Just curious how much this would cost...

Topic: Just curious how much this would cost... (Read 1453 times) previous topic - next topic

Just curious how much this would cost...

April 23, 2007, 03:07:49 PM

There's a fairly large patch of rust on my car just in front of the left rear wheel. It was behind the trim piece and is a result of some doofis sticking screws through the trim into the metal allowing the rust a path. There are several such places on my car along the trim but this is by far the biggest and it's too soft to really repair. I'm not that big a body guy, I don't have a torch and I wouldn't know how to use it anyway but I got it in my head today that I could cut a patch panel from a junkyard donor, strip it down nice and give it and the car to a body shop. Essentially all they'd have to do is cut out the old piece and weld the new one in. I could even do the priming and paint myself afterward. How much do you think that'd run? Ballpark?

Just curious how much this would cost...

Reply #1 – April 23, 2007, 03:17:42 PM

It's hard to say.If there's a lot of spots to fix,sometimes it's cheaper to get a donor body and put all of your parts on it than it is to do extensive welding repairs.Someone else will have to chime in on numbers for a price,Rust down here really isn't anything we have to worry about.....thank goodness.

Just curious how much this would cost...

Reply #2 – April 23, 2007, 03:21:35 PM

I'm only thinking of that one spot right now, the section is only like half a foot tall or so. Most of the rust on the car is just surface and I think it's worth keeping the current body.

Just curious how much this would cost...

Reply #3 – April 23, 2007, 03:22:39 PM

I'd guess a couple of hundred dollars or so.Welding isn't cheap.

Just curious how much this would cost...

Reply #4 – April 23, 2007, 03:28:44 PM

Dang. Was hoping it'd cost like $100. I'm also considering doing it myself according to a method I saw on "Trucks" one time. Anyone see that episode with Project S10K? They replaced a similar panel using panel adhesive which they claimed was just as strong as a weld. It involved sticking backing pieces along the edge of the cut hole for the new panel to adhere to.

Just curious how much this would cost...

Reply #5 – April 23, 2007, 03:43:35 PM

It depends how long it would take for them tocut out the old piece and weld the new one in. I know body shops around where I live are about $55/hr. I would guess at least 2-3 hours

Just curious how much this would cost...

Reply #6 – April 24, 2007, 02:10:20 PM

Can you take a good pic of it to give us an idea to the extent of the problem?

Just curious how much this would cost...

Reply #7 – April 25, 2007, 03:36:35 PM

Actually I've started thinking more and more about this and the worst rust spot on the car is the lower portion of the quarter panel on the right side. Kinda hard to ignore since a big slap of bondo flew off on the highway the other day. Pretty much the whole triangle of metal below the trim on that quarter panel is rusted s, I could break a piece off with my hand and use it as a defensive weapon if the need arose

So now this morning I'm thinking to myself I should replace the whole lower quarter panel. Gonna get me a saw and head to Pick'n Pull this weekend. Now I'm asking you guys, what years of quarter panel are compatible with my car? I know they changed the tail light design a few years later but I can work around that I think. As far as contours go what's a good match? And do you have any tips for removing these things without ruining them? If I recall there are spot welds or something holding it on, is there somewhere I need to drill or anything? Bear in mind I'm only taking the lower section up to the tail lights. Vinnie your advice is sound but if I were a practical sort then this car would've been beer cans long ago

I get attached. Oh and I'll try and post some pics of the problem later.

Just curious how much this would cost...

Reply #8 – April 25, 2007, 04:13:22 PM

I'd think it would be better to take too much from the donor car than not enough,then you have room to make adjustments.Just cut a big ol section right out,then trim off what you need when you get home..I wish you were down here,my favorite yard has quite a few cars like yours.

Just curious how much this would cost...

Reply #9 – April 26, 2007, 07:54:57 PM

Here are those pics I promised. The smaller spot is the one I originally posted about and ofcourse the grotesque one is the opposite quarter panel. If you look close you can see there used to be a shell of bondo over the entire piece below the trim but that's let go now. I'm not even sure that was some half-assed repair, I'd almost believe it was some radical experiment by ford to prevent rust in that area since I know that bondo extends far over the clean metal up to the door frame.