Trunk question and body filler question

Get ready for a million of these.

Picture 1:

What goes in these holes?





Picture 2:

Do I fill in this line with body filler?



Thanks in advance,
Scott

Mine has clear (yellowing) plugs in the trunk holes you show. They are a smaller diameter than the one in the hole on the right side of the ledge toward the front of the trunk (i.e. the one to the left of the wire hole), and another one is in the hole to the left of the two bolts in your picture.

1. Nothing? I have the holes but dont remember anything in them.

2. No filler, the seam in my car had some type of seam sealer in it when I made the same repair. I put a small amount of seam sealer in the seam but left the seam visible.

Lee, Mine is a 70.

"What goes here" I have the same holes with plugs in them???

Hmmm....

I have those trunk floor plugs in more than one car and I always assumed they were drain plugs.

Cheers,

Rob

I think I read somewhere (Clausanger's?) that those plugs were there to let the primer drain out of the body at the factory.

Not sure though.

Mike

Lee is correct. Don't put filler in there. It will crack and collect moisture. I use 3M ultrapro tan seam sealer. Sets up firm enough to paint over but remains plyable. Really adheres and I've never had it crack. You just want a very small bead and smooth it in with your finger then carefully wipe any excess off the adjoining panels with a rag and prepsol. Sort of tedious to get it just right but worth it.

As said, that seam does need to be filled. I used Feather Fill (a smooth creamy type of "bondo") years ago, but also sanded the seam inside its groove to bare metal, treated with Metal Prep, and then applied the Feather Fill.

Using the seam sealer that Jim mentions is at the least probably just as good if not better as it probably has a bit more flexibility than any filler, altho I have not had any cracking in 19 yrs on the road since the work was done. FWIW

You could always go "old school" and fill the seam with lead filler. That's how a few of the factory joints are filled.

Leading isn't all it's cracked up to be. I've done some of it but not for many years. The steel has to be tinned first useing acid flux and solder. When you finish up you have to make sure all the acid is removed and or neutralized. Probably the last thing I'd want to do is put acid down in that seam. IMHO Leading is one of those lost arts better left lost.

Jim,
I totally agree with the comments on lead loading / filling.
These days there are better ways to do the job.


Scott,
The boot / trunk holes were put there by the factory to stop air build up underneath the body when it was being submerged in the paint bath.
They also served to drain paint from the same area as the body came out of the paint bath.
They were plugged with clear plastic stoppers which were simply pushed into place.
A clear silicone sealant would be a viable alternative.
Put some tape on the opposite side of the hole and fill. Remove the tape after the sealant dries.

Incidently there are similar holes plugged by rivets in each of the metal panels covering the wheels inside the trunk. They were there for the same purpose.

Pete.