Best way to remove bondo?

[fiathead]

While exploring my recently acquired Spider, I'm finding that it is skills coated in many areas with 1/8 inch of bondo. In an effort to strip it back to bare metal, that will have to come off. Does anyone know of a way to soften it enough to take it off with a power scraper?

[4uall]

If I have had to remove a large amount of bondo, take a torch, either acetylene or propane, and heat the putty. Then take a stiff scraper and scrape it out. It doesn't take much heat to loosen it, so you don't have to get things real hot, just a couple of passes will do it. Experiment a little, but it usually goes soft and scrapes right off. Finish up with your favorite wire wheel or sanding device, and always use eye protection.

[fiathead]

Thanks, that sounds workable. I've got a section with stripper on it and sealed for a day or so to see if that softens it, but I hate using stripper. I like the idea of using heat much more.

[azruss]

dont know what kind of shape the body is in. My 80 had a skim filler coat that was factory. when i got down to metal it was very wavy and required me to replace the coat.....wish i would have left it alone.

[fiathead]

dont know what kind of shape the body is in. My 80 had a skim filler coat that was factory. when i got down to metal it was very wavy and required me to replace the coat.....wish i would have left it alone.

I had not really considered the possibility that this could be factory. There are some spots that have cracked and are rusting underneath. I'll have to take a closer look to see if it could be factory. If the original color is over top of the bondo, it might just be.

[BEEK]

fiat did use filler in the original build up of the car