Body Rust...Repair or Replace

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Slappy80

New member
1046017

I bought a 1980 CJ7 a few months ago and only have two complaints...oil leak and a little body rust. About the rust, should I try fix what I have or buy new metal. The rust is mainly coming through the welds holding the side panels on...hood and fenders are fine. I have more time and energy than money and plan to "use" the Jeep. Thanks in advance for any ideas.[addsig]
 

1046019

Replace it with diamond plating
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[addsig]
 
1046028

I am dealing with the exact same problem now. Not enough cash right now to get a fiberglass body. Barretta speaks the truth . The diamond steel wrap around for the the rear is a beautiful thing since i''m not very talented in body work . I'm patching the holes and bad spots with duraglass then putting on the wrap around steel. Its going to cover alot of crap till i can afford a new body.[addsig]
 

1046040

I usually try to figure out if it´s structural (holds something up or together), only sheet metal or if it´s possible (some things are really hard to get too or just too much). A MIG welder, is just about a must for a hobbiest and an old Jeep. Can give you some welding tips if you decide to go that way. Alot of companies sell pre fab repair panels or skins (to be welded over existing panels).[addsig]
 
1046059

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>I bought a 1980 CJ7 a few months ago and only have two complaints...oil leak and a little body rust. About the rust, should I try fix what I have or buy new metal. The rust is mainly coming through the welds holding the side panels on...hood and fenders are fine. I have more time and energy than money and plan to "use" the Jeep. Thanks in advance for any ideas.</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>



Ahhh... The typical side panel rust where it meets the wheel housings I'm assuming. I've dealt with this many times over the years on many Jeeps. The right way to do it would be new rear quarter panels and wheel housings. If there is rust-through where the side panel meets the front floor panel as well, then it means complete new side panels instead of just rear sections.



Once the rust comes through the side panels, the flange on the wheel housing and front floor section is done for. Sure, you could "hack job" something together, but it's better to do it right unless this thing is just for the trail. In which case, just do the cheesy diamond plate "repair". The side panels are structural. They bear the weight of the hardtop. The "panel-over" method as Chuck describes is purely cosmetic. When all is said and done, what are you actually welding those panels to? You're welding them to the original side panels that will eventually rust so badly that they pull away from the wheel housings and front floor flanges completely.



Believe it or not, this is a relatively cheap fix, but it depends on your welding skills. The replacement sheet metal for both sides is only a couple hundred dollars, but then you will have to prep and paint it afterwards if you want it to look good.



If you have any questions, just ask.[addsig]
 

1046068

I did the bondo and repaint thing twice before starting my YJ tub swap. I bought an entire YJ for the price of a fiberglass tub, and parted out, keeping the tub.



Do it right the first time.



Terry[addsig]
 
1046069

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>Its not that cheesy if you paint it same as the Jeep!
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</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>



No, the "cheesy" part is that diamond plate is mostly used to cover up a bad body rather than fixing it the right way. I think diamond plate looks great and is very useful for *protecting* a *solid body*.



Even if you're not skilled at bodywork as you mentioned in your other post, you can learn. Jeeps are great vehicles to learn bodywork on because they have very few curves and with message boards like this, you can get expert help from people like me who have been doing this for years. No offense to whomever wrote the "Bodywork101" article on this site, but that is not the right way to repair rust holes. I know it is unintentional, but there seems to be a lot of bad information going around these days. Too many cheap, shoddy, "quick fixes".



I have a 79 CJ right now in line for restoration and the side panels are completely rusted through at the flanges. Litterally, the only thing holding the side panels together is the old supertop and doors. lol I drove this thing for a little while, as I do before all my restorations and I can tell you that it's scary when things get to the point of just about falling apart.



The guy who had it before was a cheapskate who actually rivetted new panels over the old ones. Amazing what some people will do to save a few dollars.... Why risk things to save a few bucks? Do it once and do it right is the only way to go. If you don't have the money to buy the parts to do it right, save up. I'm sure I'll take heat for this post, but what can I say? I like to do things right and not have to worry about them. I'm sure there are some true craftsmen here who will agree. [addsig]
 
1046086

The more I think about it the more I know I need to replace the panels...as PerformanceTruck&Auto pointed out, they are structural. If I only repair it now I will be going through this same thing sometime in the future, might as well put my energy in the right direction.



Now down to business, what is the best way to get the old panels off? Grinder, torch, hammer...all the above I guess lol. One other thing, can you buy rocker panels that have the pressed JEEP logo? [addsig]
 

1046089

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>The more I think about it the more I know I need to replace the panels...as PerformanceTruck&Auto pointed out, they are structural. If I only repair it now I will be going through this same thing sometime in the future, might as well put my energy in the right direction.



Now down to business, what is the best way to get the old panels off? Grinder, torch, hammer...all the above I guess lol. One other thing, can you buy rocker panels that have the pressed JEEP logo? </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>



Good move, Slappy, but I have to warn you that replacing the full side panel is not easy. The cowl supports up front are what makes this job somewhat difficult.



If your side panels are not rusted through where they meet the front floor section from the front of the tub on back to the back of the door opening, then you only need to do a rear patch panel and wheel housings which will make life a lot easier. How are the rear corners by the way? Are they rotting through yet? You wouldn't happen to have any good, clear photos of the rust damage, would you? If so, I can give you much more detailed help.



To answer your other question, I have not seen any re-pro panels that have the stamped "Jeep" on them. If that is important to you, I would suggest going to the local custom sticker maker and have him make a set for you. A quality shop with the right equipment can make the stickers with drop shadows on them to simulate the raised letters. Or you could just go with the stock "Jeep" stickers that are made to go on top of the raised letters. If you plan to tackle this panel replacement job, you'll have plenty of time until you're ready for stickers anyway...



Also remember that while the panels themselves and your labor is cheap, paint materials are not. It's not just the paint, but the primers, quality gun(s), large compressor, breathing aparatus, etc that costs a lot. To give you an idea, I average around $1000-$1200 in paint supplies alone for each of my Jeep restorations, and that's at wholesale cost. Unless you plan on doing a lot of this type of work, the investment needed might be too much. The alternative to that large investment is having a body shop do all the painting after you've done the welding and body work.



I have the new side panels, wheel housings and everything else you'll need. Drop me an e-mail or give me a call if you have any questions.



[addsig]
 
1046396

Yeah the rear corners are in bad shape, probably worse than the sides. The tailgate is fine but the rear cossmember is toast, already have a replacement crossmember. I will try to get some pics together tonight that will show my problem areas. I checked the wheel housings this weekend, they didn't appear to be bad at all... I can only see rust on the outside of the side panels. I did find one spot of the floor that was in bad shape, behind the passenger seat where the floor meets the side. I have a welder buddy that said he would help out and I do have access to a auto spray booth and all the spray equipment that I will need. As soon as the holidays are over I plan on getting started....yes I said plan....my wife might have other plans though haha.[addsig]
 

1046410

Hey Slappy,



Welcome to Jeep Restoration. I am on my 2nd CJ5. Last one was a 67 and I did a lot of fiberglass and bondo on that one but it was stricktly a trail rig. This time it's a 75 and I'm gonna go with new metal. I'm actually gonna take a shot at fabricating as much as I can myself. I'll try and post some pics along the way so you can see my hacks
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Anyway like the majority here seem to agree on, Do It Right The First Time!! And don't be afraid to try new things. Like Performance said Jeeps are a great way to learn and your usually just a grinder away from try'n again
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I think I'm gonna Diamond Plate ( Steel ) my whole rear Tub inside and across the back and corners outside to tie it all together. Anyway good luck! If I figure out any good tricks I'll post them up here!
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[addsig]
 

1046463

I'm trying to post some pics of my rust problem...hopefully I will find a place to host the pics tonight![addsig]
 
1046502

i as well must admit i once "cheated" by covering the rust up and hoping to never see it again. it wasnt on a jeep tho, so does it matter?
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id suggest (while having never done this so i cant comment on how hard it is) to replace it, not with diamond tho!!!![addsig]
 

Just got done with my 88 yj found it easier and a lot cheaper to find and replace the tub. Found a 89 on craigs list cost was $350.00 and a little gas and time
 
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