ml> cut out the area and then weld/braze in a new piece... then grind and   
   ml> smooth the seam... finally, proper priming and painting ;)   
      
    MH> I have never welded before and currently don't have any tools for   
    MH> doing welding.    
      
   that's why i also stated brazing... brazing is done with a torch and brazing   
   material... it is very much like soldering except that you are melting a   
   stronger metal than lead... HVAC lines are brazed together... generally with   
   copper rods... i've also seen brass used and a silver material but i'm unable   
   to recall exactly what, of several, it was but it is also what i would use if   
   it were me doing the work... brass and copper are too soft, in my opinion, for   
   patching body panels on cars... they are also different enough from normal   
   body metal that they would likely also not stick properly...   
      
    MH> Not sure how difficult it would be or if there is a "weekend    
    MH> mechanic" toolkit for doing this type of repair.  I'm not sure    
    MH> where to get the proper metal for the replacement piece.   
      
   i would think that plain old sheet metal would be the thing... not galvanized,   
   though... magnetic sheet metal... you should be able to just get the proper   
   thickness and go from there...   
      
    MH> It is no more than 3" by 4" where you can see the rust bubble    
    MH> effect under the paint - just on the one side.   
      
   yeah, i'm familiar with the flaw... a pinhole in the paint allowed moisture to   
   get in and now it has spread... something like this might be able to be   
   handled by simply sanding off the surface surrounding area to the bare   
   metal... then using primer, layer it on so as to bring the level back up...   
   this is what is being done when a car is being primered and sanded, anyway...   
   layer on the primer, wet sand to remove the high spots... put on more primer   
   and sand some more... the sanding takes down the high spots and the multiple   
   application of the primer raise the low spots... depending on the depth of   
   them, this is generally ok... really deep stuff is tapped out from behind or   
   cut out and replaced... i know there is also a way to shrink streched metal   
   from a dent but i've not seen it done...   
      
   ml> i guess this depends on what you really want... i'm rather spoiled from   
   ml> watching the TV shows where they go and swipe someone's old vehicle (with   
   ml> help from a family insider) and a week later they present a completely   
   ml> rebuilt vehicle... there were, at one time, three of them on the air...   
   ml> these days, chip foose's Overhaulin' is all i can find...   
      
    MH> I want the exact same show all the time.  Overhaulin' is a great   
    MH> show.. I wouldn't mind if they paid me a visit..   
      
   i hear ya... too bad they seem to be limited to the CA area and more   
   specifically limited to the city where their shops are located... but yeah,   
   great show and they do display some of the techniques needed...   
      
   )\/(ark   
      
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