Rear side panel putty/rust - Replace or sell?

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jsisas
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Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2020 10:01 pm
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Rear side panel putty/rust - Replace or sell?

Post by jsisas »

I brought my car to the body shop for some beauty procedures. While it was there I was notified that both of my rear panels are built from putty.
The wheel arches looked fine from the inside, So I don't think the rust has gotten very far. But the body lines are built from putty and I can imagine it is very hard to get those body lines back from metal if they are already gone.

Sorry if the topic is very subjective, I just don't know what to do at this point. :cry:
Last edited by jsisas on Fri May 27, 2022 3:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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wattsmonkey
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Re: Rear side panel putty/rust - Replace or sell?

Post by wattsmonkey »

What's the line from "Chernobyl"? "Not great, not terrible."

You won't find one that isn't rusty unless it's lived its whole life in a dry environment. You're looking to assess the quality of previous repairs on whatever else you might buy...so you may well be better off fixing this one.

I'm in the UK - they all look a bit like this until they get fixed. After a decade-or-so they look like this again unless they have been meticulously cared for.

Your front wings look great, the roof looks okay.

Sills always go, although yours do look grim.

The rear panel can be repaired - I don't know the story of the hole under the filler, but that's going to let the moisture in.

I dare say you've got an idea how expensive this gets, but the value of restored cars has increased enormously.

Did you get to enjoy driving this before the bodyshop of horrors?
"Most of it necessary; all of it enjoyable." LJKS
'84 635CSi, dogleg...itbs and supercharger????? Eaton Mess
jsisas
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Location: Manchester

Re: Rear side panel putty/rust - Replace or sell?

Post by jsisas »

Accidental double post
Last edited by jsisas on Fri May 27, 2022 3:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jsisas
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Re: Rear side panel putty/rust - Replace or sell?

Post by jsisas »

Sills always go, although yours do look grim.

The body shop guy assured me that they can be saved. We had a deal that he will fix everything so it will hopefully last about 5 years. So I can get all the funds needed, hopefully sooner than 5 to get it fixed. He fixed the big hole and sprayed anti-corrosion on the rest of the sill.

The rear panel can be repaired - I don't know the story of the hole under the filler, but that's going to let the moisture in.
The hole was welded, but the rest was not touched in the body shop as I did not have a spare rear panel.
By repair, do you mean actually repair this part or weld in a new one? If you mean repair, I was assured at the body shop that the body lines are really hard to get right again and it should be easier to just buy new rear wings. While easier the end result should also be better.

I dare say you've got an idea how expensive this gets, but the value of restored cars has increased enormously.

When I have done calculations, to restore this car it will cost about 9k€ in parts and about 10k€ for the body (fully strip, welded, and put back together). I bought the car for 10k€ last summer.

Did you get to enjoy driving this before the body shop of horrors?

I got to drive it before the body shop of horrors. It drove before and still drives like a dream, I love it. This was basically the car I was looking for, the colors are correct it has almost all of the extras. The engine starts up from the first turn without any issues. The only problems are the electrical wiring and body. Those two are the really bad sides of this car.
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olympia57
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Re: Rear side panel putty/rust - Replace or sell?

Post by olympia57 »

Your car looked lovely but let me give you my honest assessment based on your photos .
The sills require replacement and will certainly require further extensive work on the internal structure . The sills consist of three sections pinch welded along the lower flange .The photos show evidence of distortion due to rust on the underfloor photo along the length of the car . This is the area that has been recently "undersealed " . The flat floor repair is also very poorly done and probably/possibly symptomatic of the work done to the rest of the car . The quantity and depth of filler used throughout would concern me and cause me to question what is actually underneath it all .
The rear wing "hole " above the arch curve is in the immediate vicinity of where a section of absorbent sponge is fitted from new between the inner wheel arch and outer metal which will cause corrosion from the inside . This will be exacerbated if the wheel arch area has been rusted through allowing moisture /water to continually soak into said material.
The roof area rust is considerable even though metal removed. I see a crack and what looks to be filler on the front wings so I'd be stripping them right back to bare metal . That door will haunt you forever with rust returning along the flanges .
It's more what I haven't seen that concerns me , what are the inner wings like , the rear subframe mounts , as said the inner sill areas , has the LH floor been patched too, rear light areas , the inner and outer wheel arches , screen surrounds , battery /screen wash bottle area.......
The body structure on these cars is not complex but requires a lot of ( expensive ) time to restore it correctly .I did mine myself but know just how long that took .
I applaud you for considering the sums to be spent on it and realise that you are in a difficult position but before I committed that amount of capital into the car ( especially when been done by a professional garage at current labour rates ) I'd do a full root and branch examination of the structure which would require some outer panels to be opened up for internal viewing .
I think you may have a car that will require continuous rectification to maintain it to your level of expectations .
But you are already committed so my advice would be to expect , plan and budget for a higher than expected financial cost .
I remember vividly the moment that I discovered the extent of the work required on mine and the quandary that faced me , if you bite the bullet stay with it to the end .
I wish you good luck and the offer of any help I can give .
Don
1981 635 series 1
jsisas
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Re: Rear side panel putty/rust - Replace or sell?

Post by jsisas »

I think you may have a car that will require continuous rectification to maintain it to your level of expectations .
But you are already committed so my advice would be to expect , plan and budget for a higher than expected financial cost .

Thats whats scares me. I Know its a old car, it is expected to keep working on it. But I wouldnt want to bring it to the shop for bodywork every Five years.

If that is really true i feel like i would be better off with another car. I would love to restore it and keep it that way, but I wouldnt want it to be endless money Pit. But maybe I am expecting too much from a sunday car, since i havent had one before. Maybe its Normal to bring it to shop for bodywork every Five years to get that rust out again.

What I am saying is maybe I am expecting too much from a car thats about 40years old. Maybe it is to be expected to keep "rectifying" it.
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