Newly Improved Tailgate Rust Repair: Tool Shop Heavy Duty 1/4" Hand Rivet Tool to the action!

 I had two people tell me to get a whole new tailgate. That would cost at least $2000 if I had to hire out the labor and haul the part from salvage - and who knows if the condition would be good or not?

Instead I have IMPROVED on last year's tailgate repair (that lasted one season):

1) Only ONE piece of duct sheet metal (6 inch diameter duct pipe cut to size) - first I prepped the area with generous coats of phosphoric acid gel and also used a drill hard tool to cut off remaining rust bits.

 

2) Used a newly purchased Pop Rivet Heavy Duty pneumatic hand tool - put in at least six rivets (see image above). I watched several vids on this type of tool (at least five different brand names but all the same tool probably from the same factory in China) to get all the secrets of how to use it. It worked very well once I did a trial run.

3) Just filled left over sheet metal cracks with Great Fill polyurethane toxic Dupont Foam Spray (then will sand down after it cures over night.

 

 

I got this idea and wondered if anyone else had done it - Sure enough I found several vids of people doing this (ok maybe only two vids?) I think maybe three vids.

4) the Bondo is covering up one sheet metal screw I left in. I'll next put JB Weld over the foam spray cracks. I got the JB Weld so waiting for spray foam to cure (then will sand down). I put some bondo to fill one gap under the latch but Bondo smells very nasty. So I don't like using Bondo - way too toxic.

5) got GM Dupli-match paint or whatever - SAME OEM GM (olympic white) color plus got the 2nd layer of "clear coat" urethane paint. I already have lots of non-OEM white paint on the car. So I probably try paint those areas as well. So I need to clean the car first before I do this last step.

 

I already put on a Rust Converted metal primer paint and then a white coat on top of Rust Prevention paint.

Will this look professional? NO this is a VOCATIONAL FARM work car. haha. It's not supposed to look like a fancy night out on the town. Right now I have lots of straw bits inside the car. I hauled bales of hay earlier.

 

But those rivets ensure that I don't have to worry about my repair job suddenly falling off which was a possibility with just using sheet metal screws.