body shop questions

[berge]

picked up a 1994 accord wagon with 130km./80miles with ALL service records since day one.
owner didn't believe in rustproofing and we live in ontario where snow is fought with salt. there's rust at both rear quarters and since this car is a keeper, I want to get it fixed, properly.

what's the best way to deal with this? bondo, cut/weld new metal, can we still get new quarters from honda/aftermarket? what kinds of questions should I be asking the bodyshop.

thanks

 

[frankiee]

Know that rusting is galvanic corrosion. There is an anode and a cathode in the metal body like a battery. The electrons go from anode (fenders) to the cathode (likely somewhere under the car where the salt water can carry away the (hydrogen)?)
The key is to stop the water from hitting the cathode (under the car) and not just replacing the rusted metal of the fenders.
I also live in Ontario (Owen Sound) and I think you have a fight on your hands to make it stop rusting after it has started. The shop should have ways to concentrate on sealing the bottom of the vehicle from the spray of winter.
Personally I am not a body worker but I know if you take some sheet metal and put it outside in the rain with a coin on top of it for a while, that the rust will form under the coin. That says that we just cant take bondo and slap it on or we will end up making more rust. We must find the cathode (exposed metal where rain can contact it) and deal with it first.

 

[George7941]

I also live in Ontario (Toronto) and I have a 1986 F250 truck and I have spent about $5000 over the last seven years on body work to keep the truck looking reasonably decent. I don't think there is any way you are going to avoid rust. Rustproofing only helps to a limited extent. Unless you can do bodywork yourself expect to spend money maintaining the body of the car. I will be scrapping my truck in a couple of years because it becomes just too expensive to maintain the sheetmetal after the vehicle is about twenty years old. This is of course with winter driving in Toronto. In milder climates I am sure you can keep a vehicle much longer. Only reason I have kept the truck for so long is that it runs on propane and is therefore very economical.

 

[kloppilt]

That's a known problem - rust at the rear wheel well, near the bumper - for early 90-s Accords.

 

[Mud]

The only way is to replace the rust with new metal. As noted above, it's a matter of time before the new metal eventually rust too, but that's a few years away.
Bondo is not waterproof - it will allow moisture to develop behind it and will then develop blistering as it pops off of the surface.
You can cut out the rusted areas and weld in new metal - either small areas or the entire quarter panels. Depends on the ability of the body shop and the depth of your wallet.
After the new metal (or quarters) are welded in, there needs to be some type of undercoating material applied to the back of the steel as soon as possible. Interior trim may need to be removed and access holes drilled to access the back of the repair area.
The top surface of the repair can be protected by using a metal etching cleaner, then appying a good epoxy sealer/primer. This would be followed by the color/clear paint coats.
As kloppit said, some vehicles are known to rust in certain areas due to moisture being retained behind the panels.
You should be able to get whatever body repair panels you need as far as availability.

 

[labman]

Bondo is for fixing up a car to sell. Plan on redoing it in a year or 2. Don't forget fiberglass. Some of the fiberglass on my truck is over 15 years old. Biggest problem is rust continuing under where it is bonded to the metal.

 

[berge]

got three quotes from reputable shops. not worth it to purchase new quarters as they will cut out and make new pieces. not as bad as I thought. around 2200-2400 cdn.

thanks all.