DaveD

iTrader: (2)

After 10 years in the UK, my WRX is getting a bit crusty round the edges.
The rear arches are now quite rusty, which seems to be due to moisture getting between the interior sealant and the arch - ie; they're rusting from the inside, out. Therefore, the rust that is visible outside is probably 10 times worse than it looks!



As the car is no longer worth anything much, I thought I might take a bash at a DIY repair. I'm planning to cut out as much as I dare around the arch and use mesh / fibreglass to bridge the hole.

The only issue that I can think of is, how much flex is there likely to be between the inner and outer wing with all that (rusty) metal removed? I'm a bit worried that when I take the first corner, all my fibreglass is going to pop open!

In an ideal world, I'd like to replace with metal, but I haven't welded for about 15 years, and imagine I'd make quite a mess. So, what's the opinion, is a fibreglass bodge going to be ok?

rickbartlett

get someone to weld metal,job done then,filler will always crack in the end

DaveD

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the quick reply!

Ideally, I would take it somewhere to be treated, but I got quoted well over £200 to do a weld repair (for each side), which I'd rather spend on keeping the car running, and possibly a professional re-spray to blend-in the repairs.
Totting-up a cam belt change and other bits and pieces, I'd be spending more than the car's worth if I were to get a body shop to do the complete repair!

scoobwrx94import

if it was mine i would go to scrappies find a mullerd scooby that has decent arches and cut them out and then cut ures out and reweld new ones in not that hard to be honest mate

Off Your Marks

iTrader: (3)

there is only 1 way - cut it out and weld in new otherwise it will be back. simple as that and dont let anyone tell you different

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Thats definately a cut out job, if it were just starting then you could have saved them with a visit to a good paint shop, but thats got its claws all the way through the metal by the looks, going to cost a fair bit more to sort out

Tony

jonny_693

iTrader: (5)

Don't waste your time with filler on that. I have recently done one of my back arch's. I have very little bodywork experience and had never welded a car before but its turned out quite well. Buy yourself a cheap mig of ebay, I would recomend one that takes gas and 0.6mm wire and but weld new metal in. I manged ok with a gasless mig but it would of been much easier with gas. I took a lot of inspiration from here - http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/

Total cost including buying the welder was probably £120.

Oh, and buy good quality paint not halfrauds