Body filler options….what do you use?

[Kern Dog]

I started out using the classic, Bondo.
Sometime about 10-15 years ago I heard of this stuff:

I’ve used it ever since. I have no complaints with it. I don’t know that I remember Bondo being harder to work with. It sure was cheaper. 3 years ago I bought a can of the Rage Gold for $60. A month ago, it was $120.

Yeah…. It doubled.
Saturday I was at the Summit Racing store in Reno and saw this stuff.

Now, I’m not a cheapskate. If quality costs more, I’ll complain but step up and pay but…..IF something else comes along and does the same job for less money, you’d be stupid to just dismiss it.
Who has used this stuff?
My worry is that since filler is at the bottom and that primer, paint and clear go on afterwards, the quality of it is crucial. Imagine saving money on filler and then having cracks form a year later, requiring a full strip down and repair. If this happened to a car with a metallic or other color that is hard to spray and blend, you could be stuck repainting the whole car.
Has anyone here tried this stuff?
Another point…
From my beginning in 1982, I thought you were supposed to only apply filler to a primed or painted surface. Over the years I’ve seen arguments for applications directly to metal, to epoxy primer, to any primer as well as scuffed painted surfaces.
I’ve never had a failure from filler lifting or cracking but I’ve done work on cars that did.
Am I spending too much money for the filler I’ve been using? Can this cheap stuff be used with success ?

 

[davek]

YES, I watch a video of a guy using 4 different fillers cheap to top of line. He had 4 different fenders and did 8 spots. 4 on bare metal and 4 on epoxy primer. When all were dry he took a screw driver to them to see if he could pop the filler off. ALL stayed on I was amazed , was looking for a filler to do my charger. I will try to find the video.

 

[davek]

@eldubb440 whats your thoughts?

 

[eldubb440]

I like this stuff...... over metal or EP

and this for glazing......

 

[Kern Dog]

It looks like the companies have been putting just over 3 quarts in a one gallon can. If that U-Pol is 1/3 the cost, I should consider that.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

I never had a problem with Evercoat, Rage, did not pay $120 for the gallon. I have had cheap/old cans I slapped on for a quick blend, come back (much) later on and it shrunk/cracked, bad product, or hastily applied finished? I don't know?
All I got FWIW.

 

[eldubb440]

sometimes the can arrives damaged/open ........ because jerkoffs

but I salvage most of it, and amazon sends another can!

 

[MarPar]

 

[Kern Dog]

YES, I watch a video of a guy using 4 different fillers cheap to top of line. He had 4 different fenders and did 8 spots. 4 on bare metal and 4 on epoxy primer. When all were dry he took a screw driver to them to see if he could pop the filler off. ALL stayed on I was amazed , was looking for a filler to do my charger. I will try to find the video.

I would think that for awhile, just about any filler would stick to the metal or primed surfaces. I’m curious about how it will stay over time and through weather/temperature changes. I’ve scraped and chipped filler out and found surface rust on the panels where there were no cracks in the filler. Water/condensation forms and can compromise the adhesion of filler.
There are guidelines and advice that get spread around. Some abide by them, some do not.
My own car was painted in 2003 and while the filler was applied over primer, no sealer was used between the primer and paint. There are no signs of trouble in the paint. I’ve heard guys swear by the use of sealer. I’ve only used it a couple of times and still wondered if it was necessary.
This Duster was painted in 2011 and has been outside for most of the time since then.

I will need to repaint it though. It has a huge abundance of chips in the paint from me stupidly running the weed eater too close to it. There could be hundreds of chips to fill so I’m looking at at least 2 costs of color over the whole thing just to blend.

 

[multimopes]

A loooooong time ago, (about 50 years), I used to use a product called "Easy White" & also "Easy Sand"!

 

[kramer]

This is the body filler I used recently on my 69 Charger and probably the best price you will find is at Napa under the Napa Martin Senour line. If you ask for the Evercoat #100125 it will cost you about 50 dollars more for the same product. https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/MS_FE125
I know it seems to be a debate wether to put filler on bare steel or over epoxy primer. I have alway done it over bare steel and also bare steel is listed as a substrate on this particular evercoat filler. I tried several fillers and some didn't stick all that great to bare steel but this evercoat filler would stick very well and would sand about the best of the ones that I used. If you live in a high humidity area I would definately spray epoxy primer on bare steel as soon as possible than put filler over top.

 

[eldubb440]

 

[khryslerkid]

The only reason I'll buy Bondo brand is because you can buy it in small quantities. Normally it's just a small repair and the rest of it will dry out before my next project. It's not what it used to be either as in sandability. Gums up your paper until you get farther along with the sanding. There has to be much better out there but it's really expensive.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

This is what I bought. I have zero experience with anything, $15 on the shelf at Oreillys, works good as far as I can tell

 

[1 Wild R/T]

eldubb, couple of the body guys I know have been mixing a little Dolphin Glaze in with the Upol filler, apparently it mays the Upol lay down smoother with less tendency to develop air bubbles... Thoughts?

 

[eldubb440]

the gold filler is pretty nice, I really don't see any reason to mix the two.........unless you're near the bottom of an old can?

not saying it's wrong, just not necessary IMO

 

[Bighouse]

If you think fillers are expensive, wait until you’re ready to paint! Maaaaan has that stuff gone through the roof.

 

[Builderguy]

Kern, FWIW, I still use Bondo Brand for a couple of reasons. It is very inexpensive compared to the alternatives. I usually sand 90-95% of it off so I guess that saves a lot. I have used it for over 40 years and I like the results.
I know how it reacts to the amount of harder I use and I can "soft" sand pretty close to the desired lines needed. If has ever failed, I have not had any return work so I guess not. If it is a big job I will take the car to bare metal and then epoxy. This allows me time to work on one general area at a time. I sand through the epoxy and apply the filler to bare metal. After done working the area, I scuff all the epoxy on the panel, and reshoot the entire panel with epoxy. Then, when still in the application window, I will shoot the panel with high build primer. I have thought about using Rage Gold but I just can't justify the cost. If they stopped making Bondo, I guess I would switch to Rage Gold. Have heard good thing about that product.

 

[F4R/T]

Xalta is crazy ... I’m looking at some for the 68 and I want the best UV protection and life span I can get out the paint.. I had my base / clear peel recently on my truck we painted it 15 years ago with chromabase.. I’m not happy.

 

[sam dupont]

If we quit buying when they double prices they couldn't do it. We are the ones who can stifle inflation.

My goal is to get close enough to fill with primer only. The fillers all smell the same, how much difference could there be, besides price? Would like to see representatives of each brand in a room to tell us how their product is the best.