This is on a 1969 Alfa GTV. Would you consider this a quality repair? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Mike, I don't know the answer to your question(s). I'm considering buying this car. I don't have experience with welding and body repair; thus my reason for posting.
well im not a bodyman either , but I did a lot of metalwork on my 308 gt4 and I think it should be neater than what I see in the photos.
No, just no. The sectioned piece is appears to be tack welded at best into place with no penetration along the seam which will result in future deterioration and they did not remove all of the rust in the buttress angle.
Thank you all for your responses. JoeTSI touched on future deterioration, as that is my concern. This car has been repaired and painted. These photos are from the restoration period. Here are another series of repair photos. Many repairs of this quality on the car. Should I pass on buying this car due to poor rust repair/future deterioration? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The metalwork could be done way way better. Should cut out beyond the rust and fabricate a part to fit, not weld in chunks with a million spot welds or overlapping panels. That being said, I've seen worse. At least it isn't expanding foam and fiberglass. Would not surprise me at all if the rust started creeping back sooner than later but only time will tell.
That buttress area looks very difficult to repair. Alfa glued the foam backed headline directly to the bare metal on the interior side of the buttress. When a leak occurred, the foam would hold moisture on the metal creating a rust trap.
Looks like some pretty crappy welding to me. That last pic it looks like the body line was completely flattened out where it used to have a ridge. Slapped a piece of metal on and filled in with weld? Not the highest standard of work. It would take more time but like in the corner of the window they should have cut more out and fabbed an entire piece to fill that in instead of gobbing weld in there to fill it up. As for the rust coming back, do you know if they did anything to treat the area before putting it all back together. I redid the trunk on my 308 but I treated the whole area with POR-15 inside and out. I guarantee whoever has that car will never have the trunk floorpan rust out again. No such guarantee on the rest of the car though.
Is the funky/irregular surface actually STELL-OR, is it LEAD-which it very well might be....the irregular purchase suggests that the steel was not hot enough if this is the material=which is what was mostly used for a compound jointed curve in a window "body hole" such as this in the era.... what is REALLY going on there? Can you provide more technical specifics-this IS a technical question....
I really have no idea. I understand that lead was used decades ago with body work. I'm just asking for opinions on the quality of the work on a car I'm interested in buying.
There’s no lead work here. If the guy can’t weld right, he won’t be able to lead. That’s far harder. Although it ain’t pretty, I didn’t not think it’s worse than any nice Alfa you might find that hasn’t had its rust repair documented. Or to say it another way: the guy who did the repairs was honest and eager enough to document the repairs, even if the repairs aren’t first-rate. Matt
Think it depends on a) why your are buying the car and b) how much $ Looks like a decent DIY job, but not professional, not that I'm an expert or anything. If you are buying the car as a keeper then i wouldnt as it does not look like the backside/inside of any of those panels being repaired have been preped etc. (Te windscreen repair...I hope he cleaned up the rust on the inside face before welding to it!) If you are buying it to have some fun and the price is reasonable, why not!!!
Yeah no, why didnt he cut out all the rust? Find a shrinker and streatcher from eastwood and make good replacment patches. That **** will rust all over again.
Well I have to say when welding thin ass sheet metal you must tack it and jump around, other wise if you lay a constant bead it will warp. You have to keep it cool.