave around the hole will let you feather the filler. Otherwise the dot will come back to visit.
 
if you decide to weld them, get yourself a small piece of brass to use as a backing to make it easier to fill the hole. it will also help as a heat sink to prevent warpage from the heat. all you need is anout a 1-2 " square that you can bend an edge on to hold with pliers or vice grips. the weld won't stick to the brass, so don't worry about that. just hold the piece up flush on the backside of the hole & weld it up.
 
I'm watching this thread, and I'm wondering how one would weld the rivet holes left from removal of the rocker panel mouldings. There's no getting behind the holes with a piece of brass.

Frank
 
"crustycurmudgeon" said:
I'm watching this thread, and I'm wondering how one would weld the rivet holes left from removal of the rocker panel mouldings. There's no getting behind the holes with a piece of brass.

Frank
Click to expand...

first thing i meant to mention is always run a drill bit or burr inside the hole to remove any paint/rust/crud. it will weld up alot easier if its clean! on the rockers or any hole where you cant get behind , clean the hole & aim your gun(i assume you are using MIG) at a 45 degree angle & try to hit the edge of the hole. it's best to use small quick bursts in different spots than to just hold the trigger down & try to fill in one shot. usually on a small hole two or three shots will do the trick.

i've got some holes to weld up in the shop on some motorcycle fenders & will be happy to takes some pics of the process if that would help.
 
Actually, I don't weld, but was just curious if it was easy enough for someone who DOES weld to do. I need to have mine welded shut and don't want filler used. Thanks.

Frank
 
"crustycurmudgeon" said:
Actually, I don't weld, but was just curious if it was easy enough for someone who DOES weld to do. I need to have mine welded shut and don't want filler used. Thanks.

Frank
Click to expand...


if done right you should need a very minute amount of filler to smooth it out. It is not hard to do. It is just tack welding until it is closed then ground smooth.
 
I was afraid the best way to patch the holes would involve welding. I don't know how to weld and probably won't ever learn. I mainly want to keep the rain out from behind the sheetmetal - something that the lovely weather this week has brought to my attention.

The rivet holes are from a trim piece that runs from the lower back corner of the side window to the bottom of the rear window, mimicking the trim that would hold down the edge of a vinyl top. To get to the back side of the panel, I'd have to remove the headliner. I'd like not to have to do that, since it is in nearly perfect shape.

So I will probably end up using body filler to patch the holes. What is the best filler to use? Bondo or another brand?

Thanks!
 
One of the things I have done in the past with your problem was to use a bit of mesh over the hole. Since you cannot weld them, dent them in a bit as mentioned and cut a small mesh patch to cover the dented area. Small layer of bondo, then the mesh, then the final covering. The problem you may run into is when sanding for the finish, the mesh may show up if it is not buried properly in the bondo.
 
The absolute easiest way to fill the holes left from un-installed trim, whether it's the side rocker trim or otherwise.... is to use plastic push pins that have been painted body color.

Granted this is not by any means a permanent fix, but if you're not a welder and you don't feel like scuffing/painting the area, the push pins will fill the hole and provide temporary relief for the unsightly holes. On the rocker panel, you'd have to be looking hard to even notice them.
 
"Neglected68" said:
I was afraid the best way to patch the holes would involve welding. I don't know how to weld and probably won't ever learn. I mainly want to keep the rain out from behind the sheetmetal - something that the lovely weather this week has brought to my attention.

The rivet holes are from a trim piece that runs from the lower back corner of the side window to the bottom of the rear window, mimicking the trim that would hold down the edge of a vinyl top. To get to the back side of the panel, I'd have to remove the headliner. I'd like not to have to do that, since it is in nearly perfect shape.

So I will probably end up using body filler to patch the holes. What is the best filler to use? Bondo or another brand?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

in that case, don't use regular filler. lightly dimple the holes as others have suggested & use some fiberglass reinforced filler. it's body filler with either long or short strands of fiberglass mixed in. i use it as a base over the seams of welded in patch panels & have never had any cracking issues. after you apply & sand that down, any other filler needed over that can be regular body filler.
 
A problem you may have in that area is the lead that was used. You cant easily weld that area because the lead wont allow for a good weld and if you get it too hot it will want to melt and sag on you.
 
Thanks everyone for your input. I think I'll probably end up using the fiberglass reinforced filler. The holes are only about 1/8" in diameter, so I'd need some really fine mesh (window screen, maybe?) to use the mesh/filler technique. I'm mainly trying to fix leaks and minor surface rust as get the car back to a daily driver. I'll let the pro body man who will paint the car some day (probably after the kid is through high school and college) do the welding.
 
If you choose the filler route as opposed to welding, use a filler that is waterproof. 1/8" holes are pretty easy. Filled some rocker panel holes by countersinking first, Using a drill bit 3/8" for a chamfer. Furthur, tap the hole with a large phillips or something similar, make sure the area is bare metal I used a 2 part epoxy, similar to JB Weld, cut some miniscule pieces of fiberglass to add to the mixture and apply. Allow a 24 hr. cure. Leave a bit over flush and board sand the area with 80 and working up to finer. Possibly, a skim coat of Rage filler, doing the whole panel.and blocking off 60-70% percent of the material leaving a straight panel.
At the time, my welder needed wire and gas, so did that.
 
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