Wheel well rust repair cost?

T

The motor guy

Joined
Nov 29, 2009
Messages
10,258
I guess over the years a pile of leaves and dirt got up inside the wheel well and caused this rust. What would it cost to fix this? What all would they need to paint? Id prefer just that little section be painted

20260112_140144.webp
 
I'd start with getting some naval jelly rust converter. You'll likely have to get some bids as I'm guessing unless you can replace just that part from oem or the junkyard.
 
A new fender is the best way to deal with it for sure. For removal of the old one, purchase and installation of the new fender, prep and painting, it would be a few thousand but perhaps a bodyman can give a better idea.

The poor boy method would be your time, and two hundred worth of fibreglass, fiberglass bondo and ordinary bondo and glazing compound, sand paper, and purchasing an orbital sander if you don’t have one. Your choice. Also use breathing masks, cloth for sanding and cartridge type for painting and applying clear coat. Check out my posting. I did this type of work on my 18 year old 3/4 ton Suburban. YRMV

Snagglefoot

Post in thread 'GMT 900 Front Fender Rust'

Ok, here are some shots of my Rookie attempt to make my CIA Suburban look great again. I went for the poor boy option. To bridge the gap of missing section I put on a stick-on aluminum screen then stuck it to the metal with Bondo. I had to put the screen on top of the existing metal for the trick to work.

Then I laid 3 layers of fiberglass, then more Bondo. I used a product called USC Icing on top of that and finished with red Bondo Glazing. Then with lots of sanding I got it pretty smooth. It looked like a Palimino. Then 3 coats of primer and 3 coats of rattle can paint and three coats...
 
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The motor guy said:
Id rather have just that part repaired than a whole quarter panel that's not going to match. I thought they could just weld more on.
Click to expand...
If you weld more on you will warp the panel - even with a mig. Might be OK, might not. Then you have to try to blend the paint.
The rust will come back. There is no way to seal it like a new panel which is completely galvanized. Probably $1500 repair? Guessing.

If you took it to a shop they would replace the fender likely with aftermarket but possibly used and repaint.

I personally would try to find another Southern truck of the same color and get another front fender if possible. That would be the easiest, cheapest.
 
SC Maintenance said:
If you weld more on you will warp the panel - even with a mig. Might be OK, might not. Then you have to try to blend the paint.
The rust will come back. There is no way to seal it like a new panel which is completely galvanized. Probably $1500 repair? Guessing.

If you took it to a shop they would replace the fender likely with aftermarket but possibly used and repaint.

I personally would try to find another Southern truck of the same color and get another front fender if possible. That would be the easiest, cheapest.
Click to expand...
The motor guy said:
Id rather have just that part repaired than a whole quarter panel that's not going to match. I thought they could just weld more on.
Click to expand...

What SC Maintenance said, find one from the junk yard in the same color...did it once on a Grand Cherokee and it was perfect.
 
I would just buy a new low priced aftermarket fender. Some places sell them already painted for a low price. If you don't buy one painted I would just get a spray bomb and call it good. Once rust starts it's pretty much all over the entire vehicle and not an isolated panel.
 
I had the same conversation 30 years ago with a colleague. I had a rust hole in my front fender on an old squarebody. Since the lip was still there for structure, I wanted to either weld in a new piece, or fiberglass the hole. He said "replace the fender". So naturally I fiber-glassed the hole. The repair lasted about as long as it took to do it. I then attempted to MIG weld a patch into it (it was relatively flat and square), which cause the metal to buckle a little, and burnt through. I made a weak attempt at bondo-ing the patch to make it look better, but replaced the fender with a cheap aftermarket one shortly after. Its still on that truck...
 
I'd buy an aftermarket fender, coat the inside with a permanent anti-rust sealer (Cosmoline, etc.) and install it.
 
To be honest, like the OP says, he's not in a rust prone area. Its just that the leaves and dirt built up inside the lower section of the dog-leg of the fender. A new fender, with cosmoline or equivalent applied to the same area would help a lot. I have the same problem with 2008 Suburban. Without getting the vehicle up on a hoist its almost impossible to get that dirt out of there. A bottom jet car wash does not do much for that area.
 
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