Body work

[lecrack]

I'm pretty clueless on what places charge for body work...I'm wondering if any of you might give me a clue.

The old 95 Sidekick I have is rusting out pretty bad around the rear wheel wells (on the sides of the vehicle). I'm guessing to actually repair it, the sections would have to be actually cut off and new metal welded on...Not sure...but it's pretty rusted through. I don't know how much someone would charge to repair those sections...or what my alternatives may be (other than just letting it rust away).

If it was just surface rust, I'd be better equipped to deal with it...but it's really rusted through all around that fender area and working it's way up. If body work is crazy-expensive, I'd like to do whatever I could to prevent the rust from spreading...but I'm not sure what that would be.

It doesn't look like there is a quarter panel that could be replaced...but maybe? If that was possible, maybe I could scrounge salvage yards or something. Ah...I'm screwed, aren't I?

[Hawaii Tracker]

Depends how pretty you want it to be... Carve out the old, rust treat the bare metal, pop rivet some new metal in, a slap of Bondo, file it down, sand it, primer, paint. Camo paint it, or Hurculine the body after with a roller...

[brucebolivar]

Camouflage FTW!!!

[Daryl]

As a body man for longer than most members have been alive, there is no easy permanent fix. It all comes down to how much can you spend, and how long must it last. The ONLY sure cure for rust is to remove it completely. The simple lines of the car means it is relatively easy to make repair panels. However visible rust is just that, it's visible. How bad is the car really? You need to take a real good look at it to determine the full extent of the damage. Sad to say, it may be too extensive to justify repairing. Then again, maybe not. E-mail me, and let me know where you live, I am in Wi also, and I may be able to help you out.
Daryl