Rust work - pro or myself?

Soldato
Joined
24 Oct 2002
Posts
5,103
Location
edinburgh
Hello guys. Well I'm like hardly ever in here. Sometimes to have a look at other cars but I think I've asked a question on a rare occassion. And today looks to be one of those days.

I've basically managed to kill off my civic 1.5 lsi coupe. It was a nice 95 with excellent bodywork but the previous owner thrashed it and me not letting off on the poor gal has led to her producing a dense blue smoke. Which means either piston rings, valves or guides are worn to non existance. Plus there is a peculiar rattle come from the car, assuming pistons are like gone. Its barely holding on and couldnt pass its MOT.

Well that would be my 4th car and my 2nd civic. Now onto my 3rd civic. A 93 1.5lsi hatch. I picked it up for a cool £300 some time ago and it only has 58,000 miles on the engine. Score! So Having driven 3-4 years I feel no need to thrash cars anymore and I'm going to preserve this one. None of the boy racer or ricer mods. Just a stock, clean civic.

Anyway one of the main problems on this car is extremely I mean ridiculously rusted rear arch and spots of rust in other places. Basically the arch is rusted so bad that it runs down under the side skirt where you are suppose to place the jack. I pulled off the side skirt and there is about 6 inches of metal missing where the jack is suppose to go :eek:

So I'm wondering whether this is a job I should do myself or if its better to take it to a professional and have them weld in new metal and get it done proper?

The car otherwise is in perfect shape or will be soon enough, so it seems worth the work. Thoughts on this?
 
The only way to correct missing metal on the sills is to replace it with new metal. Sills are classed as structural components so filler/mesh and so on doesn't cut it.

If you can weld, have a go, if not you will have to farm the work out.

Replacing the whole sill is neater but far pricier than having it patched, depending on the extent of the rot. Really, you need to get the plastic sideskirt off and have a good poke about with a light hammer.
 
I pulled off the skirt had a good look about. Put my fingers under there and it was basically fall apart like dirt. Not a pretty sight I swear, and it almost brought a grown man to tears :eek: love my cars.

Its suppose to be going into a garage for some work tomorrow and we were discussing cutting the sill and welding in some new metal. Not totally sure about it yet. I mean welding seems like the only way to go. You're right fibre glass just cannot be used. But then the arch, I'm not sure whether that should be another weld job or patch up with fibre glass. Its one of those have to see to know kinda things I guess. The sill is worse off than the arch cause I think you can reconstruct an arch.

I looked into a new panel but good God it costs more than an arm and a leg.
 
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