Alright guys, I need some serious guidance as I start thinking of doing this.. whats the first step? plasma cut this out and patch it with new sheet metal? also if cutting it out is the way to go, can it be patched with a front fender section? Im trying to get the car in some shape that if I put on decent paint it'll keep the car looking respectable for a while.. so if somebody's willing to explain the first step here, I'll get that done and then we'll move on to part 2 of the repair Heres the worst of the car that im dealing with...this is the rear wheel hosting images image upload
The first step is going to be to get a flapper wheel and take it down to bare metal to see how bad the rust really is. Of course at that point you're pretty much committed to fixing it.
ok thanks. I have flapper wheels. I guess im assuming the visible rust is bad enough to plan on it needing to being cut out, I just dont know the best method for cutting it, how far back, neutralizing the surface rust ect..
Ditto...Gotta get the section down to bare metal and see how bad it is. May just end up with a few nickel sized holes that will be easy to weld up with a small patch. If not...
Thanks! those pictures give me a lot more confidence before I grind it down and cut it up! haha! Now I guess before I do this..will a section of a front fender cut out, be the perfect fit for a patch section on the back wheel well?!
I have contemplated the possibility...But...Alas, I dont have a fender to cut up and try it. Besides it was more fun fabbing a patch. The contours are close but the radius of the openings isnt quite the same from front to back. If you make a template of the area you need to repair (contours and all) you can see if it fits the front fender opening at a certain point and use that piece.
awesome thankyou for the tips sir! Guess I have enough information/confidence to patch it up when i get the chance
Not quite enough info yet...If you section a piece of fender in or fab a patch...Be certain to make it smaller than the area it has to fill. You want a 30 to 40 thousandths gap between the patch and parent metal so the welding rod has a place to go with out warping the patch/panel. The metal has to be solid that you are welding to, no rust...Mig/tig gas and filler rod no matter which you use, rust will just blow away when you try to weld to it. (now the repair area is bigger) While its cut open...Clean as much of the area as you can gain access to and neutralize any rust you cant remove. Be meticulous with your template and patch panel. The better your template (that you make the patch from) The better the patch and hence the better the final repair. Massage the patch edges so they fit cleanly and leave the affore mentioned gap. Use a meterial thickness in the 18 to 20 guage range for your patch panel. Tag it in place and adjust its fit (hammers/dollies/picks etc...) So its flush with the surrounding metal. If you dont like the fit, cut it loose and re-position it/tailor it etc...Use multiple small tag welds to fill the gap...Dont draw a bead on it...You will just warp the metal. Once thats done...A good grinder will be your best friend. Grind the weld down (Not the whole area) 24 grit is good for cutting the weld bead. Till its flush with the panel/patch. Then you can lightly grind the whole area with 40 grit to get a uniform finish on the whole area. If you were paitient and took your time...You may not need any filler at all or...You will need a small skim to level it all and finish it off. Good luck!!!! As for a cutting method...If you are skilled and steady with a plasma cutter...You can do it that way but its overkill on thin sheetmetal imho...Use a cut off wheel and a small grinder for small areas...You have a better visual as you work and have a clean straight edge when done.
Face and Neck Shield If you use a wheel to cut out the rust, use a full face and neck shield. The wheel can come apart, especially if it binds. This happened while I was working with the wheel near my face. Shield wasn't damaged but I would have been if I werent wearing it.
I could explain a bunch of body work blah blah....but watch these vids. These are severe cases but really about the norm with Mavericks. The problem is patch panels aren't avail. so you have to fabricate pieces or use Mustang patches with some modification. You can get a Maverick quarter skin but they cost $$$$$. Mavman72 is on target if you have small areas. But with that I'd say treat the back of the panel with Por15 or Rust Bullet because there is likely more rust that hasn't come thru yet. Also, if you can keep away from squared edges on patch panels. Keep them rounded for less warpage.
