I’ve got some rust above the rear driver’s side wheel well. I’m Interested in getting it fixed, but don’t know if this is best left to the professionals.
I’d like to do it myself if possible, so any advice is appreciated. Alternatively, how much would this probably cost if I went to a body shop?
The rust you see is only about 30% of the rust that’s actually there.
That depends if you want it to look like the rust was never there.
Tester
I’d hate to guess but if you see that little spec down by the bumper cover, suggests the rust is far more extensive than it appears. To cut and weld in a new piece of metal, fill and refinish is likely in excess of $1000. To do a less than permanent fix yourself with fiberglass and spray cans, $1-200. That’s what I’d be doing on my own if I ever get around to it. I paid about $100 for matching paint, primer, etc.
I figured the rust was connected between the two spots beneath the paint. But $1000 is way out of my budget.
Definitely gonna try the fiberglass and spray paint method. Do you have any YouTube videos or articles you recommend? Have never done any body work so I’m a complete noob lol.
This is one of those spend some time on YouTube looking at videos things . After a few of them a person should have a better idea if they want to try to fix it theirself.
I would use ( repair vehicle rust ) as a start .
Search youtube, watch a dozen of them, find some bodywork web sites, learn what you can.
I’m guessing you bought this used? Could be the site of an old repair gone bad. I’d get a magnet and see if there’s a lot of Bondo in the area.
Yes it was used. I think there was a little paint bubbling back when I bought it in 2016, but I knew absolutely nothing about cars at the time, so thought nothing of it.
Yeah do some searching. I bought paint from those folks since all the colors are not locally available and some compatibility issues sometimes with the Duplicolor stuff.
What I’ll say is that all the rust needs to be cut out or ground off or neutralized or it comes back. There are acid type products that will eat the rust if it is light or there are coatings like Por15 (but the rust can continue under the coating). Regular body filler will absorb moisture so you can’t use it to fill holes. Not the same problem with fiberglass. There is a fiberglass putty that works pretty well with or without the mesh and won’t absorb water. Once you have a good base of the fiberglass, you can use body filler over that. So I’d do some serious cutting and grinding on the inner portion too. Use an acid conversion like Dupont’s, Por15 on it, fiberglass with the mesh over any holes, and finish with body filler. Prime at least any filler right away so that moisture is not absorbed. Those people you see running around town with unprimed body filler patches don’t know what they are doing and rust will be forming underneath.
Don’t remember his name anymore but one of the youtube guys was pretty good but swears constantly. Mostly major welding but he did use a NAPA spray on product for rust that he seemed to think was pretty good. He moved up to Utah and was starting a school. You can’t watch him with any kids or the wife around though. He is that bad.
Now that I think back, in the 60’s they were pushing using the aluminum tape and filling over it. Just rusted away and didn’t work. Fiberglass mesh is not perfect but if the rust behind can be controlled can be a reasonable repair.
I’ll deviate a little . . .
I’d put the car on a lift . . . at the very least 4 high quality jack stands . . . and thoroughly inspect the rest of the car
Is there anything more structural in nature that has substantial rust?
Agreed. This needs to be looked at underneath and it looks a bit nasty to me. Poor previous repair and/or possibly road salt if there is considerably more rust in other areas.
That area may look small but to repair it and have it look decent takes a pretty fair amount of work. Fair = a lot…
