Every area you mention is commonly rusted on these cars. You can buy patch panels from a variety of suppliers (Performance Years, AMES Performance, Year One, Sherman Associates, even Rock Auto and JC Whitney). I ordered all of my trunk repair panels from my local Auto Value store and I had them the next day, with no shipping charges.
Usually, if there are rust holes there is a significant area around the holes that is thin and weak. If you are planning to keep this car, I would recommend replacing sections of the floor pans, trunk floors and other panels instead of trying to weld up a lot of holes in thin areas.
Also, if the rusted areas are small, you can cut small patch panels and weld them in without having to replace large areas.
I don't know if you have a sandblaster near you, but you might want to get that car bead blasted to get down to clean metal. Rust is like an iceberg...what you see is typically about 10% of the total affected area.
I totally understand. I finished sanding floor and trunk and now I got it primed. As you can see there are few pin holes in the foot area only on front driver side floor and a couple pin holes in foot area on front passenger side. The trunk is another issue. About 1/3-1/2 of trunk pan has significant holes with two big holes or thin spots. In pics the brown colored spots on trunk floors are holes. I am hoping floor is salvageable without actual patches, but have accepted trunk will need patching or replacing.
I fully plan on getting car blasted, primed and sealed, then have all rust spots repaired so I have a solid foundation to start build up. I am hoping to get whole car blasted soon, but this my slow season for my business, so I will have to see if the money is available.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I just picked up a really nice, damage free original hood. The hood I I got with the car was bowed, had dents & ripples in skin, cracks & breaks in frame and had a poor repair done on it.
I did manage to get a really nice drive shaft as well. So now I am just missing a radiator, a front bumper, a rear spoiler and a few minor pieces.
Question, if I utilize patch panels for trunk or floor, won't it be obvious that a patch has been done? It seems like it won't blend as naturally as it would with the full floor or trunk replacement (which I really do not want to do).
Last edited by mrvandermey; 12-10-2012 at 01:49 PM.
Mrvandrmey, if your trunk is as sound as it looks, I wouldn't replace it. You might try filling the holes with metal-patch epoxy and refinishing the floor. I'd rather have a car with an original trunk pan that's sound but repaired over a car that has a new pan. JMHO, though...
Mrvandrmey, if your trunk is as sound as it looks, I wouldn't replace it. You might try filling the holes with metal-patch epoxy and refinishing the floor. I'd rather have a car with an original trunk pan that's sound but repaired over a car that has a new pan. JMHO, though...
The floors look overall sound, minus the very few pin holes. The trunk floor is relatively sound, but there are dozens of pin holes on the driver side and two areas (in pics they appear to be a brownish color) where it looks like it was hit with a shot gun spray.
The only reason I was thinking entire trunk floor replacement is it seems to me that it would be easier to hide the welds with a trunk floor replacement compared to using just a patch panel (i.e. like the 1/3 section sold everywhere).
Your trunk looks great compared to the way mine looked- I had just what you have, plus some large gaping holes. You'd never know it now, though. Fix what you have, and you'll be happy!
Mrvandrmey, if your trunk is as sound as it looks, I wouldn't replace it. You might try filling the holes with metal-patch epoxy and refinishing the floor. I'd rather have a car with an original trunk pan that's sound but repaired over a car that has a new pan. JMHO, though...
What is "metal-patch epoxy"? How does it fill the holes? Is this something I can do inmy garage or is this a body shop trick of the trade? If this is simply filling the holes with a metal-like substance, than I am truly interested in it. Definitely for the floors, since they are in real good shape and only have a few pin holes. I would love to see if this will work on the trunk with the two areas that look like they were shot with a shot gun.
Hey guys, the engine I have sitting in my garage that I plan to use as my "drive around" engine is painted the Pontiac blue but not the metallic blue. So can I paint over the current paint color or do I need to strip off old paint first?
What is "metal-patch epoxy"? How does it fill the holes? Is this something I can do inmy garage or is this a body shop trick of the trade? If this is simply filling the holes with a metal-like substance, than I am truly interested in it. Definitely for the floors, since they are in real good shape and only have a few pin holes. I would love to see if this will work on the trunk with the two areas that look like they were shot with a shot gun.
There's a product called All Metal. Mix, apply and sands like bondo.
Might help to put some duck tape on the bottom side of the holes you want to fill, just to keep the All Metal from draining out through the holes before it sets.
They make a fiberglass adhesive mesh tape that you can use in conjuction with the Allmetal. Using the mesh tape will add strength and thickness to the repair.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Linear Mode
