unless i'm wrong? or you educate me then...
are we just talking about bonding the skin to the frame?
or bonding the whole panel in?
you cannot bond panels end to end like butt welding does.
you leave a overlapping seam somewhere..
that seam is not acceptable to me as being proper..
you might be able to snake a use or 2 without overlap
but welding for me is the way to go.
how would you use bonding doing this repair?
Most cars now a days have panels that are adhesive bonded, including quarter panels. The stuff 3M, SEM and other higher end MFG's make is tough as nails. I've seen it in action. Go online and google/you tube 3M's. The metal tears before the bond does. If it didn't work, no one would buy it, the federal government wouldn't allow it, and they wouldn't sell it. Automotive sheetmetal is flimsy stuff compared to the rest of the metal working world.
As far as overlaps, its a very common technique in modern day and old school auto body. Yes, a butt weld senario is not warranted, but adhesives have adavantages vs. welding. 1st is saving time, second it filling the gap on an overlap, 3rd requires less work and or training to accomplish.
As far as your dogleg repair on that fender, measure the patch area, use a flange gun to create the step offset so the repair patch will sit flush, trim the repair patch to fit if needed, apply the adhesive, secure in place and let cure.
Myself, I stick with the welding as well because that's what I was brought up on. Buttweld whenever possible. Overlaping can create air gaps on the backside that need to be sealed, but so can just laying a panel over another and plug welding like a quarter to trunk gutter or floor pan to crossmember if the panels are not perfectly pressed tight against each other. Matt brought up a roof...obviously the roof is layed over the inner structure. It needs to be bonded all around the window frames, across the pillars and along the rail gutters. You can drill all the holes, pull the panel to the frame as well as possible and weld and hope there isn't too many gaps in between the inner/outer and then proceed to grind down a bazillion plug welds. Or, you can lay the adhesive, secure the roof and any gap is eliminated by the adhesive....Walla
Just because the panel bonding is a newer technolgy and they didn't do it back then (it didn't exist), doesn't mean it doesn't work as well and can't apply to our cars. Welding and adhesives both have there pro's and con's.
BTW...nice work on that fender!
