What are the pro's/con's of todays body work

[nuch_ss396]

Hey guys, I have a question for the group.

Over the past few years, the air waves have become clogged
with various shows covering body work, restoration, resto-mods,
kit car development, etc..

One of the things that has concerned me most is the way
these projects feature the use of skim coats of filler
( almost the entire car ), sanding primer, etc.. Many
years ago, there was a product called Nitro-Stain that was
reported to be the best spot filler on the market. I did a
restoration on a '71 Formula 400 and used Nitro-Stain all
over the car. The body work & paint looked flawless for
many years. As time went by however, the Nitro-Stain
started to shrink and over time you could see many places
where the Nitro-Stain was used. I later learned that this
was an inherant flaw with Nitro-Stain, but this flaw was not
to be discovered for many years to come. I'm not here to
bash that product, but rather bring up a point.

What is the "expected" longevity of these new filler type
products when used in a skim type coating prior to final
paint? Will they yield similar problems down the road as
I outlined above? Additionally, I would be concerned over
any dings as I would think the skim coat would crack and
chip. Is there any data available as to how well these
skim coat mothods are holding up? Just so my question is
clear, I'm not referring to Bondo type dent fillers. I am
referring to the skim coat of filler ( or what ever it is
called ) that is trowled-on and sanded to death prior to
painting. Since it is so prevalent on these shows, I have
to assume that it is employed at most restoration shops as
well.

There are a lot of high dollar cars represented here and I'd
like to hear from owners as to how well their body work is
holding up and their longevity expectations as it pertains
to the body work & paint.

The paint job on my Camaro is 25 years old. It still looks
good, but I know where all the skeletons are burried. I'd
like to strip it some time in the future and start from
scratch. I'm hoping others that have gone through recent
body restorations can enlighten me on the pro's & con's.

Thanks guys!

Steve

[firstgenaddict]

I think that the new glazing putty being used is a 2 part system... I personally use a 2 part Evercoat Product.
I remember when everyone used that red glazing putty that had solvents in it and dried by releasing the solvents...
That stuff cracked BAD! sometimes many years after the paint was put on. It seems like it was put on too thick by alot of people... it was never meant to build it was meant to fill pinholes and minor imperfections. When it is applied thick the solvents take along time to work their way out... then it cracks and blisters the finished paint.

[SS454]

With the paint products that are out there today if used the correct way they will last FOREVER. I have done a bunch of cars over the years and some where 10 to 12 years ago and they still look just as good today. And I'm not just talking about restored cars that only come out of there heated shops on nice days. I'm talking about every day cars that get parked outside every day! If you do all the work the right way and don't skimp on this or that than it will last forever. As foe restorations with out a dout it will last if the car only goes out on nice sunny days.

[nuch_ss396]

Thanks Rick !

So, as far as you are concerned, the skim coat of sandable
putty is the right thing to do to get the body perfect and
it will not have an adverse effect on the longevity of the
paint job.