GlenL

I've been doing some body work on the rear of my '87 944. Had a light tap between the tail lights and it was rusting.

I decided to remove the paint from the rear of the car and found that there was some really thick "primer" at the ends of the rear panel. This is on the sides just below the tail light.

Sanding it down, it gave off the distinct smell of bondo. Doesn't look like accident repair. More like the bady panels didn't line up right and they were blending the surfaces.

Any one else se this on their cars?

eman930

The factory doesnt do bondo, Sounds to me like you have had some body work done

Mighty Shilling

I'd be pissed if my car came from the factory with bondo and I found out somehow...

I don't see how they'd get away with doing that... I agree with the above statement.

Chris_924s

Highly unlikely. the panel would have been replaced prior to zinc dip coat and primer.

GlenL

That's the funny thing. Looking at the rear quarters from inside, there's no damage. It seems to be just a bit on the rear panel, beneath the light, right where it butss up to the rear quarter itself. And it's on both sides.

Porsche-O-Phile

Could've easily been a rear-end collision where the panel in question was repaired and everything else (like the bumper) was "R&R-ed" (removed & replaced).

father2nate

Yup, or prior rust repair...

CT944

unless you are the original owner, ANYTHING could have happened to the car before you became the owner!!

Tony K

Are you talking about the area that has the decal? The bit of outline stripe before the P and after the E? I don't know, but I would say "possibly."

Okay, news flash to everyone: Factories do use bondo. Examples: Prior to when all cars had black "suspenders" running the length of the roof on either edge (virtually EVERY new car today), bondo was used on most cars to hide the seam where the roof mates to th body sides, like in the rear quarter pillar.

Cars are also loaded with seam sealer. That's that funny textured stuff under the paint around your strut towers, etc.

I am not positive but I believe that some years of 944s have fiberglass and filler in the battery tray.

Go back to the panel in the rear with the "porsche" decal. follow it as it wraps around to either side. If you have a high-mileage car, you will have a crack there at the seam. There is seam sealer in there, so I wouldn't be surprised if there is a little filler in the surounding area.

Porsche-O-Phile

I don't know about that. . . I think Bondo only will last about 4 or 5 years before it starts to crack and fail under the best of circumstances. Most auto manufacturers offer warranties considerably longer than that. The original window sticker from my 85/1 says that it's a seven year warranty against rust and body defects; I seriously doubt Bondo would last that long, especially in some climates.

David Floyd

I don't think it would be factory either.

I use to work at the Nissan Mfg plant doing paint and body repair, small dents and scratches are common during assembly, dent repaired ala "Paint less dent removal" style or the panel was replaced, if on a panel that could not be removed the car was scrapped !! No Bondo was allowed.

Legoland951

Even if you ARE the original owner, that can happen because my sister's NEW Acura was bought from the dealer with bondo and repaired damage from the dealer without disclosure and car was sold as "new". After 2 years of lawsuits, she got a new car.

eman930

Tony K
"Okay, news flash to everyone: Factories do use bondo. Examples: Prior to when all cars had black "suspenders" running the length of the roof on either edge (virtually EVERY new car today), bondo was used on most cars to hide the seam where the roof mates to th body sides, like in the rear quarter pillar."

Factories dont use bondo, if anything they will use seam sealer

Tony K

Take a file to the rear pillars of an old Dodge Charger, Chevy Nova, Pontiac Firebird, and get back to me. If you want something more exotic, try a Maserati Bora or Merak. Many older cars have filler in some spots from the factory to hide exterior panel joints. Seam sealer takes days to cure, shrinks and hardens over time, and is not properly sandable. When I said "bondo", I was using that term loosely.

Legoland951

I have never seen bondo on the roof seams on 944s from the factory and I have cut up over 50 of these things... I have one I can take pictures of the cross section of all 3 of the pillars or the roof if you like. Maybe German cars fit better than American or Italian cars of the past. I can take one door panel and switch from one car to the other and the drill holes line up every time where if I try the same thing with other makes (especially Jaguars, Rolls Royces), I have to drill new holes.