How to Repair a Rust-Out Part 2: Fiberglass Application

[@davidagonzalez2]

Good video! I see people hating because you did it at very low cost. I know something like this would cost a lot in a shop and the quality wont be much better if any. I used to work with fiber glass to repair bath tubs. So it should be pretty simple. I know it is very strong and you can even jump on it with no problem. I believe the sheet metal would be weaker and will rust again eventually.

[@DonutisTrash]

David Gonzalez As quality of repair is concerned, it's not necessarily about what you see. It's what you don't see w/ rust that will come back to haunt you...

[@Gd0g427]

+David Gonzalez Wrong. Not cutting the rust out means the rust will continue to eat away at the panel. The whole point in patch panels is to cut out any signs of rust, and weld in new metal. Also, fiber glass stronger than sheet metal? Oh god lmao. Welding in a patch costs the exact same amount of money. Sheet metal-$10, bondo-$10.

[@robnarolewski9966]

@@Gd0g427 For me, I am intimidated by welding so I want to believe this is better or just as good... that way I can skip that altogether

[@pbaylis1]

A good idea would be to convert that remaining surface rust before glassing over it. Rust never sleeps, as they say.

[@donlanteigne8629]

Definitely easier to apply the resin with a brush. I just go to Home Depot and buy a bag of cheap brushes (about 8 bucks) and it came with 15 brushes in it. Also, instead of using the double sided tape, just apply a thin coat of resin on the body first and place the fiberglass onto it afterwards. It not only holds it in place but it also helps it soak into the fiberglass quicker from both sides. Yeah, more rust needed to come out of there, or you could've purchased some flashing which is normally used on houses, and cut a piece to cover the rust, then use the resin over that. As for myself, I would've filled that big empty space with expanding foam insulation. After it dries, cut off the excess with a hax saw blade so you can cut it to the form of the car part. Now you have a working surface to work with and you won't have to use as much Bondo.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

You've made some very good suggestions that I'm sure some viewers will try and appreciate.

[@ktjwilliams]

Since this is a rocker panel, you should've cut the rust out and weld in steel ... Rust N fiberglass can't not handle the stresses placed on a rocker panel ...

[@igotajopamerica3040]

Thanks for showing how to fiberglass and cut out a pattern on a difficult area.

[@Invzame]

Thanks for the video. I am planning a repair like this in a few days. Instead of trying to tape the fiberglass cloth around the hole I am using a bondo adhesive patch put in backwards adhesive side out. I can stick the cloth to that and hold it in place fitting the contours of the body. To prep the metal and help prevent rust from returning, I will of course do the sanding and cut the old rust away, but also I plan to use a rust converter spray. Materials for the project will probably cost me double but I think it will be easier trying to mold the cloth to an adhesive surface.

[@kensendelofski3761]

Some negative comments, but rember this is not a show car. I've done some body work and painting, and I believe this is an excellent video for someone who needs there car fixed to pass inspection, or just look better. I'm shure this guy knows eventually it's going to rust out again. But it could out last the engine. Thanks for the video enjoyed it. He's also very good at forming fiber glass. Not many people can work fiber glass like that. Evan professional body worker's won't use it. Unless the entire car is fiber glass.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Great to hear from someone who understands the concept behind this kind of body work. Yes it rusted some after 4 years. But this mini-van looked better as it rolled down the road during its golden years. It now resides in the scrapyard where hopefully someone can use parts to keep their van going. Have a good one!

[@pwnedbygary]

why didnt you remove the rust inside the hole?

[@EquilibriumAlchemist]

Helped me with the basics. Trying to stay in my budget on my new vehicle, a proper job will be done in the summer, but only enough metal to weld in the front. Very expensive. The metal alone for me is 300 before taxes for the metal. I also happen to have fiberglass stuff laying around that I never got to use. So this will get me till summer :)

[@crashtestdummy87]

this video helped me alot, ive repaired a large hole in my wheelcase and i can even drop a forehammer on it from a meter height without that it breaks! i actually enjoyed it so much ill try building a small motorized trimaran with it, since its such an easy and pretty cheap material to work with! thank you :)

[@hunterc9089]

wow thanks for the help perfect video for minor rust repairs

[@jphritz011]

Did you treat the exposed metal? It's always best to undercoat behind the repair, for you'll add years to the life of the repair. It looks great regardless.

[@evanhebert1213]

Note to anybody who wants really good rot repair dont do this. The fiberglass is just covering it up. It doesn't stop the rot. If you want a good finish then cut out the rot ALL of it and weld in some patch panels that you either bought or dabbed

[@DonutisTrash]

Evan Hebert Yea there was a lot of rot left. Can't see this lasting very long at all.

[@dadof3bb]

+Evan Hebert Not everyone has access to a welder.

[@forrestyoung6588]

This is the type of repair that the average do it yourselfer would realistically accomplish and I think I can speak for the majority of viewers when I say I appreciate the knowledge gained from this video and David's channel. This is the type of repair that an average person can do to an average vehicle, average being 11 years old. This repair lasted and looked pretty darn good for way longer then a few months (outlasting the rest of the body) which is showed in a later video. Minimal cost and investment in tools put toward a vehicle thats aged more then a few years, to make an obvious improvement. Thats the target audience here, NOT people who have thousands of dollars in tools or for people who think its wise to invest more money in a vehicle than what its worth. No matter your stance there is valuable information and techniques in this video!

[@seangeneau3606]

in that case not everyone should be doing this

[@roxxy9906]

I agree. I'm one of those viewers. I'm broke and just trying to get my 1999 car through one more inspection. I don't even think the rest of it will last the entire year. If I had access to a welder, I would look for a video that includes welder in the title.

[@joshuajayden77]

Very good video with easy to follow examples

[@Nivenization]

These are very good videos, thank you very much.

[@andrewfield3860]

So I am going to give this a try on an older civic with pretty large rust-outs along the underside of the car where the body panels were welded. If it works you're my hero, if not the body shop guy is. I am going to convert the rust though, just seems like it would re-rust and then the body fill would fall off a couple years down the road.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

I hope it your repair comes out good. Despite my failure to properly treat the rust (and I should have) it still looks good after 15 months. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@georgiebenson7142]

Did you hit the remaining visible rust with any rust converters or other treatments?

[@chevy8626]

afraid it won't last, but at least it will look better than it did for awhile. He did the best he could with what he had. Hope it works for you.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@ExtremeRecluse]

In this case, get a die grinder with a cutting blade to remove all rusted panel pieces. Then start grinding. Saturate 2 x 12 inch pieces of fiberglass cloth with resin. Allow some time for the strips to harden slightly. If the spaces are big, use chicken wire to make the form. Place the partially hardened fiberglass where needed. The strips can be molded by hand. This will be the base for the bondo.

[@ktjwilliams]

Since this is a rocker panel, you should've cut the rust out and weld in steel ... Rust N fiberglass can't not handle the stresses placed on a rocker panel ...

[@fojnica2226]

before cloth you need rust converter on metal.anyway..nice video..greetings from croatia

[@guitarlover302]

Just bought a very nice Saab aero 9.3 convertible - in today for liberal use of wire brush and Fertran rust converter and then waxoyl underneath as intend keeping it for a few years 🌞😎👌

[@Jameszabierek]

Ok, so, just about a year old. Hows it holding up?! Thanks for the vid by the way. Im working on a rocker panel and am still deciding between this and spray foam.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

It still looks like the day I finished it after one year. My experience with this type of repair,though, is that after two years or so there may be rust coming back through where the fiberglass overlaps the original metal. I then sand and repaint those areas.

[@alexisdawn8322]

I'm nitpicking and I'm not really good at body work but wouldn't it have been a little easier to use a rust converter first on the rotten bits then do the fibreglass bits?

[@markevans2280]

Yes I agree, gone to all that trouble & didn’t apply rust eater to rusty surfaces, asking for trouble in a few months

[@richardsurckla]

It's nice cheap fix. Ignore all of your critics. Kids need to learn how to do this kind of stuff. My 2 cents worth would be to add a step using some kind of rust reformer. For example Phosphoric acid..HomeDepot $15.00 for a gallon. this will make all of the rust inert and add many more years to your repair.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Nice tip. Thanks for watching and sharing that!

[@한국자동차부분도장연]

유리섬유를 이용하여 복원을 하면 가능할수도 있겠지만 유리가루 날리면 환경오염 되고 체내로 흡수하면 암 발생률이 높아서 금지된 재료인데 ... ???

[@523rodsfelipedecalisto7]

What gets me is not the worry about structural support etc., but that there was no rust treatment done! The rust was left alive in there. Rust is a bacteria or like a disease, if you don't kill it it will keep spreading... Need to use something to kill it, convert it, even vinegar works great for that. Thanks for video though, I just think an important part of the process was left out. Take care!

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Thanks for the constructive comments. I used rust treatments years ago and found the results disappointing. Maybe today's formulations are better. I've heard this criticism a few times now and I'm starting to re-think my process. Thanks again for watching and commenting.

[@thegreekguyviva-greece5881]

The Original Mechanic I've done the cutting out of rust completly, rustmorph, por15, it always finds its way back. On my 64 chrysler the body shop cut the rust out to clean metal, prepped it as one should, it still came back.....pissed off at that. Rust is cancer and on cars without complete panels available, we're sol. Point??, oh yeah, even if you treated it, it will come back, always does somehow.

[@chadisrad8611]

Is fiberglass strong? i know sometimes body filler (bondo etc.) will crack, will fiberglass? or is there something stronger that can be used? for example welding a metal plate in place and filling the smaller area's that are left over with fiberglass/body filler/ something stronger?

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Sure metal is stronger. But forming and welding metal has a higher level of difficulty. I haven't had fiberglass crack but I have seen it come loose after a number of years. I find it to be very durable and mold-able to the contours required and a good solution for an older vehicle.

[@a.s.4914]

I'm just thinking, the whole time watching this.....Open the door! Open the door!

[@48Ballen]

I would be interested to know how many months this lasted. If you don't deal with the rust, all of this is highly temporary.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Four years later the fiberglass is still holding solid. In just a few spots there is some paint bubble up.

[@diskonnected]

I'm not a pro at this but the rust he left on there, won't that rust spread eventually?? I'm really curious to know this. Anyone please let me know about that

[@mossmon]

Yes. eventually that rust will spread from underneath the patch

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

In my experience, no matter the how meticulous the removal, rust comes back. So why make a massive effort only to be disappointed anyway 3, 4,5 years down the road? This is beautification project for a car that's way closer to the junkyard than the showroom. That's my stance on the subject.

[@asdwasd5887]

From my experience if you remove the rust properly, clean the area with rust removing acid (can't remember what acid) and apply zinc paint, it lasts for a long time. I live in finland and the roads are kept relatively molten in winter with a healthy amount of salt and it shows in older cars.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

These are all good tips. Thanks for sharing!

[@brianbeaurate3300]

Clothes pins and wood are not good choices, just use magnets folks. Grind out the old rust, you can use spray foam to get a similar shape then fiberglass over it. But use magnets to pin your glass up.

[@kkkk-xg8ks]

Aluminium mesh and epoxy filler would make the repair in such areas easier. Anyway good job.

[@herecomesabirdd]

good video. the point is this is a cheap fix. is it the best way? no. will it get the job done? yes. so what, in 10 years the rust will become worse. but until then, you can get a lot more life from it. This is a perfect fix for beater cars destined for the scrap yard anyways.

[@randyherman3524]

Funny to see how many attack a simple video. Structural strength? I can poke a hole through a car or truck fender with one good solid poke with a screwdriver too. If anyone believes a body panel is going to protect them without any support behind, their idiots. I liked the video. And it works. I've done it dozens of times on kids' cars and now grandkids cars. Here in WI if done like the video shows, it will last a couple years easily. Clean, clean, clean before applying and I use a small brush on small areas and a cheap paintbrush on larger spots. Not sure about how critical the mixing is. I pour some in a plastic spray can cap, drop a few drops of hardener, mix and go to town. Thanks for a fun video OM.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Thanks for the thoughtful comments. I too am WI based and here in the rust belt we don't just scrap out an otherwise sound car when some rust appears. I don't mind the commentary as long as it doesn't get personal or overly negative. I guess that means a wide variety of people are watching the video, even if I am a "Cowboy." You know how the ladies like Cowboys...

[@tevitaphillips3196]

The Original Mechanic yeah they dont lol

[@wernerc.432]

AWESOME VIDEO, THANK YOU

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@someguy6573]

you think this would work well with carbon fiber sheets instead of fiberglass?

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

I'm not familiar with carbon fiber sheets.

[@Encryptus1]

All that rust unattended just sitting there. Was it a quick fix or permanent one? I guess a quick one because that rust will came back with a vengeance. A really good clean, rust converter on it, cut the rust out of the panel and treat that cut edge with phosphoric acid. Let sit for 24 hours. Primer and paint over the treated areas (inside panel) then patch it up with the fiber. Overkill maybe but more permanent.

[@michaelovers688]

Looks like he is enjoying himself

[@jackmorrison4382]

How much does this cost to do this?

[@hirenkumar9582]

please include list of all material you used for this task ......

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Here is a link to blog post I wrote on this job. All the materials are listed at the beginning: www.originalmechanic.com/2013/10/how-to-repair-rust-out-with-fiberglass.html

[@Candoit2]

Good ideas and thanks for posting your video! God bless!!

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@paulmorton5423]

Good idea using tape to hold the fibreglass in place !

[@harrycrotch9574]

not to bad of prep but if i were you i would have cut out allllll of that rotten metal. within a week youre going to get rust streaks and the rust will spread and spread. ur best if getting a cut off wheel and removing all that rotten metal and atleast cut out some new sheet metal or tin or whatever and rivet it together. or i would buy a cheap mig welder and tac some new sheet metal in place. for about 200 bucks u could prob get the welder mask and gloves and it should suffice.

[@thefreedomguyuk]

Amen!

[@diskonnected]

That's what I was wondering, that rust will spread won't it???

[@robertboyd7784]

Dam good repair, only two things I could pick wrong with the repair job was that you didn't wack anything with a hammer & you didn't wash it down with Salt water first. Plus if it was me doing the repair I would have used cornice cement instead of fiberglass,

[@772777777777777]

Acid etching the rust with muratic acid use a baking soda to naturalized it

[@Encryptus1]

Phosphoric acid can be left there if you don't paint it 😉

[@772777777777777]

@@Encryptus1 use vingar to neutralize or rubbing alcohol to flush out

[@iamDavidduh]

The rust is still there!

[@navdeepparmar8921]

what kind of paste you use on fiber glass sheet ? thank you

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

I use fiberglass resin, mixed with a few drops of hardener. This can be purchased as a kit with the sheet.

[@navdeepparmar8921]

Thank you man

[@cliffdr.detroitlynch3903]

I always soak the fiber glass cloth in the resin, and then I use a brush, and my repairs last forever, I did one 11 years ago like whats in this video, and its still looks like new

[@mosesposes]

lol you gotta be kidding...

[@kradikt666]

we had a modified (and I use that term loosely) American vehicle at my work it was poorly done and they had cut bits out of the rails...so it was more or less fucked and not allowed on our roads....after seeing how this repair was done I'm not surprised

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Proving once again...this was the most controversial job I every dared to put on public display. Thanks for watching and adding an interesting comment to the body of criticism.

[@kradikt666]

The Original Mechanic ten points for trying tho.....good shit for doing it yourself...I also guess it's just different repair standards in different countries. I would have cut all that metal out and welded in some new pieces but I have done it for a job for a long time

[@guywittamic]

Is this a PERFECT way of doing a fiber job? No. Can you do yours a little better by removing/covering any remaining rust? Yes. Do you need to mention how he did his "wrong?" No. Just shut up, learn what you can, and improve on things you don't like. He is just offering a free video for you to learn some things from--that's it. It's F'ING FREE. *smh*

[@wasgonnasdontcount]

You're a wizard!

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

+Michael “Mike” Kehoe I've been called other things but this is my first "wizard." Thanks for watching!

[@madtech3576]

wouldent it be easier to fill the damaged area with starfoam?

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

I don't know what that is. styrofoam?

[@hashglass]

how does it look now 4 years

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

It still looks good. Just a bit of rust in the upper part. Still as solid as the day I did it. I will do a four year update video in September.

[@muarez3180]

The Original Mechanic 5 year update ??? :) do you still have it?

[@guitarlover302]

Don't understand why rust is not treated? Just doing a boot hole in my suzuki jimny - cut out old rust - treated with Kurust - then aluminium gauze to fill hole - then fibreglass - then treat edges and area with a rust proof primer - then finish 🌞👍

[@davecc0000]

guitarlover302 Double thumbs up on your comment. Just scraping and sanding rust means it will be back. The rust converters (brush or spray-on) actually chemically change it from rust into a solid surface that won't rust again. You can buy in an auto parts store or auto body supply store. Then you weld or fiberglass a new panel. I would have looked at a new store-bought metal panel (not from the dealer) -- they can be had for little $$. But in any case, Original Mechanic's fix is going to rust again (all the remaining metal that wasn't treated).

[@philippefoulon3735]

TOO MUCH RUST STAYING AFTER BRUSH FIBERGLASS WILL NEVER STAY BAD WORK

[@48Ballen]

this is a temporary patch at best. The rust is still there and will overwhelm this patch quickly. You must remove or treat the rust completely in order to make a durable patch.

[@Mrx9999999]

Why would you use fibreglass when you could weld in sheet metal? Are you selling the truck or do you like fiberglass? I really do not like fiberglass.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

I don't doubt welding is ideal, but I never picked it up and I've had satisfactory results with fiberglass. Thanks for the comment!

[@weaselsuit]

Can Epoxy resin be used?? Poly resin is just so nasty to work with.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

The question would be, is the epoxy sand-able? If it is it should work. I Googled it and found some epoxy for marine applications that is sand-able, but $99 a quart!

[@weaselsuit]

The Original Mechanic I have used Epoxy resin to make fiberglass goalie masks for years. It CAN be easily sanded if you mix your batches with powder filler, it sands wonderfully. Expensive? yes. But no odor like poly.

[@LZDEN]

why no rust killer on the remaining metal??.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

LZDEN I used to use it and I noticed no difference over using quality primer and paint.

[@LZDEN]

The Original Mechanic i see..fair enough..;-)

[@coffelover6819]

will not the rust come back pretty quickly?

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

That's a good question. I still have the van, three years after this work and it's holding up well. I probably should have removed more of the rust initially but I'm pretty happy with it.

[@GrantP1974]

Did you use polyester resin or epoxy Resin?

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

I used polyester resin on this job.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

The Original Mechanic For GrantP1974: The job was completed late summer 2013 and there is no problem with it yet.

[@n310ea]

Do you live in the salt belt area?

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Oh yeah. Wisconsin.

[@daveb1963]

Fiberglass is safer body repair than welding and stronger, as heat in welding process can cause more damage to remaining car. though your job of resin would be much easier using brush...

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Thanks for watching and commenting. I might try a brush next time.

[@andrewwilson8317]

Perhaps you need to change from original mechanic to original cowboy!

[@jamesdunlap9027]

Technically speaking, you are the only one behaving like a stereotypical "cowboy". It appears that your heightened sense idealism and or pride has rendered you incapable of recognizing the practicality of such a "repair". Had you taken a dose of humility before posting you might have accepted the possibility of your ignorance on the subject. Instead you made a fool of yourself by ranting against a perfectly legitimate and helpful video.

[@andrewwilson8317]

Steady on there,you are totally wrong! The sills or rockers as I believe you call them are structural and form a vital element of the side impact protection system built into modern vehicles. Considering the level of decay in the video is it wrong to wonder about structural integrity?. As a professional engineer I would never sanction a repair like this. Instead of sitting in your underwear sweating like a keyboard ninja and spouting rubbish why not look up repair guidelines from the DMV?

[@05blkrado]

Andrew Wilson when you take it to a body shop this is what they're going to do. The rocker panels have nothing to do with * structure support* of any type I have rust in my rocker panels and this is how fixed it. Your just fill of yourself sir. You might be an engineer.....oooo that's awesome, maybe if you was a body shop guy you might understand the simple laws of, once fiberglass hardens it's stronger then sheet metal when done right. Plus it will NEVER rust. Why do you think modern day car companies user fiberglass and abs plastic to make their cars?

[@jamesdunlap9027]

He probabally isn't actually an engineer. Although his narrow minded thought process might indicate he is a bad one. If his priorities strictly safety he would advocate large vehicles (SUVs) with top safety ratings. Most cars are deathtraps ( even when brand new) if they are hit from the side by an SUV. This isn't Europe, driving small and mid sized cars is dangerous. Obsessing over small concerns doesn't make you superior. It makes you an idiot.

[@andrewfield3860]

Andrew Wilson If you were a professional engineer, you would understand how little sheet metal actually protects you in a wreck. Yes the tension of the metal does slow the impact, but once the metal is torn all protection it offers is gone. Minor wreck, yeah you would probably want to weld the metal to lessen the damage done to the vehicle. Major wreck, sheet metal is not going to help you.

[@donaldswink6259]

I’m surprised you didn’t use a rust killer.

[@andrewwilson8317]

Not going to last more than a month or two. This is a really low standard of repair and is strongly not recommended ! The rust needs to be removed/ neutralised or will just keep on rusting. If you can't do it properly then find somebody who can or just leave it alone. Little point to a cover up job unless flipping a rusty wreck! Not very ethical......

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

I live in the salt-laden north and I've been doing this for years. This repair was done about a year ago and the repair still looks like I did it yesterday. I'm not presenting this as a professional repair and rust will come through after several years at which time a touch up will be needed. Oh, and I don't "flip" cars. Thanks for watching and expressing your opinion.

[@ROCKnROLL1406]

The video is to show that people with limited funds and or limited abilities can repair their vehicles. No harm in showing someone how to do a repair job. AND, I dont remember hearing him say that it was a top quality professional type of repair. Its a video to help people....

[@andrewfield3860]

ROCKnROLL1406 I wish i could give you more than one thumbs up sir. You fully understand the point of this video.

[@VWbugman]

Another hack an pack watcher. lol Your right a month or two repair job.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

***** ...16...17 months. Still intact with no rust showing. Almost through the second northern, nasty salty winter. Updated video in progress...18...

[@stevendonnelly7154]

Thank you for the video.

[@scor440]

Its not a repair people its a band aid putting metal in there does not cost that much i will be posting shortly how to do that for you so called limited funds

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Granted, part of this could stand some improvement. I recently fixed a rust-out on an F150 using some sheet metal: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYvCdnpjZauEnJI

[@normanzink6260]

very informative, thanks

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

+N Zink Thanks for the comment and you're welcome.

[@shortarms4114]

Glad you put a shirt on that fiberglass gives me the heebie geebies

[@rosharky]

Maybe it would have been better to clean up the rust as much as you can and then put a protective coating over it. This way it will rust back quite soon.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

I've been doing this for years. I've tried various rust "reformers" and inhibitors and I find the results no better than a quality primer topped off with quality paint. I expect to get two years minimum out of this work and then a minor touch up of the repair may be needed if desired. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@rosharky]

The Original Mechanic Yes, i totally agree. I was referring to the fact that the metal should be clean before applying the primer. Using a reactive primer will also help. At least it did on my car. No sign of rust after 4+ years.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

rosharky Good work! Four years is great. I used to try to grind away every bit of rust only to find it coming back again.

[@rosharky]

i am using some 3 in 1 paint: primer, corrosion inhibitor and paint, it is quite cheap, however it takes more than 48 hours to get completely dry. It dries on the surface in the first 2 hours, though, so only during that time you will have to worry about dust. Also, it remains elastic, it is not brittle, so it is less prone to chipping. Maybe you can try some of that. I cannot recommend any specific brand as i am not sure what you have around, but i am sure that you will find an equivalent and maybe you can give it a try. I have used it on my rims and wheel wells, still holds, as stated before.

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

rosharky Thanks for taking the time to add the helpful info.

[@DaveSmithmoneymagnet]

It looks pretty on top but you didn't even treat the rust?

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

The fiberglass is still solid after four years. Is this a perfect job? No, but I'm happy with the beautification project on this old minivan. Treating the rust might delay it's return, but it will return.

[@juhopulkkinen8706]

you did't sand all the rust out

[@robertboyd7784]

Almost forgot, my brother used to buy old rusted out bombs & bog them up for resale. I saw him mix up about 5 kilo's of bog in one go once to fill a huge rust hole in the floor of this heap. But the Bog kept falling through the rust hole onto the gravel underneath. So he scraped up all of the gravely bog and remixed it with the good bog, then he took off his sandal and forced that into the rust hole & then bogged over it. It was a rough as guts job and you could tell it had been bogged up if you looked underneath. So to get around this problem, he went out onto the street & picked up every dog poo he could find & scattered them all around under this bogged up car. Now, no one who looked at the car bothered to look too hard underneath because of all the dog poo lying under there & he sold it pretty quickly.

[@VWbugman]

You should of used a small paint brush. Just a thought. As long as it worked I guess.

[@hectordelgado6179]

you had to really saturate the cloth first.......this is very important........

[@carr2oman103]

Nice

[@walkertongdee]

Dude, use a brush..

[@jordanhartmann1745]

Good vid, thanks!

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@frankdoingthings8511]

very helpful thanke you

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

+lance bellingham You're welcome. Thanks for posting a comment!

[@MrElkarshofy]

Thank you so much

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@parnol]

That's a structural part of the vehicle and you've used fibreglass?? In the uk we have something called an MOT. Vehicle safety check every year for all vehicles. This would be an instant fail. Unsafe vehicle. What's worse is you're showing this as a "how to" for other people.

[@DavidPlass]

In the US most (all?) state motor vehicle inspections don't care about this level of rust.

[@parnol]

I'm staggered they don't care about this level of rust. There is no way in the UK this would be allowed on the road. Even with this repair.

[@darktigre8214]

Where I'm from in upstate New York they use salt on the roads during the winter. If they started failing people for rust about a third of the drivers here would be fucked. Maybe they do fail you guys for cosmetic stuff but here they just check emissions, tires, and shit like that.

[@racedog19]

Hahahahahaha. Same n Iowa and South Dakota. You made me laugh. Thank You..:)

[@ReelEmOutdoors]

racedog19 in sodak they don't care what you drive lol

[@jayfog8938]

No wonder that used cars from the US are repaired like a pre-school kid would do it. Fiberglass on an unibody car - and in 6 months that rust bucket will fall apart...

[@TrueBlueEG8]

This is why you bring a magnet when you buy a old car....

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

I guess you won't be buying a Saturn or Corvette. And this beauty is not for sale...

[@TrueBlueEG8]

The Original Mechanic I am from Ireland and corvettes and Saturn's are very rare here, however there are cars with plastic and aluminium bodies. However repairs like this to a structural part of a vehicle are illegal here and would fail the national car test,( if detected). I'm not criticising your work, you did a good job.

[@anivarhain]

No repair here!

[@mannyR4098]

Its a caravan, let it rot...

[@grandcreator11]

That was awesome

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

So is your comment! I appreciate the feedback and thanks for watching.

[@qmpel]

With all the respect - don't call yourself a "mechanic". The title should be: "How to BADLY COVER the rust."

[@alanballard7466]

I'm not trying to knock the guy earlier he said this is nasty stuff then he turns around and put it on with no gloves at all. 😑

[@Thefractalperception]

cloth and your res are not compatible when used with out matt. i can rip that whole repair off with a screwdriver. good luck

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

??? That is fiberglass mat and I don't expect to have it tested with a screwdriver anytime soon. The repair looks the same a year later as the day I finished it. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@davidmclean5990]

pmsl lol the UK mot would love this

[@SaturnRising369]

cool, i have a blowout on the corner of my door that i'm going to try doing this. thanks

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

I've done this sort of thing on doors with good success. Good luck with and thanks for watching and commenting.

[@hermesmercury]

Con art.

[@augnkn93043]

Not safe. You cannot replace metal in a structural area with fibreglass

[@andrewwilson8317]

I have to admit I am surprised the motor vehicle inspectors accept this type of repair. I am used to a like for like standard of repair, steel to replace steel to ensure the continued structural integrity of the vehicle. If you have rust as bad as this then perhaps the vehicle is at the end of its useable life? I would not let the most precious things in the world, my wife and children,travel in it. I have seen rusted heaps fold up like a cardboard box after an impact. Repairs like the one you filmed do not restore any integrity to the vehicle and indeed may even fool people into thinking it is a better vehicle than it really is. Just my opinion,that's all and in no way a criticism of your skills. Why not have it welded up and then do your filling,shaping and painting over a sound repair?

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Wow. I don't follow your safety angle at all. This is not a frame repair. Structurally and mechanically this car is sound. This is a car with some lower body panel rust that has some good safe miles left in it yet. I beautified it for my own use. End of commentary.

[@theacc2012]

yeah, if there is no structural damage, filling is preferred by many. welding can lead to more problems than what you try to fix. the body was brittle. is it really dangerous if the body won't survive an accident? the body offers no protection anyway. the frame underneath, well thats another story. i have a vintage bmw that has a lot of rust. the doors, under the gas door, and a little over the rear fender. it has 90,000 miles, and it would be insane to junk my car because of the rust. according to your logic, it would be at the end of its useful life. but its mechanically perfect. anything that is considered good does what its supposed to do well. a good car is a car that runs and performs well. not whether or not it has been repaired by someone who would rather do it himself. especially when said repair has absolutely no impact on how car performs.

[@tevitaphillips3196]

KL Cassidy lol your the one who has no idea what your talking about. this 'mechanic' barely even cleaned half of the rust off, leaving huge parts to spread on to the rest under the fiberglass. this repair is a perfect example of how not to do a rust repair. the repair he was doing waslocated on the frame as well, that large bit on the corner. what will happen in a few years with this pile of shit is that the rust he left behind in his hopeless attempt of a repair, will simply spread onto that frame, compromise structural integrity, all without any sign of it because the fiberglass doesn't rust!, and then prolly collapse while going down the road. the right way to do a repair is cut and sandblast all the rust away, quick coat of weld thru primer, weld on a dog leg piece or piece of sheet metal, seal welds and fill highs and lows, seal body filler, then finish up and do final coats of paint and clearcoat. dumbass

[@andrewwilson8317]

Thank god somebody else thinks like me. Do it right, like the previous commenter said or get somebody else to do it for you in exchange for some beer tokens. Bodged repairs ain't worth it.

[@tevitaphillips3196]

Andrew Wilson yeah exactly

[@hechavarria100]

Not bad, however you left a lot of rust below the job. I guess we’ll see your #3 video when the bottom part rusts out?🤯🤣

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

Thanks, I think. The bottom hasn't rusted out (almost 5 years) but there is some at the top. I could treat that again but frankly this van is not worth the effort. I'm making a new rust out repair video right now, on an F150, which will highlight some better techniques.

[@buckmaster5552]

using the scale is kind of hokey

[@klausischmausiapparausi]

In germany we call such fucked up work "PFUSCH".

[@TheOriginalMechanic]

In northern North America a vehicle such as this is known as a "winter beater." Guten tag.

[@cooldog60]

You have to be kidding. Cut the dam thing out and weld metal in.