I've treated my little Pacific to some TLC this weekend. Joining the list of things to fix are some rust issues, namely a bubble on the left front wing and under the seam under the driver's side rear door. Costly fixes?

fixing it properly would entail sanding it back to the bare metal, filling, primer, then spraying the whole panel. i reckon a decent independent body workshop would charge about £300 to do it properly.

All these jobs are starting to add up to more than a solid replacement!!

It'd probably be more economical to just get a brand new wing painted - it's the prep work that really bumps the cost up. As for underneath the sill I'm sure just a local rub down and touch up would suffice, as it's hardly going to be easily seen.

Ive done this many times

Or you can pay lots of money to a body shop :wonder:

Loads of body filler Here

Wot about a sanding disk

Some paint ?

A new wing for £39 + p&p duuno wot body shop charges\to fit and paint tho, maybe £300 odd ?

This thing comes in very handy

Actually Jorily is pretty good

Edited 25 January, 201115 yr by iansmith

Or, how about buying this, swapping the wheels and the wing, and selling it on

Ive done this many times

Or you can pay lots of money to a body shop :wonder:

yes, that would be my exact method too, but sadly you can't do it like that with metallic paints otherwise the repair will stick out like a saw thumb, the entire panel would need to be painted then laquered

yes, that would be my exact method too, but sadly you can't do it like that with metallic paints otherwise the repair will stick out like a saw thumb, the entire panel would need to be painted then laquered

Yeah, best to check for that..

Mind you metallic paint optional on the 'Pacific' says Parkers..

She's definitely metallic Lagoon Blue, unfortunately from this perspective - although looks lovely!

I got a new wing fitted and painted for the pug when someone drove into me for £200 at a little back street garage. Did a proper good job too!

Just been out and totted up the full extent of the 'worm'.

1) Spot about the size of a 10p piece on the left front wing where it meets the bumper.

2) A couple of pockmarks around the left front arch.

3) Both rear wheelarches behind the rear doors - the previous owner looks to have hit the same low post or stone on each side - matching wrinkles in the body with matching rust now forming.

4) Seam inside the right rear door on the floor right where the drain hole in the bottom of the door appears. The seam on the other side looks watertight, I don't think Pavel was as conscientious with this one! Let it go and it will become a structural problem. Yeugh!

I've got a rust killing kit from Halfords, at this early stage it won't take too much to scrub these bits up, slap the killer on and prime it. Trouble is getting the metallic paint to match... bums, might need a pro.

You can get a metallic touch-up kit from Skoda for about £12 - you get two little 150ml spray cans of base coat and lacquer. Should be the best match, but I've yet to put mine into action so I can't say for sure.

You can get a metallic touch-up kit from Skoda for about £12 - you get two little 150ml spray cans of base coat and lacquer. Should be the best match, but I've yet to put mine into action so I can't say for sure.

Just a bit worried that it will look a bit of a bodge job with metallics. I had a brand new Ford done professionally a few years back - twice after I compleined the first time - they never got it right.

3) Both rear wheelarches behind the rear doors - the previous owner looks to have hit the same low post or stone on each side - matching wrinkles in the body with matching rust now forming.

I suspect, that the wheel arches both sides have had some welding or been replaced. My brothers of simillar vintage had his sorted 2 years ago when it failed the MOT. I wouldnt think identical damage could be caused both sides. My brothers is now rusting along the 'wrinkles' again, and will need to be sorted once more.

I suspect, that the wheel arches both sides have had some welding or been replaced. My brothers of simillar vintage had his sorted 2 years ago when it failed the MOT. I wouldnt think identical damage could be caused both sides. My brothers is now rusting along the 'wrinkles' again, and will need to be sorted once more.

That doesn't sound so hot if it's in the seam in the door as well... hmmm.

Thank you for the heads-up!

I hate to say it, but it is after all a 12 year old car. 12 year old cars rust and there is little you can do to stop it, you can slow it down but it will be back.

Took it to a dealer's bodyshop on Monday. He said there's nothing structural yet in the seam and that if he was selling it a good buff with T-Cut would get the worst of the brown-ness out of the visible spots. I think I'm going to put the rust killer, primer and paint on myself and polish it into submission.

Is there any way to Waxoyl the sill area if I do that and bolt on some Ellri wheelarch extensions?

If you lift up the sill trims and pull back the carpet, there are holes to the insides of the sills there - they should be mostly filled with foam-type stuff from the factory, but there should be room to poke a longish flexible nozzle in and cover pretty much the whole area. It is possible to get the sill trims off without removing the B-pillar trim, but it takes a bit of violence and bending; the proper way is to take off the seatbelt hanger and unscrew the upper B-pillar trim first. The remote boot release makes the driver's side a little more complicated too.

do you mean the lower outer sills? there is a rubber bung at the end inside each wheel arch to access the sill panel, they often get mudded up with crud so you can't see them

Many thanks fellas.

In true Andy Gray style I've marked where the problem areas are. On the leading edge of both rear wheelarches you'll find the wrinkles that I thought had occurred from hitting something low and solid but are apparently a bodged rust makeover.

Behind the rear passenger door is the seam that's solid on the passenger's side but struggling a bit on the driver's side.

My feeling is to catch it, kill it and fill the sill with Waxoyl - what do you think?

what is the general condition of the outer sills underneath?

Hi Tom,

Overall pretty good. The wrinkles and rust are above the floor level, everything below seems OK at the moment.

i would just grind back the rust and fibreglass it then!

Hmmm... stay tuned! :(

Used to do the body/paint thing. Mostly bits outdoors now. Just a few words that may help. The only fill that really works where the steel has perforated is metal. Fresh steel welded in or high tin solder.

Rust will sread unless you remove it completely or denature it and then prevent the oxidisation process returning/continuing.

Polyester body fillers are porous and for filling dents not rust repairs,

Sorry if this sounds pedantic or patronising. neither intended.

Welding up holes and completely removing any oxidiation by sand blasting is good.

Will just have a go at the bubble on the wing as on drive or street.

A bubble is usually a filler repair that has absorbed water. Lots of uneven small ones sort of joined together, rusty metal under paint.

This bubble is on my blue metallic felicia 6" forward of the door edge and 6" from the wingtop.

With the £10 argos angle grinder that`s been borrowed from Tom the paint is removed and down to the base metal (or lack of it). A hole appears so filling is needed. Would weld a piece in, but no welder. The hole is small and the decision is made to solder a 2p into it. Epoxy putty is waterproof so that would be the next best repair. The metal is tinned using solder paint, as is the coin, recessed slightly and filed to an edge so its easier to seal the back later. Semi molten Tinmans solder is applied whilst the back of the coin is secured in place with a (telescopic) magnet held by a glamorous assistant (optional) or 2 horseshoe ones. The magnets don`t like heat but there`s always a sacrifice. Wearing mask and gloves the lead is planed or filed to a near shape. Epoxy putty is used as a filler (£1, 2pack tube) Smoothing it before its cured as its very hard to sand, The area (keeping as small as possible) is sanded (80`s grit) back to the repair and (original) paint. A slight amount of heat distortion is tapped as straight as possible and the area smoothed with polyester (normal) filler and sanded , Prime with a rattle can, keeping as dry as possible for the next 24 hrs then flat with 800`s.

The aerosol is 2 stage mat paint then clear, the clear must be uv resistant, motor paint factors stock it. Tcut a large surrounding area. With a sweeping motion lightly coat the repair with basecoat fading out towards the edges so any colour difference is gradual and opacity is achieved over the repair. Leave till dry but not longer than an hour, then use the lacquer over the whole area thats been tcut. Lightly flat (1200`s) after 24 and polish with compound to get a finish and hide the edges. Seal the back of repair.

My 2p`s worth. cheers rolo.