[DocuDude]

Hi,

Bought an 87 60 from Salt Lake City and brought it back to SoCal.

I finally have some free time to tackle the rust on the rear wheel wells (you could see the bubbles) and it was much worse that I thought.

Scraping the rust off, the PO used bondo? (it's like a thick jelly), and just painted over. Well I didnt know this, and now have some small chunks missing in my rear wheel well.

I RustBulleted there and the other spots with surface rust, but I cant figure what to do next.

Is Bondo a good option?
what about these things they sell at SOR (http://www.sor.com/sor/partpict.tam?...ender%20Flares

I have zero welding, bondo, bodywork-type experience.
What is the best option considering cost?
I dont mind some elbow grease and a long Saturday, but is this something a bodyshop can weld and make beautiful for cheap.

Just wanna know the options to fix the holes that the rust caused, and let my Cruiser breathe in the lovely salt-free SoCAl air.

thanks!

[cody c]

you wanna make sure the cancer doesnt spread, so whatever needs to be done i'd take care of it first. Maybe get a quote at a few body shops, the quote should be free!! The fender flares will hide rust but can increase it too if not taken care of first. The SOR flares are a little flimsy, try searching, there is another fender that is thicker, and apparently pathfinder flares can be found at wreckers for a lot cheaper. If you do get some body work done, you may be able to save some money by doing some prepwork (removing bondo and crap).
Lets see some pics!!

[DocuDude]

Here is one more pic of a tiny hole. PLEASE SEE THE NEW PICS IN THE ORIGINAL POST.

Whats the best bet to fix all of these. I really cant drop hundreds of dollars here for this one problem, so I am hoping there are other ways under $200 (and thats on the high side).

Also I dont see myself leaving SoCal, so salt on the roads wont be a problem anymore.

Thanks

[cody c]

got any friends that do body work?
i would consider taking all the bondo out and getting to bare clean metal. then bring it in to a body shop and have them weld in metal where it needs it. Bring it home clean it up, add little filler if needed to smooth it up, sand it, prime it or use rust bullet, and then put on some flares. The SOR flares arent cheap, do a search for pathfinder flares on mud then in the junk yards.
I think this is the cheapest way to get where you want.

[Fantom]

I have never been a fan of covering up rust and will never do it myself. You will not find a magical fix all product to get rid of the issue. If you put flares on you will not see the rust but even in a dry climate it will spread and you are going to have a larger issue later. You can probably save yourself some cash if you go for flares and a body shop. Make sure they cut out the rust (1/2" around the rust or more), weld in some flat steel if you are not concerned with the body lines and then put flares over it. This way you will cut out the rust, have new metal and the flares will cover the patch work, as long as it is new metal it should be fine. Also a product called POR 15 (search the threads) will help. But this is just my opinion and I hate rust.

[chicago]

HA!
that's not rust!!!
I can show you rust if ya want!
Mine is in the same spots too...

Chicago

[Mace]

Cut it out..

And replace or not..

[DocuDude]

I have no friends in the area with equipment to weld.

So how should I prep for the bodyshop.

Do i cut it out myself? And if so do I do it along the whole curve of the fender, or just square chunks around the rust spots?

Is that easy to cut, or better to have the shop do it?

Whats a fair price, can anyone explain exactly what it is that is welded. Just sheets of metal...and they make the shape match the original to keep the curve?

Any info would be appreciated, and I have looked thru search, but if there is a good thread, especially ones with before and after pics .......I would like to see.

Thanks

[cody c]

if you had a friend knows how to weld body work he can probally tell you better than I, but what i would do is grind off anything not metal (being careful not to take off anything that is metal) and then cut the metal square so a square piece can be welded in. using a wire wheel remove paint within an inch or so of the area, and get everything clean around the area. Dont do this and then drive around with bare metal for a week though.

All in all i dont think a body shop would charge more than maybe $500 tops(guessing high, depending on the shop) to do all this though. But youre really better off to go and get a couple of quotes and think of some questions to ask before you get there.

[DocuDude]

So I have zero knowledge on cutting out rust.

Should I get a power-sander and sand to clean metal first?

Am I literally cutting off a full piece of the metal, or just layers where the rust is?

What do I cut with?

You would think there would be a great thread on this, but I can't find it.

Anyone in LA-area wanna teach me the basics (I can pay a fair price) or recommend someone great in the area?

[cody c]

a grinder with a zip disc will do to cut those little areas, but it would be a little overkill. a dye grinder with disc would be better for that area if you have one. Id go over those areas first lightly with a wire wheel on the disc grinder first to get the bondo and dirt out.(actually giving it a good bath on the inside of the wellls first wouldnt hurt) Then cut around the rust so a square piece of metal can be patched in. removing the cancer but be careful you dont accidentaly cut too much. And then lightly take the sander to remove the paint around where the welds will be made. Because welding needs a clean bare metal surface, and the heat will burn the paint on the heated metal surrounding the weld. But dont have bare metal exposed for too long or more rust.
And if you only remove metal on flat surfaces if possible as its easier to weld and fill.

And again, bring it in to a couple places to get a Quote.