Car Needs Body Work (Pics 56k = Maybe)

[180Driftin]

My car has some bad rust on the unibody, how much would this cost to repair/replace? My idea was just sanding it all down and then using a metal filler, followed by putting sheet metal over it to protect it and eventually cover it completely with a new body kit. Does this sound like a good idea?

Here are some pics of the rust:
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6929/Picture696res.jpg
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/3010/Picture699re.jpg
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6360/Picture702re.jpg
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/9250/Picture701re.jpg
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/5629/Picture697re.jpg
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/8579/Picture698re.jpg

[240Driver39]

mmm..rustbucket....is the entire car like this? quick glance at ur frame rails suggested so..

not sure bout removing it, thats quite a bit of rust...ur most likely not seeing the extent of it either

[180Driftin]

mmm..rustbucket....is the entire car like this? quick glance at ur frame rails suggested so..

not sure bout removing it, thats quite a bit of rust...ur most likely not seeing the extent of it either
actually the frame is just surface rust, i had a little on the passenger side and I sanded it all off. The only part of the car thats rusty is the unibody on both sides. The rest of the car is fine other than minor dings. Here is a pic of the whole car.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5590/Picture-695re.jpg

[morpheus8486]

Your best bet would be to cut out the rusted part on the rocker panels and weld in a new piece of sheet metal. You might be able to just clean off the rust on the part by the rear wheel with a grinder or wire wheel depending on how bad it is, I can't really tell from the pic. But I don't know how much that would cost if you had a shop do it. Try to find a friend with a welder.

[Uniac]

looks like mine did, i hope you got a welder and some skill, it doesn't take much time, but welding on sheetmetal without warping it is tricky.

Get tot the minor stuff first so you prevent it from getting worse. The bad stuff isn't going to get any worse really so worry about it last.

[morpheus8486]

looks like mine did, i hope you got a welder and some skill, it doesn't take much time, but welding on sheetmetal without warping it is tricky.

Word. It is very tricky to weld sheet metal without warping it. I found this out the hard way when I was filling the holes that the stupid foam wing left when I took it off. I guess that's the problem when you learn how to weld on your own projects. Anyways, too much heat is a very bad thing. If you decide to weld in your own sheet metal, take your sweet time and tack in the piece replacing the rust. Take your time welding the rest and after that you could probably use some fiberglass and plastic filler to do the rest if it isn't flush with the rest. Good luck.

[mrmephistopheles]

and this, my friends, is why cars from the southwest RULE.

sorry.. rust SUCKS. good luck getting it fixed.

[nismofeind]

when doing sheet metal work adding it to body work use spot welds and bondo filler to cover the crack.

[nismostate]

south in general. got my 91 se for 500$. no rust at all! well the exhaust was toast but other than that, it's in good condition. only problem is there is a crack where the power brace bolts on to the front. previous owner did a crappy job welding the crack. does anyone know how much to fix that? crack is about 2" long. not major problem but i rather it not crack while taking a turn. :cry:

[twitchy]

im having problems too, posted a thread its near this one... Bad rust on the frame-rail in the front driver side, needs a patch in the floor above the exhaust downpipe and new rocker panels. The car looks like a million bucks till you get under it. I dont know what to do about the frame rails though- im sure i can pay some shop big bucks to fix the whole thing, I do have a friend who can weld, but ive spent too much time on this damn car and money to ever get it back. It wont see winter again though thats for sure.