How hard is it to fix rust??
10-28-2010, 07:29 PM
#1
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Location: South Dakota
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How hard is it to fix rust??
I see a lot of u guys on the org work on ur own cars...which is great. Unfortunately I have no clue how to do body work. My maxima's rust is really startin to irritate me and i want to do something about it. i know its going to be expensive to take it to a shop. the major issue with my car is the rocker panels which are rusted out...and i have some little surface rust here and there. so how hard is it to replace a rocker panel and what can i do to take care of the surface rust??
10-28-2010, 09:41 PM
#4
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Location: South Dakota
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ditchin it is not an option for me...this car's my baby n she has potential...plus u kno how long it took me to find one of these cars around here??...i bought it to be a project and i plan to go thru with it....unless i find an rb25 240sx 
10-28-2010, 10:07 PM
#6
all because of rust 
cmon, rust isnt hard to do. the supplies to fix it yourself are $500ish, less if you have some needed supplies laying around. its just time consuming to do it properly, but well worth it. shops charge so much to do it because you get raped by labour cost, doing it yourself isnt that hard.
OP have any pics of the rust?
cmon, rust isnt hard to do. the supplies to fix it yourself are $500ish, less if you have some needed supplies laying around. its just time consuming to do it properly, but well worth it. shops charge so much to do it because you get raped by labour cost, doing it yourself isnt that hard. OP have any pics of the rust?
10-28-2010, 10:09 PM
#7
and yep you have to get down to clean metal, light spots you can probably get the rust out with a sander but the thicker/hard to reach places are probably better suited for a angle grinder
i did it the Bondo way, a bit came back of course but its so light that i can just get by with a sander and do it in 2-3 days tops.
i did it the Bondo way, a bit came back of course but its so light that i can just get by with a sander and do it in 2-3 days tops.
10-28-2010, 10:34 PM
#8
I had my mother in laws alcoholic bum of a neighbor fix and spot paint mine for a hundred bucks. Body work for me is something I am not good at because it takes a lot of patience something I lack. So find someone that knows how to do that stuff but isn't a shop or anything to do it for you. Search on craigslist there's a lot of guys out there doing body work from their homes or even they'll come to your garage and do it and a lot of them want crap like tv's and other electronics you may have something one of them wants 
10-29-2010, 11:35 AM
#9
I am having my rockers done right now. You can check out my gallery photos to see the in depth work involved. This is just me but I am picky about the work done. I dont want just anybody doing the work and having bondo in there. Not that there aren't guys out there that can do it far cheaper then a bodyshop and get the same results but I just prefer to go the bodyshop way because I know I will get the results that I am looking for. If you go with fiberglass be aware that sometimes the stuff does not line up as perfect as OEM parts. It might not be the same with rockers but I know from fenders that fiberglass or carbon fiber that stuff never really lines up as perfect as geniune Nissan parts. And you are not really saving any weight by going to fiberglass or carbon fiber. If you have held a Nissan fender up those things weight almost nothing to begin with.
To remove the rocker panel you are going to have to cut the weld from the quater panel. If this is a project car that you are looking to build up and not just fix up and sell then I would go with the geniune nissan parts and take it to a person that has the tools and the knowledge to complete the job. The geniune nissan rocker is in no way cheap I think it is costing me $960 just for the part on one side. The quaterpanel is around $650. As you probably already know you will never get back what you put into the car. I am putting in over $5000 in rust repair (and that is only one quater panel, one rocker, and a lower radiator support. I still have another rocker to do, part of the other quaterpanel, and both fenders) for a car that is probably worth no more then $1000. But if this is your baby then the cost is well worth. My maxima is my first car and I think the cost out ways the means. To go all Yoda on you "Worth it rust repair is"
To remove the rocker panel you are going to have to cut the weld from the quater panel. If this is a project car that you are looking to build up and not just fix up and sell then I would go with the geniune nissan parts and take it to a person that has the tools and the knowledge to complete the job. The geniune nissan rocker is in no way cheap I think it is costing me $960 just for the part on one side. The quaterpanel is around $650. As you probably already know you will never get back what you put into the car. I am putting in over $5000 in rust repair (and that is only one quater panel, one rocker, and a lower radiator support. I still have another rocker to do, part of the other quaterpanel, and both fenders) for a car that is probably worth no more then $1000. But if this is your baby then the cost is well worth. My maxima is my first car and I think the cost out ways the means. To go all Yoda on you "Worth it rust repair is"
10-29-2010, 03:42 PM
#10
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i dont have any pics of the rust but i'll post a pic of the car...it's in otherwise good condition and it runs like a champ...engine and drivetrain are strong.
i asked my uncle today if he'd do it for me but he said he dont have the equipments or place to do it. i gotta find a way to deal with this rust situation without spending an arm n a leg...im on a tight budget
i asked my uncle today if he'd do it for me but he said he dont have the equipments or place to do it. i gotta find a way to deal with this rust situation without spending an arm n a leg...im on a tight budget
Last edited by ivorton23; 10-29-2010 at 04:53 PM.
10-29-2010, 04:48 PM
#12
That is for sure.... if the car is not that bad let it slide till you can do it right. I am doing mine because they are completely rotted out.
10-29-2010, 05:27 PM
#14
it is not worth investing in the car if it has rust, it's an uphill battle. i will repeat what i said earlier, ditch it for something with a clean body. the money you'll spend fixing it, sell yours and get a lower mileage + cleaner max
10-29-2010, 08:42 PM
#15
That is a matter of opinion. I dont disagree with the fact that he would save a boat load of money if he found a low mileage, rust free maxima. But this guy has to ask himself is it worth it to him to go that far. Look at my case...$5000+ in rust repair that is an obscene amount of money to spend on something that is not worth it and never will be worth but if I went and found another maxima with no rust low mileage I would not have the passion to perform it or doing anything to it. My max being my first car has so much senitmental value that even if I have to spend another $10,000 on rust repair it would be worth it. A lot of guys that I have met off the org have done all kinds of performance mods only to sell the car literally the next day. If that is not wasting money then nothing is. Even if I stop driving the car I would not sell it. I would take if off the road and store it. That is how much the car means to me. All am saying is if this guy has the passion to fix it up then any amount of money is worth it. And hell it makes great stories down the line. A bunch of old farts sitting around at some car meet 40 years down the road
"Ha you only spent that much on your car...well let me tell you a little story about my maxima".
10-29-2010, 09:56 PM
#16
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@ianc83....dawg i couldn't have said it better myself!!! thank u....see this guy understands what im talkin bout....u know how many ppl i've seen...even on tv...takin old rusty pieces of crap and turnin them into masterpieces??...some spend tens of thousands of dollar on a car they bought for only a couple hundred bucks at least....go say that to Barry White or Chip Foose...they'd probably cuss u up!!
10-29-2010, 11:02 PM
#19
you can upload it to www.photobucket.com or www.tinypic.com
honestly if theres not a ton of eaten through parts, i would fix it
honestly if theres not a ton of eaten through parts, i would fix it
10-30-2010, 07:32 AM
#20
You couldn't get away saying that its not worth it to a person that finds some old 36 ford or 60's cady, or any old timer type of car that wants to restore that.
That is a matter of opinion. I dont disagree with the fact that he would save a boat load of money if he found a low mileage, rust free maxima. But this guy has to ask himself is it worth it to him to go that far. Look at my case...$5000+ in rust repair that is an obscene amount of money to spend on something that is not worth it and never will be worth but if I went and found another maxima with no rust low mileage I would not have the passion to perform it or doing anything to it. My max being my first car has so much senitmental value that even if I have to spend another $10,000 on rust repair it would be worth it. A lot of guys that I have met off the org have done all kinds of performance mods only to sell the car literally the next day. If that is not wasting money then nothing is. Even if I stop driving the car I would not sell it. I would take if off the road and store it. That is how much the car means to me. All am saying is if this guy has the passion to fix it up then any amount of money is worth it. And hell it makes great stories down the line. A bunch of old farts sitting around at some car meet 40 years down the road
"Ha you only spent that much on your car...well let me tell you a little story about my maxima".
That is a matter of opinion. I dont disagree with the fact that he would save a boat load of money if he found a low mileage, rust free maxima. But this guy has to ask himself is it worth it to him to go that far. Look at my case...$5000+ in rust repair that is an obscene amount of money to spend on something that is not worth it and never will be worth but if I went and found another maxima with no rust low mileage I would not have the passion to perform it or doing anything to it. My max being my first car has so much senitmental value that even if I have to spend another $10,000 on rust repair it would be worth it. A lot of guys that I have met off the org have done all kinds of performance mods only to sell the car literally the next day. If that is not wasting money then nothing is. Even if I stop driving the car I would not sell it. I would take if off the road and store it. That is how much the car means to me. All am saying is if this guy has the passion to fix it up then any amount of money is worth it. And hell it makes great stories down the line. A bunch of old farts sitting around at some car meet 40 years down the road
"Ha you only spent that much on your car...well let me tell you a little story about my maxima".
at the end of the day it's your call good luck
10-30-2010, 08:30 AM
#22
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 17
What I did with my Maxima which was rusted around the front and rear fenders as well as my rockers. I went to my local parts and auto body shop, matched up my paint codes. bought two cans of paint, primer, a can of rubberised tar and sandpaper. Rubberised the crap out of my rockers, then sanded the rusted areas of the fenders primed and painted slowly blending the paint in with the original, she looks great just be patient. This method cost me all of $35 cheep easy fix
10-30-2010, 08:46 AM
#23
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I ain't ditching my car!! The rust is not all that bad...the car is very solid...besides I talked to a guy last night and he said he could fix them for about 300 or 400 bucks...dats a sweet deal...I could afford that and I will have him sand out all the tiny surface rust...it's gonna be all good...I'll post a vid of the car later
10-30-2010, 08:55 AM
#24
Do it yourself, there's plenty of room for error/learning, my 11 year old daughter has helped me with my 93' Sentra. Worst case scenario is you do it wrong, the rot bleeds through and you just go over that area again. Bondo/grinding is cheaper/easier way to go but cutting/replacing the panels would be best. The bondo route can be done by anyone who is motivated enough to do the footwork or should I say handwork. Buy a good hand sander, variety of grit sand paper, bondo, primer and match up paint color. If you have a Dremel it would help for the tough areas but you can do with just a hand sander. I'm lucky that my Max didn't really have any bad area's and factory paint was taken care of by 1st owner(garage kept by 1st owner). The rocker panels is one of the bad areas on any auto and obviously the floor boards underneath. My older brother had a 260Z back in the day and it was pretty bad, Datsun was known for body rot back then but they have improved majorly over the years. My father had a 86' 300ZX w/turbo and even that had some rust problems 5 years later cause he was driving around NY during the winter in the snow. As you can tell in my opinion I would repair not get rid of your Max.
10-30-2010, 09:31 AM
#25
What about if the undercarriage is rusting? Is there specialty shops that look after those? Mine has two holes under the driver and passenger side where the jack is used. If so, how much do they charge for such repairs?
10-30-2010, 12:11 PM
#26
i dont know about under the car, i know my surface rust and a small eaten through piece on the right rear was quoted at minimum $2000, most likely $3k+. under the car would probably be just as bad
really i'm just going to keep going with the Bondo way every 2-3 years, the cars going to be used for racing in a bit and of course will get knocked around on the track so i cant see any need to replace the panels
i know some people on here have gotten clean rear quarter panels cut off of a clean junkyard car, i would love to do that because the right rear panel near the exhaust was eaten through, so i made up metal and fixed it and its come back already. the junkyard i always go to allows no power tools though, so the only way i could get a rear panel would probably be to tip some of the employees to do it for me
really i'm just going to keep going with the Bondo way every 2-3 years, the cars going to be used for racing in a bit and of course will get knocked around on the track so i cant see any need to replace the panels
i know some people on here have gotten clean rear quarter panels cut off of a clean junkyard car, i would love to do that because the right rear panel near the exhaust was eaten through, so i made up metal and fixed it and its come back already. the junkyard i always go to allows no power tools though, so the only way i could get a rear panel would probably be to tip some of the employees to do it for me
10-30-2010, 06:06 PM
#28
that car has serious cancer... id ditch that max in a heartbeat but i don't know who'd walk into that...i thought you were talking surface rust but that car is getting eaten alive.
since you seem determined good luck...
since you seem determined good luck...
10-30-2010, 07:04 PM
#30
I would make sure you are getting the metel replaced and not just having some guy bondo it all. $850 is dirt cheap to do both sides plus all the other rust spots seeing as one rocker not including the inside part cost me $960.00. If you go that route be sure to get some photos during and after so see the progress. Good Luck Man.
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