Opinion on best repair for this...

[monty23psk]

Here is a picture of the only major rust on my car. It is pretty bad and in a tough spot, above the license plate under the trunk gasket.



What is the best repair, cut and add a new piece of metal? I would love to learn to weld and do metal work. Not sure on a scale of 1 to 10 this would rate as the metal area that is pinched together to allow the trunk gasket to adhere to the body is part of this. This is why I sometimes noticed with heavy rains, I get a few drops on the carpet liner in the middle on the rear lights panel.

I don't mind getting the tools if not to expensive and can always test on other junk cars that I have access to practice.

I am still about a year out before painting the car so anything I can do now will be to prevent water in the trunk and the rust from spreading. Also, any work I can do, can save me down the road.

What is your advice?

[E30_Pare]

Hmm. That seems a bit tricky. Once u start digging away at the rusted area you might just find out how much is really infected. I guess best way would be to get it down to metal & see how much rust is in the general area. Poke at it with a screw driver & see if u can get through any areas.

Cheapest way would be to probably source a small section at a junkyard & weld it in.

[monty23psk]

Excellent idea of cutting the exact piece I need from another car. I might try that first.

As for current rust, everything that can break away, has. The rest is just bad rust that I know can be chipped away with force. Or course there are already holes which is my main concern.

[mrgraphics]

Rust grows like fungus. It has tendrils. Metal is not evenly composed of all the alloys, so the rust travels along the veins of iron. That is why they call rust "car cancer". You have to cut out a lot more surrounding area to really get it all.