Aluminum Pop rivets?

[Final 204]

So i was talking to my friend about how i wanna fix my quarter panel rust and how i wanna get some patch panels, have them welded in... So i'm like "yea man i'd love to try and do this stuff myself, but i can't weld at all." Thats when he suggested "aluminum pop rivets"

meaning i could use a bunch of these pop rivets instead of Welding the patch steel in, grind them down, fiberglass and/or bondo the lines, and avoid welding for the most part.

thats when i was like "are you serious , i could do that?" he's like "yea well thats what we did on my friends civic"

does anyone know if this is worth trying or is it completely pointless, i know obviously welding the pieces is the superior method but i still wonder how well these Rivets could work as an alternative. i don't mind putting in alot of time on the body work and i have previous bondo experience.

['93accordse]

rivets, especially aluminum rivets mayflex under changing weather conditions and will crack your bondo. plus if you grind the heads down on a rivet it loses it's pulling power and the rivet may fall backwards thru the hole.

for steel your best bet would be 1/8 flat head steel rivets, with around a 3/8's shank on it, drill your hole (i THINK a number 30 drill bit is perfect, but don't quote me) countersink it, and then pop your rivet. do this all around your piece say, on 2" centers. then bondo over the rivets. This way your rivets maintain all their strength and it might work ok.

[Gemini]

rivets, especially aluminum rivets mayflex under changing weather conditions and will crack your bondo. plus if you grind the heads down on a rivet it loses it's pulling power and the rivet may fall backwards thru the hole.

for steel your best bet would be 1/8 flat head steel rivets, with around a 3/8's shank on it, drill your hole (i THINK a number 30 drill bit is perfect, but don't quote me) countersink it, and then pop your rivet. do this all around your piece say, on 2" centers. then bondo over the rivets. This way your rivets maintain all their strength and it might work ok.

Always to the rescue

[Final 204]

thanks for the info man , i might try this out this summer.

[F22HB]

rivets, especially aluminum rivets mayflex under changing weather conditions and will crack your bondo. plus if you grind the heads down on a rivet it loses it's pulling power and the rivet may fall backwards thru the hole.

for steel your best bet would be 1/8 flat head steel rivets, with around a 3/8's shank on it, drill your hole (i THINK a number 30 drill bit is perfect, but don't quote me) countersink it, and then pop your rivet. do this all around your piece say, on 2" centers. then bondo over the rivets. This way your rivets maintain all their strength and it might work ok.

true true
the aluminum ones will expand and contract tons more than steel.

[Final 204]

is the whole idea of using rivets (steel ones) a half decent idea?

[starchland]

interesting, I was reading about another product that basically what professionals use to bond metal. ill find the link

[starchland]

http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthre...t=patch+panels

called LORD, now im not sure if you glue, rivet, let it dry and then remove the rivets after its dry?