12
Overheard a customer at the shop say bondo is junk
Some guy was waiting for his estimate and started going off about how body filler is a hack fix. Said real bodywork should be all metal work, no filler. I get the pride in old school methods but most daily drivers aren't restorations. My last job on a 2018 Civic needed about 1/8 inch of filler over a dent near the quarter panel. Sanded smooth and it's been fine for 6 months. Has anyone else run into customers who think any filler means the job is bad?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
harper_gibson21mo ago
@ninasanchez makes a solid point about modern metal being thin and flexy, but that guy at the shop was probably just trying to sound impressive to whoever would listen. In my experience, you can get away with a bit of filler on a daily driver if you prep it right and don't go crazy thick. The old metal guys act like filler is the devil, but they forget that most factory seams are already full of seam sealer and goop. Your 2018 Civic job lasting 6 months is fine for a daily beater, not a show car. Take it from someone who's seen filler crack on a 90s Ford truck that had a dent from a shopping cart.
3
ninasanchez1mo ago
That guy said bondo is junk and real work is all metal. Well he's got a point actually. I've had filler jobs come back after a year with cracks along the edges because the metal underneath kept flexing. A 2018 Civic is new enough that the metal is still thin and modern. If you put an 1/8 inch of filler on a modern quarter panel and it gets hit again or even just hits a big pothole hard enough that filler can separate. I've also seen filler absorb moisture over time and bubble up underneath the paint. Metal work costs more upfront but it doesn't fail like that. Maybe the old school guys have a reason for being picky.
1