Rust on the bottom :(
05-18-2006, 08:51 PM
#1
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Rust on the bottom :(
My 1996 Maxima has seen better days. I got it in early summer 2002, about 4 years ago. It has around 126,000 miles right now. When I got it it was the color Gold, but foolish me got it painted black by Maaco ($500 paint job, they dont remove the previous paint). I learned my lesson. I'm never trusting Maaco with my car again.
But even worse is the rust thats forming places, and my other problems, I’m curious what it’ll cost to fix all this stuff and get a new paint job:
My trunk lid is rusting by the spoiler. I checked underneath the foam covering on the inside and there is rust there too, water must have leaked through.
trunk rust
On the bottom of the car there is rust. the muffler looks kinda bad (but still works) the inner pieces attached to the rear quarter fenders seem to have rusted through, and the axle looks rusty and so does the area by the wheels.
muffler and axle
inner part of rear quarter fenders (its like that on the other side too.)
On the passenger side on the rocker panel there is a hole, its getting bad on the inside of that hole, there is some metal on the inside that is rusting. I hope it isnt the frame.
from a distance
up close (whats that metal piece inside of there? that isnt the frame, is it??)
*more in next post*
But even worse is the rust thats forming places, and my other problems, I’m curious what it’ll cost to fix all this stuff and get a new paint job:
My trunk lid is rusting by the spoiler. I checked underneath the foam covering on the inside and there is rust there too, water must have leaked through.
trunk rust
On the bottom of the car there is rust. the muffler looks kinda bad (but still works) the inner pieces attached to the rear quarter fenders seem to have rusted through, and the axle looks rusty and so does the area by the wheels.
muffler and axle
inner part of rear quarter fenders (its like that on the other side too.)
On the passenger side on the rocker panel there is a hole, its getting bad on the inside of that hole, there is some metal on the inside that is rusting. I hope it isnt the frame.
from a distance
up close (whats that metal piece inside of there? that isnt the frame, is it??)
*more in next post*
05-18-2006, 08:57 PM
#3
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And the rear passenger quarter also is bubbling a little by the wheel well.
And on the inside of the wheel well u can see places rusted through.
Also note how bad my rims look too, im going to probably have to sand them down and paint them or something!
rear quarter rust (there is bubbling going on but u cant see it well here)
hole inside of wheel well (this occurs on both sides of this wheel.)
Other problems:
The paint on the bumper was chipping like crazy so I sanded it off. Am probably going to buy a new bumper cover for the front since I think i sanded it down too far (plastic got scratched), and maybe replace the rear bumper too since that one has some dings.
front bumper
My driver side rear door had some bondo come off (maaco sanded down some metal where there were door dents and put in bondo). I painted over the metal in the mean time, to prevent it from rusting anymore water slipped in while the bondo was cracked before.
door
Bottom line, I hate Maaco, and I hate Minnesota winters and what they do to my car!
This summer I'm going to try to fix a lot of this stuff on my own. I want to for sure fix the majorly rusted areas, and repaint my car. If possible I want to replace every single nut and bolt that has rusted and any other rust on my car and make it rust free.
How much money am I going to have to spend to fix all this stuff? How much of it needs fixing? I like my car and I dont want to see it go by the wayside. I want it to look pretty too.
And on the inside of the wheel well u can see places rusted through.
Also note how bad my rims look too, im going to probably have to sand them down and paint them or something!
rear quarter rust (there is bubbling going on but u cant see it well here)
hole inside of wheel well (this occurs on both sides of this wheel.)
Other problems:
The paint on the bumper was chipping like crazy so I sanded it off. Am probably going to buy a new bumper cover for the front since I think i sanded it down too far (plastic got scratched), and maybe replace the rear bumper too since that one has some dings.
front bumper
My driver side rear door had some bondo come off (maaco sanded down some metal where there were door dents and put in bondo). I painted over the metal in the mean time, to prevent it from rusting anymore water slipped in while the bondo was cracked before.
door
Bottom line, I hate Maaco, and I hate Minnesota winters and what they do to my car!
This summer I'm going to try to fix a lot of this stuff on my own. I want to for sure fix the majorly rusted areas, and repaint my car. If possible I want to replace every single nut and bolt that has rusted and any other rust on my car and make it rust free.
How much money am I going to have to spend to fix all this stuff? How much of it needs fixing? I like my car and I dont want to see it go by the wayside. I want it to look pretty too.
05-18-2006, 09:04 PM
#4
Damn I don't know what to say, that rust on the passenger side looks pretty bad though. But my muffler looks identical to yours; rusting/flaking. I'll be swapping it out all out though with a full WS exhaust setup this summer. Good luck man it sounds like you have a good amount of work ahead of you.
05-18-2006, 09:11 PM
#5
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Originally Posted by th0ught
Damn I don't know what to say, that rust on the passenger side looks pretty bad though. But my muffler looks identical to yours; rusting/flaking. I'll be swapping it out all out though with a full WS exhaust setup this summer. Good luck man it sounds like you have a good amount of work ahead of you.
I have so much work ahead of me, I'm wondering if I should just fix my car before I find a job. The problem then is, I'm not sure if I'd have enough money to fix it, lol. Hopefully I will get it fixed before the end of the summer though, because I dont think my car can tolerate another minnesota winter.
Originally Posted by whitegold
Wow. . talk about alot of rust. But the paint looks good where it isnt rusting!
If you see it in person, you'd notice it chipping away around every edge, window sills, door handles, the rocker panels, the bottom of the rear quarters. It was a mess, even worse before i touched it up recently.
05-18-2006, 09:28 PM
#6
holy s**t batman, makes me glad I live in Florida-no rust problem what so ever...
I can tell you though, you should not have to replace the bumper just b/c you sanded it. my dad owns a very competant paint/body shop down here and you can sand plastic bumpers just like you can sand metal, we do it all the time, unless you went crazy and made a huge divot!!! if you want to email me a pic of the place where you think you sanded too far and maybe I can see to give you some advice, i did work there for 6+ years so maybe I can help you out-just rying to save you from buying another bumper if you don't need it...
I can tell you though, you should not have to replace the bumper just b/c you sanded it. my dad owns a very competant paint/body shop down here and you can sand plastic bumpers just like you can sand metal, we do it all the time, unless you went crazy and made a huge divot!!! if you want to email me a pic of the place where you think you sanded too far and maybe I can see to give you some advice, i did work there for 6+ years so maybe I can help you out-just rying to save you from buying another bumper if you don't need it...
05-18-2006, 09:29 PM
#7
Have you considered selling it? I mean I imagine just to fix the Maaco paint job would cost a good amount, repairin the rust damage (especially the holes in the wheel wells and the body) would cost a good amount as well, and you'll probably want to replace the muffler and other rusted/flaking parts. I'm not saying buying another car would be cheaper but I just don't know if the car's worth putting the money into this summer only for the rust to continue in next year's winter. Haha but you must really love your Max though, can't deny that.. G/l again man.
05-18-2006, 09:38 PM
#8
!!!MACCO SUCKS DONKEY BA**S!!!
Most body shops will charge you more to remove paint from painted over surfaces(especially cheap paint like macco)then they would a stock paintjob, even if the stock was faded/pitted/sundamaged/chipped. once you paint ove you ave more layers of stuff to remove, and that created more work for a good paint job b/c if you are gonna do it right you need to remove all of the old stuff so you don't get imperfections in the new paint...
Most body shops will charge you more to remove paint from painted over surfaces(especially cheap paint like macco)then they would a stock paintjob, even if the stock was faded/pitted/sundamaged/chipped. once you paint ove you ave more layers of stuff to remove, and that created more work for a good paint job b/c if you are gonna do it right you need to remove all of the old stuff so you don't get imperfections in the new paint...
05-18-2006, 09:57 PM
#9
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Originally Posted by MadMaxSE-L
holy s**t batman, makes me glad I live in Florida-no rust problem what so ever...
I can tell you though, you should not have to replace the bumper just b/c you sanded it. my dad owns a very competant paint/body shop down here and you can sand plastic bumpers just like you can sand metal, we do it all the time, unless you went crazy and made a huge divot!!! if you want to email me a pic of the place where you think you sanded too far and maybe I can see to give you some advice, i did work there for 6+ years so maybe I can help you out-just rying to save you from buying another bumper if you don't need it...
I can tell you though, you should not have to replace the bumper just b/c you sanded it. my dad owns a very competant paint/body shop down here and you can sand plastic bumpers just like you can sand metal, we do it all the time, unless you went crazy and made a huge divot!!! if you want to email me a pic of the place where you think you sanded too far and maybe I can see to give you some advice, i did work there for 6+ years so maybe I can help you out-just rying to save you from buying another bumper if you don't need it...
i saw bumper covers for around $40 online, not oem of course. if those work okay i could get one. and they are already painted with primer black too
but if I can fix the holes on the bottom of the bumper where the covers screw onto, i might keep it.
05-18-2006, 10:10 PM
#10
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Originally Posted by th0ught
Have you considered selling it? I mean I imagine just to fix the Maaco paint job would cost a good amount, repairin the rust damage (especially the holes in the wheel wells and the body) would cost a good amount as well, and you'll probably want to replace the muffler and other rusted/flaking parts. I'm not saying buying another car would be cheaper but I just don't know if the car's worth putting the money into this summer only for the rust to continue in next year's winter. Haha but you must really love your Max though, can't deny that.. G/l again man.
BUT it has a ghetto paint job that is chipping, it has rust, and an unpainted bumper.
And the check engine light is on (for knock sensor code and EGR code)
I'm worried I wouldnt get much for it. maybe only 2 grand.
If i can fix it myself for less than 2 grand, I think I'll keep it. I am kind of attached to the car actually. I'd hate to see this thing walk away bruised like it is, lol.
I could buy another 4th gen maxima, but one in good shape may cost at least 4 grand.
It's probably a toss up money wise, eh?
05-18-2006, 10:12 PM
#11
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Originally Posted by MadMaxSE-L
!!!MACCO SUCKS DONKEY BA**S!!!
Most body shops will charge you more to remove paint from painted over surfaces(especially cheap paint like macco)then they would a stock paintjob, even if the stock was faded/pitted/sundamaged/chipped. once you paint ove you ave more layers of stuff to remove, and that created more work for a good paint job b/c if you are gonna do it right you need to remove all of the old stuff so you don't get imperfections in the new paint...
Most body shops will charge you more to remove paint from painted over surfaces(especially cheap paint like macco)then they would a stock paintjob, even if the stock was faded/pitted/sundamaged/chipped. once you paint ove you ave more layers of stuff to remove, and that created more work for a good paint job b/c if you are gonna do it right you need to remove all of the old stuff so you don't get imperfections in the new paint...
I'm willing to remove all the old paint. i have a sander and a lot of time on my hands this summer! What I'm more worried about is doing body work on the thing. That is going to be expensive to hire someone to do it, unless I buy my own welder and learn how to weld myself (if that can be done in one summer).
05-19-2006, 06:14 AM
#13
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The rust on the rocker looks like it has gone right into the unibody. That's structural damage. In England, your car would never pass the safety test, it would be rejected as structurally unsound. I will be very surprised if a US test passes that vehicle.
Frankly, I would get rid of it ASAP. The body has reached the end of its useful life. Buy a car from a rust free state like Texas or Arizona. My own Max has spent all its life in northern Mexico and despite being 10 years old is rust free except for the muffler, which looks a lot like yours...
Frankly, I would get rid of it ASAP. The body has reached the end of its useful life. Buy a car from a rust free state like Texas or Arizona. My own Max has spent all its life in northern Mexico and despite being 10 years old is rust free except for the muffler, which looks a lot like yours...
05-19-2006, 06:34 AM
#14
HOLY CRAP!!!.
My car is from new england and my 99 looks nothing like that! In the winter I go to the car wash, one with an under carriage wash, washes away all the road salt. Also wipe the bottom of the door jams after washes, car is areas with salt need more attention
My car is from new england and my 99 looks nothing like that! In the winter I go to the car wash, one with an under carriage wash, washes away all the road salt. Also wipe the bottom of the door jams after washes, car is areas with salt need more attention
05-19-2006, 07:00 AM
#15
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First off, I've done alot of bodywork. And currently do it on the side. Let me tell you that all that rust is going to be alot for someone with no experience to fix. Not as simple as buying a welder and learning to weld. Welding sheetmetal is alot harder than thicker stuff. Also your going to need metal, cutting tools, body hammers. Do you have a decent sized air compressor? Also your car is unibody meaning the body is the frame. You said you want to remove every nut and bolt and part that is rusted? You'll never be able to do that unless you totally restore it which would be a waste of time. Your car is worth what, maybe $4000 if it was in good shape. I doubt its worth much now and won't be worth much after you put $2000 or more into it. You'd be better off selling it and putting that $2000 or more your going to waste into a nicer car.
05-19-2006, 07:15 AM
#16
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hey phatmax - what can you tell me about this? am I screwed, or can this be treated/slowed with some sort of rust treatment (naval jelly, permatex, etc). thanks...
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/...;f=24;t=003475
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/...;f=24;t=003475
05-19-2006, 07:17 AM
#17
That is going to cost alot to fix it right, you need alot of metal work to fix the rusted areas. For the mileage and year it might not be worth the money you spend to fix it correctly. That is one of the worst maximas I have seen with rust issues. I bet your radiator support is rusted through in the front and possibly the crossmember where it bolts up.
05-19-2006, 07:52 AM
#18
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Originally Posted by sky jumper
hey phatmax - what can you tell me about this? am I screwed, or can this be treated/slowed with some sort of rust treatment (naval jelly, permatex, etc). thanks...
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/...;f=24;t=003475
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/...;f=24;t=003475
http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/p...ProductID=1136
All you really have to do is scuff the area up with a wire brush, removing any loose paint or rust, and brush it on. They have a good forum over there too.
05-19-2006, 08:39 AM
#19
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Was this car rust proofed or something? My car is a 98 and has no rust. It spent most of its life in Toronto, I washed it for the first couple of years and then nothing after that. This almost looks like it had a rustproof job done on it and the rustproofing failed and trapped water underneath.
05-19-2006, 08:55 AM
#20
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Originally Posted by phatmax95
It's not terribly bad. Like another guy on there suggested POR15. But I like Eastwoods Rust Encapsulator better than POR15. Here is a link:
http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/p...ProductID=1136
All you really have to do is scuff the area up with a wire brush, removing any loose paint or rust, and brush it on. They have a good forum over there too.
http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/p...ProductID=1136
All you really have to do is scuff the area up with a wire brush, removing any loose paint or rust, and brush it on. They have a good forum over there too.
05-19-2006, 03:09 PM
#21
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Originally Posted by clive
The rust on the rocker looks like it has gone right into the unibody. That's structural damage. In England, your car would never pass the safety test, it would be rejected as structurally unsound. I will be very surprised if a US test passes that vehicle.
Frankly, I would get rid of it ASAP. The body has reached the end of its useful life. Buy a car from a rust free state like Texas or Arizona. My own Max has spent all its life in northern Mexico and despite being 10 years old is rust free except for the muffler, which looks a lot like yours...
Frankly, I would get rid of it ASAP. The body has reached the end of its useful life. Buy a car from a rust free state like Texas or Arizona. My own Max has spent all its life in northern Mexico and despite being 10 years old is rust free except for the muffler, which looks a lot like yours...
figures. If I just replace the rocker panel will the unibody still keep on rusting? even if no moisture gets caught in there?
05-19-2006, 03:18 PM
#22
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Originally Posted by phatmax95
First off, I've done alot of bodywork. And currently do it on the side. Let me tell you that all that rust is going to be alot for someone with no experience to fix. Not as simple as buying a welder and learning to weld. Welding sheetmetal is alot harder than thicker stuff. Also your going to need metal, cutting tools, body hammers. Do you have a decent sized air compressor? Also your car is unibody meaning the body is the frame. You said you want to remove every nut and bolt and part that is rusted?
You'll never be able to do that unless you totally restore it which would be a waste of time. Your car is worth what, maybe $4000 if it was in good shape. I doubt its worth much now and won't be worth much after you put $2000 or more into it. You'd be better off selling it and putting that $2000 or more your going to waste into a nicer car.
If I hired someone to do body work on this thing, how much would it cost?
Maybe I could find a maxima that has a bad engine or tranny, and put my parts inside of that machine?
05-19-2006, 04:28 PM
#24
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Originally Posted by crazy97
I'm noticing my spoiler is starting to do the same thing! Hopefully It's not too late and it will rub off with some polish.
I would also check the inside of the trunk in that spot to see if theres any rust. there was that much rust on the inside of mine as well!
05-19-2006, 04:57 PM
#25
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... If I just replace the rocker panel will the unibody still keep on rusting? even if no moisture gets caught in there?
- Yes it will.
It reminds me very much of an MGC convertible I bought to restore. Another unibody. It looked just like that.
Now bear in mind that I already possessed an air compressor and air tools including a power chisel and buffing gear; an oxy-acetylene set; a spray gun and lots of primer / red oxide and so forth; and had quite a lot of experience on body work.
I started on that MGC and chiseled off the rocker panel and found even more rust further along, hidden. When I started removing it (using an air tool device that fires a cluster of miniature rods at it), great piles of rust came flying off and it was soon obvious that the whole unibody cross section was f***ed.
So I got out the oxy acetylene and started welding - and you know what? You can't weld onto rust.
By the time I had found sheet metal of a sufficient thickness, I had wasted half a pack of 1/16 rod and I was starting to get into brazing rod because the metal was so thin it wouldn't take a melt pool. And then the big issue comes: how the hell do you replace the cross section of the unibody - that's the inner rocker area - because that's where all the structural strength comes from.
I found a specialist supplier of unibody cross sectional parts but the amount of labour, over and on top of what I had already done, was mind-numbing. It was costing me a packet in oxygen and acetylene too. I ended up parting the car out for spares And this was on a car that already had classic status! Not like the Max.
Oh BTW arc welding on sheet metal is a nightmare. It can be done by a highly skilled welder but not by a beginner. Gas is better, but harder to learn.
OH! one more thing: the rust on the beam axle looks pretty damn serious. Another good reason to fail the safety test. That car can drop to bits in an accident.
- Yes it will.
It reminds me very much of an MGC convertible I bought to restore. Another unibody. It looked just like that.
Now bear in mind that I already possessed an air compressor and air tools including a power chisel and buffing gear; an oxy-acetylene set; a spray gun and lots of primer / red oxide and so forth; and had quite a lot of experience on body work.
I started on that MGC and chiseled off the rocker panel and found even more rust further along, hidden. When I started removing it (using an air tool device that fires a cluster of miniature rods at it), great piles of rust came flying off and it was soon obvious that the whole unibody cross section was f***ed.
So I got out the oxy acetylene and started welding - and you know what? You can't weld onto rust.
By the time I had found sheet metal of a sufficient thickness, I had wasted half a pack of 1/16 rod and I was starting to get into brazing rod because the metal was so thin it wouldn't take a melt pool. And then the big issue comes: how the hell do you replace the cross section of the unibody - that's the inner rocker area - because that's where all the structural strength comes from.
I found a specialist supplier of unibody cross sectional parts but the amount of labour, over and on top of what I had already done, was mind-numbing. It was costing me a packet in oxygen and acetylene too. I ended up parting the car out for spares And this was on a car that already had classic status! Not like the Max.
Oh BTW arc welding on sheet metal is a nightmare. It can be done by a highly skilled welder but not by a beginner. Gas is better, but harder to learn.
OH! one more thing: the rust on the beam axle looks pretty damn serious. Another good reason to fail the safety test. That car can drop to bits in an accident.
05-19-2006, 05:24 PM
#26
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Originally Posted by Tim96I30t
That is going to cost alot to fix it right, you need alot of metal work to fix the rusted areas. For the mileage and year it might not be worth the money you spend to fix it correctly. That is one of the worst maximas I have seen with rust issues. I bet your radiator support is rusted through in the front and possibly the crossmember where it bolts up.
Would it be worth it to strip my maxima all the way down to the unibody, just to see what kind of shape its in? Maybe it would be repairable if I brought it to someone who does good body work.
05-19-2006, 05:25 PM
#27
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Originally Posted by krillbee
how many tools would I have to buy? How much would it cost? Would I need a shop to do this in, or could I invest in enough tools to do it in my garage?
Maybe I wont fix every rusted bolt then, but it just seems sad to say goodbye to this car, get maybe a few bucks for it, and let someone drive it until it rots away.
If I hired someone to do body work on this thing, how much would it cost?
Maybe I could find a maxima that has a bad engine or tranny, and put my parts inside of that machine?
05-19-2006, 05:28 PM
#28
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Originally Posted by ChasMan
Was this car rust proofed or something? My car is a 98 and has no rust. It spent most of its life in Toronto, I washed it for the first couple of years and then nothing after that. This almost looks like it had a rustproof job done on it and the rustproofing failed and trapped water underneath.
05-19-2006, 05:39 PM
#29
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Originally Posted by phatmax95
Alot. Harbor Freight can be your friend. Sure you could do it in your garage.
I just hate paying tons of money to some professional who thinks they are worth getting paid a gold brick per hour.
I will do almost anything to avoid that, even if it means learning a new trade! Its good to be able to be competent and do things on your own.
Sounds like a good idea. Plenty of people looking for a cheap beater, or people wanting to part the car out. Heck you could even part it out. Then use the money towards another car that has less free.
I really want to keep it, I'm contemplating doing so, even if it costs more than the car is 'worth'. As long as I can afford to fix it up, I think I will. (right now i graduated school, living at home with parents, dont have any loans to pay, but I'm in need of a job! lol)
Alot. Just think, a decent paint job can cost anywhere from $1000 to $2000. And thats just for paint. You add in not just bondo bodywork but patch panels.. It can get expensive.
Thats an idea. I would either drive the car as a beater, part it out, or sell it. I wouldn't put that much money into a maxima.
Or would I get more from parting it out? How much could I get from selling the parts?
05-19-2006, 05:52 PM
#32
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Originally Posted by clive
... If I just replace the rocker panel will the unibody still keep on rusting? even if no moisture gets caught in there?
- Yes it will.
It reminds me very much of an MGC convertible I bought to restore. Another unibody. It looked just like that.
Now bear in mind that I already possessed an air compressor and air tools including a power chisel and buffing gear; an oxy-acetylene set; a spray gun and lots of primer / red oxide and so forth; and had quite a lot of experience on body work.
I started on that MGC and chiseled off the rocker panel and found even more rust further along, hidden. When I started removing it (using an air tool device that fires a cluster of miniature rods at it), great piles of rust came flying off and it was soon obvious that the whole unibody cross section was f***ed.
So I got out the oxy acetylene and started welding - and you know what? You can't weld onto rust.
By the time I had found sheet metal of a sufficient thickness, I had wasted half a pack of 1/16 rod and I was starting to get into brazing rod because the metal was so thin it wouldn't take a melt pool. And then the big issue comes: how the hell do you replace the cross section of the unibody - that's the inner rocker area - because that's where all the structural strength comes from.
I found a specialist supplier of unibody cross sectional parts but the amount of labour, over and on top of what I had already done, was mind-numbing. It was costing me a packet in oxygen and acetylene too. I ended up parting the car out for spares And this was on a car that already had classic status! Not like the Max.
Oh BTW arc welding on sheet metal is a nightmare. It can be done by a highly skilled welder but not by a beginner. Gas is better, but harder to learn.
OH! one more thing: the rust on the beam axle looks pretty damn serious. Another good reason to fail the safety test. That car can drop to bits in an accident.
- Yes it will.
It reminds me very much of an MGC convertible I bought to restore. Another unibody. It looked just like that.
Now bear in mind that I already possessed an air compressor and air tools including a power chisel and buffing gear; an oxy-acetylene set; a spray gun and lots of primer / red oxide and so forth; and had quite a lot of experience on body work.
I started on that MGC and chiseled off the rocker panel and found even more rust further along, hidden. When I started removing it (using an air tool device that fires a cluster of miniature rods at it), great piles of rust came flying off and it was soon obvious that the whole unibody cross section was f***ed.
So I got out the oxy acetylene and started welding - and you know what? You can't weld onto rust.
By the time I had found sheet metal of a sufficient thickness, I had wasted half a pack of 1/16 rod and I was starting to get into brazing rod because the metal was so thin it wouldn't take a melt pool. And then the big issue comes: how the hell do you replace the cross section of the unibody - that's the inner rocker area - because that's where all the structural strength comes from.
I found a specialist supplier of unibody cross sectional parts but the amount of labour, over and on top of what I had already done, was mind-numbing. It was costing me a packet in oxygen and acetylene too. I ended up parting the car out for spares And this was on a car that already had classic status! Not like the Max.
Oh BTW arc welding on sheet metal is a nightmare. It can be done by a highly skilled welder but not by a beginner. Gas is better, but harder to learn.
OH! one more thing: the rust on the beam axle looks pretty damn serious. Another good reason to fail the safety test. That car can drop to bits in an accident.
If its possible to fix it up, my thoughts would be hey why not. even if it takes a lot of time and money, at least 'you' restored your car.
i'd have to say im going to have to start learning some things though, and buying some tools, heh. I dont know what an oxy-acetylene set is, a brazing rod, or a melt pool.
I know there are several ways of removing paint and rust, and im not sure i understand all of them.
I've heard of an acid dip (which gets rid of all the old paint and maybe some rust?) I've heard of sandblasting (which i dont see how that wouldnt ruin all your metal, lol)
And I've heard of the thing you just mentioned rod blasting.
And of course then there is sanding by hand or with a tool to remove surface rust,
and cutting off whole rusted sections with tools.
So which combination of these methods works best, and how much do sandblasters, rod blasters, and acid dips cost?
05-19-2006, 05:54 PM
#33
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 93
Originally Posted by ALSOUSA99MAXIMA
^^^its already 2 late
the trick is finding a good unibody for as cheap as possible. Do Nissan parts dealers even sell unibodies? I know you can get fenders and stuff (at astronomical prices)
Then there is always finding pieces at the junk yard, or just buying another car and swapping parts in.
or at the very worst, buying another car and selling my car away.
but first i want to check and see if there is any possible way of getting the unibody repaired.
05-19-2006, 06:43 PM
#35
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 93
Originally Posted by f550maranello2
man that kind of rust is irreverable... man get a new car.. sorry dont mean to be an A$$ but its true
05-19-2006, 09:03 PM
#36
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (29)
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Kernersville, NC
Posts: 1,766
Here is a good thread on bodywork: http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=44602
05-19-2006, 11:39 PM
#37
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 93
Originally Posted by phatmax95
Here is a good thread on bodywork: http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=44602
05-20-2006, 07:26 AM
#38
100% chingon
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,003
I have to agree about selling it before it's too late. I have made the same mistake more than once and there are not enough hours in the day to repair that kind of rust. With rust, you can bet there is at least three times as much as you can actually see.
If you could find a very cheap Max with a blown engine or tranny then you could swap your decent parts into it and part out the surplus, that would be my first choice.
If you could find a very cheap Max with a blown engine or tranny then you could swap your decent parts into it and part out the surplus, that would be my first choice.
05-20-2006, 07:42 AM
#39
100% chingon
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,003
Originally Posted by krillbee
sounds like fun
i'd have to say im going to have to start learning some things though, and buying some tools, heh. I dont know what an oxy-acetylene set is, a brazing rod, or a melt pool.
I know there are several ways of removing paint and rust, and im not sure i understand all of them.
I've heard of an acid dip (which gets rid of all the old paint and maybe some rust?) I've heard of sandblasting (which i dont see how that wouldnt ruin all your metal, lol)
And I've heard of the thing you just mentioned rod blasting.
And of course then there is sanding by hand or with a tool to remove surface rust,
and cutting off whole rusted sections with tools.
So which combination of these methods works best, and how much do sandblasters, rod blasters, and acid dips cost?
i'd have to say im going to have to start learning some things though, and buying some tools, heh. I dont know what an oxy-acetylene set is, a brazing rod, or a melt pool.
I know there are several ways of removing paint and rust, and im not sure i understand all of them.
I've heard of an acid dip (which gets rid of all the old paint and maybe some rust?) I've heard of sandblasting (which i dont see how that wouldnt ruin all your metal, lol)
And I've heard of the thing you just mentioned rod blasting.
And of course then there is sanding by hand or with a tool to remove surface rust,
and cutting off whole rusted sections with tools.
So which combination of these methods works best, and how much do sandblasters, rod blasters, and acid dips cost?
Basically, you start by supporting the car off the ground so you can work on it more comfortably. Then you take a drill to the outer sill and drill out the spot welds. You finish the job of removing it with a hammer and cold chisel, or a power chisel if you've got air tools.
Then, you use the hammer and chisel to cut out all the bad rust. The problem here is knowing where to stop. If you can stop... because neither fibreglass nor welding can work on rust.
Hopefully there exists a body parts supplier that can let you have repair sections such as the inner sill. If not, frankly, it is virtually impossible because you'd need to fabricate the complex shape yourself using the facilities of a sheet metal fabricator.
Anyway, you cut - using chisel, hacksaw, and a right angle cutting wheel - the rusted section out, and fit in a piece of inner sill, cut to fit. Then you grip it in place using welder's clamps. Then you either tack it with arc, using a light touch, or (my preference) braze it in using brass rod and oxy-acetylene. You need a friend standing next to you with a fire extinguisher and hose...
Finally you coat everything with two coats of red oxide paint.
After you fix the inner sill you buy an outer sill from a body parts place and tack it on with arc or gas welding. Then you proceed to paint it.
Rust like you have on the boot (US: trunk) is fixable easily. It isn't structural. You can get away with cutting back to bare metal and using fibreglass, then sand/paint. Same goes for anywhere non-structural. NOT for structural parts, need steel for strength or you're driving a death trap. There have been cases in the UK where people bought cars that looked great, but were all fixed up with 'cocky' (what we call bondo) and then in an accident they literally fell apart and the people were killed.
Having said all that, I became fascinated by bodywork and personally I much much prefer doing bodywork than mechanical work. The moment when all the prep is done, and you start making passes with the paint gun . . . pure magic. You feel like you're Harry Potter.
05-20-2006, 01:05 PM
#40
It is repairable but I wouldn't waste my money on a ten year old car that is in such bad shape. You will spend thousands trying to get all the rust cut out and new metal put in its place. IMO the body is too far gone unless you plan on keeping it for a while and you think it is worth it. The money you spend on the repairs would almost be the value of the car, 95-96s go for 2500 here.