quote:Originally posted by accobra:
... the areas in question all have LEAD or some composition of ... my observation is this could really be the culprit and how those areas were prepared for paint ... the so called areas which were lead don't take paint well ... were those areas rewelded before paint and did they replace the lead with a flexible body filler ?
But the answer to Adams question from what I have seen the lower 4 point brace the vendors sell appeared to be down low not in conflict with the trunk tub ... I guess another option is to install the braces and slightly alter the tub ... probably can get one cheap enough to alter.
Ron
In my case, no, the seems were fine. In fact mine were brazed and then leaded over, by the factory, not me.
I was taught that brazing was preferred to welding on sheet steel. It takes less heat and thus less warping of the steel, the sheet steel doesn't need the additional strength of a weld, and it reworks much easier.
The only advantage to using lead is that it normally doesn't need to be redone when you strip the paint and primer for a redo.
People also have the misconception that lead eliminates the need for plastic body filler over it. That is not true. You still need to use some plastic over the lead to get the contours correct.
People also think that there is something magical about "today's plastic fillers". It is really the same stuff as far as the epoxy used in it. What varies is you have a choice of what the base filler is.
The basic filler is still gypsum or if you prefer, talcum powder. The better fillers use metal such as aluminum particles in it under the theory that they are more stable and more closely follow the expansion and contraction of the metal body of the car.
There are some that have additional "reinforcements" added to it like fiberglass fibers. Don't bother with those. Those types of fibers don't reinforce anything.
None of that really matters in the long run. Even the factory leaded joints will be bumpy after 20 or 30 years.
What really is better now is the primer/filler that is used now under 2 stage paints because it uses it's own hardner, is less microscopically porus and expands and contracts better.
In my view, none of this really matters anyway. The paint finish still is going to only have a life span of 20 years, plus or minus, and I have gotten more then that out of the "California Laquer" 40 coat paint I was taught to do long ago...around the time that the 20 mule team was still pulling the Borax wagons.
