I've just moved my fuel filler cap to the rear of my car and now want to cover the boot panel with vinyl. Should I fill the hole where the filler used to be or will the vinyl cover it up ok without sagging and showing the hole underneath?

Cheers,

Pete
Rescued attachment bootcover.jpg

I think it will sag if you don't fill the hole

Yeah that's the answer I was expecting really Still, I'll be happier knowing it's done properly than worrying I've done a bodge job!

Pete

How about glueing a patch to the underside and using a little filler?

What about cut a disk that fits the hole and glue an aluminium patch underneath that holds it in place.

HTH,
James

counter sink your present screw holes , cut a circular patch the size of the large hole and a larger patch underneath the panel , secure with counter sunk screws , cover with foam and then vinyl . Invisible repair?

Cut a patch to fit the big hole. Spot weld it from the backside. Will the little holes cause sag? Probably not, but you can fill them with a small amount of epoxy and sand it down if you want. If you don't have access to a welder you can probably use epoxy to fix the metal patch into the big hole. Some creative clamping may be needed to keep the topside flush while the epoxy sets. Maybe lay the topside down on a table with wax paper covering the hole and surrounding area. I don't know if wax paper will stick to the expoy. You may be sanding paper off the epoxy in this method.

HTH
-Andy

Thanks for the suggestions guys, in the end I made up a circular panel to fit the hole and a bigger panel to hold it on, as James described. Stuck it all together with contact adhesive last night and then went and got very drunk, so I'm yet to see the results

Pete