Lead, plastic, or both?

[David Booth]

Gang:

In stripping my Series II cabriolet (production date in mid-1960) down to bare metal, I expected to find plastic body filler, put there to smooth the body panels at the time of production. I was surprised, though to find lead filler used in all the difficult transition areas.

These include the area where the exterior panels come up to the door openings, the top of the cowl where the windshield sweeps around and meets the front fender crowns, and the spot where the front fenders dive down and transition to the area around the hood opening.

So was there any plastic filler at all used in the cars of this era, or was that a myth and the only filler used at Grugliasco was in fact lead?

As a side note, it's kind of discouraging to see how much minor damage and half-hearted repair was hiding under the Bondo and current paint. Next on the agenda: sandblasting for the chassis and floor, and fine garnet blaasting for the bodywork, followed by repair.

[Koll]

Just curious, are you doing the work yourself as an amateur? (Meant in the best sense of the term) Or are you a professional. I've always had a ton of respect for folks who dive right in and "learn-as-they-go" (ala Tom). It's one thing to do that with a regular issue car, but a vintage Ferrari should cause any sane person to pause. :lol:

I've always considered cosmetic working the toughest, whether it's leatherwork (which I'm just learning about) or old-school lead body work. It seems to be the ultimate craftsman work.

Good luck! Any pictures?

Koll

[Keith Milne]

David,
I believe someone posted a reply to me a while back stating that plastic filler was used, but I find that hard to believe. When I stripped my 330 I found lead in all the usual places, including around the door handle indents and leading edges of the doors. I have had similar experiences restoring old Porsche 356s - no bondo, just lead. Like you, I found copius amounts of "the filler from hell" all over my car. I was told by my body man that it was a type commonly used in the 70's that contained metal. It is grey in appearance and difficult to remove.
Keith

[racertodd]

Like you, I found copius amounts of "the filler from hell" all over my car. I was told by my body man that it was a type commonly used in the 70's that contained metal. It is grey in appearance and difficult to remove.

It's probably a filler called All-Metal. It's basically the same as regular Bondo but with aluminum particles instead of polyester. It's stronger and more water-resistant than regular Bondo.

Todd