Another Question About RUST

[Speedy1973]

Well. I'm gonna count my blessings. as this isnt anywhere as bad as i've seen some peoples. But It's still bad.

What would be the best way of going and fixing this. It's only the passenger side. I was thinking of getting it into the garage, on a hoist, cutting out a decent section of the rusted rocker, using what i cut out as a template (as long as i don't ruin it)

cut out some body sheet metal. try my best to form it to the shape

Clean up all the rust in behind the rocker skin, paint it up really good with rust bullet, then weld the new skin into place, smoothen it out decently, then POR-15 the f*ck outta the outside on eithor side of the car. Including the pinchwelds


Not looking to spend thousands of $$ to have a shop fix it, as it looks like a "little" task (i know once i open that can of worms, it'll likely get pretty dicey)

What's everyone elses thoughts? am i on the right track there

 

[Scottydoggs]

if you gonna cut and weld any ways just buy a new rocker panel and cut and weld it in. less hassles.

 

[Speedy1973]

if you gonna cut and weld any ways just buy a new rocker panel and cut and weld it in. less hassles.

But i really dont want to replace the whole thing if i don't have to


i'd really like to just do a quick "on the cheap" patch job that isnt 100% halfassed, just so i can sell the thing...

 

[Scottydoggs]

pretty sure you can cut out the back 1/2 and replace it too, so install 1/2 a rocker? the body guys will chime in if that do able.

 

[Speedy1973]

pretty sure you can cut out the back 1/2 and replace it too, so install 1/2 a rocker? the body guys will chime in if that do able.

yeah. i just wanna replace the back half... pretty well up to the front of the back door, maybe an inch or 2 further than that, idk yet

 

[02NavyBlue]

If you do just the back portion, I guarantee the front will have holes a few years after. Unless while it's open you're able to por-15 the front half. I bet mine look the same as yours, I'm thinking of replacing the whole thing but need to do some research and lots of time.

 

[Speedy1973]

If you do just the back portion, I guarantee the front will have holes a few years after. Unless while it's open you're able to por-15 the front half. I bet mine look the same as yours, I'm thinking of replacing the whole thing but need to do some research and lots of time.

I could care less lol. i just want a quick fix, that doesn't look extremly butchered, so i can sell it really fast after

i would still like to get a bit of cash out of it.... I could slap it together with a patch and pop rivets, but i'm afraid someone will see it, and offer me nothing for the car.

hear where i'm coming from? Other than that rust in the photo's, the rest of the car is really clean

 

[idrivejunk]

Sorry I'm late, Speedy. Just caught snap. Neatly use a cutoff tool and saw out what you want to replace. Bring a slice of the shape you want up to a local sheetmetal fab place and ask for this many feet of this shape this thickness. They can knock it out in a snap with a brake but if they are busy thats a back burner job. Might cost as much as rockers if they proud. Its that or find clean stuff at the junkyard. I'm on my phone typin now and that sux but from what I can see it should be fairly cut n dried. Clean out the remaining rust, choose whether to convert or encapsulate the rust you can't get. Not much harder to do a nice repair than to hack.

 

[Speedy1973]

Neatly use a cutoff tool and saw out what you want to replace. Bring a slice of the shape you want up to a local sheetmetal fab place and ask for this many feet of this shape this thickness. They can knock it out in a snap with a brake but if they are busy thats a back burner job. .

I was going to use an air Die grinder, with a thin cutoff wheel, to cut out the old stuff, and was just gonna use standard gauge body sheetmetal i can get from say. Canadian Tire or something., and bend it myself using what i have (it wont be perfect, but by damn, I can try and get it "close"

only place where i might have some problems, is the curve in the corner of the door. i checked it out with my finger earlier, and it's not as rusted on the inside as far up as i was expecting.

Also. finding a clean GP. or a GP regardless in a local wreckers is like, mission impossible

I may go at trying to fix this up here shortly. Maybe do a quick writeup on it. Wont be concours quality, but it'll be a quick cheap fix. Certainly alot cheaper than having a shop fix it

 

[Speedy1973]

hell. i might even suprize myself with an end result. i might just want to keep it afterwards ahahahahahahahh -.- doubtful

 

[ItHurtz]

quick fix is replacing all the rocker panel . cut out, weld in done no bull**** forming. imageshack apparently deleted all my photos so apologies for no rocker build pics until I transfer pics to this computer.

cheaper alternative to por-15 is boiled linseel oil, few coats and ur good

 

[idrivejunk]

I have a bajillion rust fix pics scattered around if you need visual examples. Die grinder with cutoff wheel is good, I just do too much of this to not use a guarded tool. I think I used up 3 thick cutoff wheels and two grinder discs today. Anyway-

If you have a bench vise or some of those 3 or 4" wide-bill vise grip clamps, give it hell. I like to use the edge of the frame rack to hammer bends like that uniformly. Square pipe might help, to shape the metal around. Make the edge of your corner piece then butt weld that strip to the flat part from the back with the piece off the car. Nothing wrong with piecing together a patch like that.

On the bulk of it... hell some SUV roof skin or truck bedside metal might work for a longer piece. The stuff on the car is probably about 20 gauge, or around a mil thick. Don't bother with anything thicker, t'aint wuth it.

It looks like molding clips go on there. If thats mostly covered up by a molding (screw the clips on after), just make a row of plug welds to hold your new skin on. 5/16" holes at about 3" apart. Lay your patch over the repaired edges of the old and plug weld it on, Paint the inside of everything first. Seam sealer the outside of the seam then prime and paint exterior.

Of course the textbook way would be to butt weld the panel face seams but a row of plug welds smoothed with filler or sealer does the job neatly. Even if it doesn't look super-pro in the end, you have still added a LOT of value back to the car. If it went much longer it would get tougher to fix, thats for sure!