Survey the damage and make a determination of the metal you need to cut out.
How to repair sheet metal on car.
The first thing to do is carefully cut away the rusted out area.
While new steel panel material looks clean it is usually coated with preservative oil before it is shipped.
Make the replacement metal is not larger than the original metal or it will not fit.
Place the metal that you ve cut out on top of your sheet metal and mark around the edge with a metal scribe.
Rust repair isn t hard but it is time consuming mostly waiting for primer and paint to dry between steps.
How to replace rusted out metal on a car step 1.
This oil should be removed with an appropriate solvent before new metal is welded or passed on for painting.
Put on your heavy work gloves before handling the metal along with safety glasses when using a cutting grinder.
Here s a few tips on repairing rust holes in car body panels.
Body repair and paint.
Buy paint and supplies.
I then used the templates to trace out the patch panels on some sheet metal.
This is also true of new metal that is used in repair and for fabrication projects.
Take your time and think it through.
Make sure not to cut through the underlying metal.
The drift of all of this is that the only proper way to repair corrosion damage that perforates sheet metal is to weld in new metal and the only proper way to deal with impact deformation is to beat it back out in ways that produce the least stretching and buckling of the metal.
While repairing rusted body panels the more time that you spend on the metal work the less sanding and filler will be needed to.
Plan to spend about 100 on supplies like sandpaper primer masking tape and poly sheeting a tack rag polishing compound and touch up paint and clear coat.
Then cut out an exact replica of the metal.
I used a piece of pvc pipe a vice mount miniature metal break and body hammer kit.
Car and truck projects.
In this video im showing you the process i use to do small rust repairs where a complete panel.
Mig welding sheet metal article by mark trotta.
You can then cut.
After slicing the patches out with a cutoff wheel next came the bending hammer and dolly session until the patches matched the holes and fit snug and flush into the flanged seat.