Post your pics: Worst Fender Rust! [Archive] (2024)

pepsiaddict

16th April 2009, 22:19

Before you ask, I'll answer some questions I'm sure a few of you have:
Yes, I will be getting this repaired from a reputable body place in the next few months.
No, it wasn't this bad when I got her in May of 08. I guess that's what Milwaukee winter will do.
Yes, I am ashamed of myself.
No, I'm not going to sell her because I don't deserve her. She'll be getting fixed shortly.

Now that that's out of the way...Anybody have/had worse rust? Post your pics - don't be shy!
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i38/corranhorn63/pics115.jpg

FreeNC

16th April 2009, 23:06

RI ZoomZoom

16th April 2009, 23:18

Here is mine.... Just fixed!

Edited to add.... Driver's side needed some sub frame repair as well. New metal looks nice!

mreish

18th April 2009, 09:06

I know nothing about body work so I had a pro work on mine. He took pix of the whole process but I haven't gotten them from him. Here's pix of my paint job though.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mreish/sets/72157603508790573/

CL_Miata

18th April 2009, 11:22

Cherry Bomb

18th April 2009, 12:42

Cheryl,

You are doing/did exactly what I need to do. I cut out the old pieces and have the replacements. Do you have any bigger pictures of the rust fix and car with the pieces cut out? Are you welding or adhesive? I wish I had your garage.

-Cheers,

Jim

doc martin

18th April 2009, 17:45

I think I got y'all beat here. First is my '91 about 7 weeks ago.

Second is as of this morning. I am in the process of wet sanding it this weekend.

RI ZoomZoom

18th April 2009, 17:58

Cheryl,

You are doing/did exactly what I need to do. I cut out the old pieces and have the replacements. Do you have any bigger pictures of the rust fix and car with the pieces cut out? Are you welding or adhesive? I wish I had your garage.

-Cheers,

Jim

This is the best pic I have with the panel cut out. New pieces were welded in place and we are in the process of using bondo/body filler to smooth things out. We bought panels, drilled out the spot welds from the panels and the car then welded the new into place.

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL483/1154813/20903894/361794385.jpg

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL483/1154813/20903894/361794388.jpg

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL483/1154813/20903894/361794389.jpg

Jim, if you know how to weld (which we don't - had to have a friend do it and it took forever on his availability) you are more than welcome to come down and do the work here. We have an arc welder, grinder, cutter etc still in the garage.

TetsuoMX5

19th April 2009, 14:24

ctrav

22nd April 2009, 10:49

RI ZoomZoom

22nd April 2009, 11:08

Gene-M

22nd April 2009, 11:20

Got mine from ebay, original NA panels. A lot of guys fabricate them.

Did they come all dressed and cleaned like that?

On another note - and probably nobody wants to hear this, but for the rest of us, the time to think about fixing the rust is at the first signs of blistering of paint on the underside of the panels in front of the wheel wells.

An awful lot of the pictures I'm seeing here show rust situations that were allowed to fester long after the actual structural members began to be compromised. If you attack the lower fender rust quickly enough, you can prevent damage to the actual rocker panels.

downic

22nd April 2009, 11:31

I think I got y'all beat here. First is my '91 about 7 weeks ago.

Second is as of this morning. I am in the process of wet sanding it this weekend.

Doc martin - from your pictures it looks like the pinch weld has rusted away. I'm curious as to how you were able to make the repair if you were not able to weld the new panel to the pinch weld?

Bradley in DC

22nd April 2009, 11:33

Got mine from ebay, original NA panels. A lot of guys fabricate them.

Cheryl, the job looks great. Could you share the company on eBay? I couldn't find anything like that.

RI ZoomZoom

22nd April 2009, 11:39

NO! They did NOT come nice and clean like that! They came skin attached to the supporting frame behind the panel and Montego Blue! Had to punch out the spot welds then drill them out to remove the panel. It took about 6 coats of chemical stripper and steel wool to get them looking like that! IF anyone goes this route do yourself a favor and REMOVE the paint before you take the skin off the frame. Removing paint with all of the spot weld punch holes was a pain......

My front fenders were replaced so no rust issues. While off the car we used a wires brush to clean some surface rust from having all of the debris in the fenders then sprayed a coat or rust inhibitor on the car AND the inside of the fenders. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Photo 1 is the remaining frame after removing the skin.
Photo 2 is the painted skin.
Photo 3 is the progress of getting the paint off the panel.

RI ZoomZoom

22nd April 2009, 11:46

Cheryl, the job looks great. Could you share the company on eBay? I couldn't find anything like that.

My husband bought them so I will have to ask him.... It was a seller just a guy who was 'parting out' a car from the south. At last check he had no additional items for sale. It was honestly a lucky find. We searched several times over a period of time and just 'found' them.

mreish

22nd April 2009, 13:33

Did you DIY the paintjob or have it done?... also, where did you go for the rust fixing?

I did the paint myself. I was more nervous doing that than I was doing the suspension work but it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Turned out pretty good too.

Like Cheryl, I bought some NA rockers off eBay and took them to a highly regarded local body guy: Jon Hammond.

Jon's done some pretty darned good work including one of Jay Leno's Lamborghinis. My Miata was nestled in his shop between a Ferrari 250 Pininfarina Spyder and a Jaguar S2 E-Type XKE 4.2. I'm not really a car guy but I'm told those are two very nice cars. So someone with a lot of money trusts him. After seeing the work he did to my Miata, I do too.

HammondSport
Jon Hammond
Haslett, MI
(517) 349-4960

doc martin

22nd April 2009, 14:01

Doc martin - from your pictures it looks like the pinch weld has rusted away. I'm curious as to how you were able to make the repair if you were not able to weld the new panel to the pinch weld?

I did it just like Cheryl did by drilling out the spot welds. I bought a whole rear clip and drove to Alabama to get it from WI. I used a 4 in cut off wheel and cut out the rusted rocker to just in front of the door and inside to the floorpan. When you section the quarter and rocker their is three sections. The is the outer skin, the center support, and the inside panel that attaches to the floorpan. If you take the time to seperate the pieces than you can fit each layer individualy spot welding each layer. It takes time and is a PITA but it's the only way to do it right. Think of one of those "magic eye" posters and turn that into a 1000 piece puzzle and that's the type of hassle it is.

BTW I picked the car up cheap so that's the only reason I fixed it. I would have never let it get that bad if I owned it prior. Besides it saves another NA from the wrecking yard.

doc martin

22nd April 2009, 14:04

doc martin

22nd April 2009, 14:13

IF anyone goes this route do yourself a favor and REMOVE the paint before you take the skin off the frame. Removing paint with all of the spot weld punch holes was a pain.....

Cheryl, the best thing I found to remove the paint was a 4 1/2 in sanding disc. They are blue and is a flat disc with the sandpaper overlapping each other in a circular fashion. Dewalt and Bosch make them as do others. They are Available at Home Depot and cost about $7 each and are friggin' awesome at removing paint and the lower rocker stone guard paint. Highly recommend.

Der_Idiot

6th May 2009, 15:49

belenus92

22nd November 2009, 12:45

I'll take the cake with my toyota's rockers. All the foam and fiberglass is where it used to be all air.

Driver's side
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/belenus92/rocker%20pics/CIMG1316.jpg

Passenger's Side
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/belenus92/rocker%20pics/CIMG1314.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/belenus92/rocker%20pics/CIMG1315.jpg

Can't wait to see how long it lasts!

2pznapod

22nd November 2009, 14:17

MSMtrackstar

30th November 2009, 21:26

dgriley

15th March 2010, 22:11

So, how much does rust repair of this nature cost?

I have been getting quotes to have our '92 repaired. The lowest quote for both sides was $900, but I don't think the actual cost will be that low. Three other quotes were in the range of $1500 - $1800. ...and this was using the rust free "corners" I already have from eBay and for just getting both sides to a basic level of finish, without painting (just a quick spray of black over the area to hold us over until I can prep the whole car for a repaint). We're now thinking of just buying a MIG welder and doing it ourselves.

MSMtrackstar

15th March 2010, 22:59

wannafbody

15th March 2010, 23:18

pixelbased

15th March 2010, 23:40

$1500-$1800?!

I have rust on both rocker panels, plus some light front end damage, and I'm going to need a repaint (which, I have read runs about $2500-3500 for a decent job)

So to remove some rust, pull a dent or two and repaint will cost more than if I buy a new (to me) Miata? Sad. I may have to go that route - it would be the smart thing to do versus dropping more money into the car.

wannafbody

16th March 2010, 00:02

Vince3

16th March 2010, 02:42

The best option is to either do the work yourself or find someone who does bodywork/painting as a side business or hobby. You might even find someone here in your regional forum.

With all the unemployment around the country it might even pay(?) to run an ad on Craigslist looking for someone with body work skills to help out on the job....

...just an idea.