My question is--what is the proper way to replace the fender on a Ghia? Do you butt weld the pieces together? Overlap them? Doesnt the overlap show? Can anyone explain this? Thanks.....Z
- posted
20 years ago
My question is--what is the proper way to replace the fender on a Ghia? Do you butt weld the pieces together? Overlap them? Doesnt the overlap show? Can anyone explain this? Thanks.....Z
The best and right method is butt welding if your good there is less of a edge for rust to start and ends up being a stronger fix. It takes longer of course which is why most body shops just want to slap on a fender with overlapping welds. Shops sometimes crimp the edge so that the overlap does not lead to a difference in the surface. They then skim coat with bondo to cover the seam.
Crimped edge looks something like this: -----_____
-----------
A good welder doing butt welds can get by with little or no bondo if they are good and patient at grinding the seam down. Personally I would never do anything but butt welds.
-Craig
Ouch skim coat of bondo! --- weren't they originally leaded in to cover the seam. Guess thats somewhat of a lost talent now but I see JC Whitney still carries the lead, spatulas and tallow.
..................If you can braze with a torch, leading is a similar skill but at a lower temperature. I've never tried it but I remember watching my dad do it years ago.
I have some experience. Somewhat tricky, but I use it in certain places. The metal underneath needs to be CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN!! And shiny too. Weld seams need to be ground down and NO black "burnt" surface allowed. It won't stick.
You need a small torch and lots of patience.
Jan
Ghia's do NOT have dual wall fenders. Perhaps you are thinking of the quarter panels.
The new fillers (ie Bondo) are better than lead. Yes, they used lead on Karmann Ghia's because at the time it was what was available. That is no longer the case.
I was thinking of the rear fenders.
--Dan E
Common mistake. People often mistakenly refer to quarter panels as fenders.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.