I love my car. It's a 2000 base hatch. It's a good car that is reliable, fun, fas-.. (well, I plan on it being kinda quick, lol.), and overall a great vehicle to drive. However, for whatever reason it has the plague. This car has cancer and I need to start deciding now before winter rolls around on what to do. This is my first car, and I planned on keeping it until I watched it get crushed at the scrap yard. The main issue is, about half of the lower portion of this car is made up of body filler and or rust. Here's a picture to show you what I mean.



As you can see, there is bondo that is rooted pretty good; the frame rails look good, but the fiberglass is pretty much gone.

P.S., here's a picture of the inside of the rockers (near the front of the rear wheel.)



So, I have short income (part time job whilst I'm in high school, half my paychecks go towards paying off insurance), and a real problem. Now, I know I can bondo it over again, essentially slapping a band aid on a gunshot wound, but is it really worth it?

I had really large plans for a B18b swap, but should I even bother with this shell?

Here are my options are far as I'm concerned and I need you guys to help steer me, as I can't let sentimental value and or my stupid brain affect my thinking.

A) Do my best to fix what I have, continue as planned and save & commit to the B18b swap, run the shell for what it's worth. When the shell is completely garbage and dead, or doesn't pass inspection, buy another shell, take the B18b swap out of it, put it into the new shell, scrap my shell and sell the single cam and hope for $500 in total.

B) Drive the car with the single slammer, save up, purchase another EJ/EK shell on Craigslist for roughly 6-800$, keep it aside, save up another lump sum of money, THEN buy my oh so desired B18b swap, put it into the newly acquired rust-free shell, then sell my car for maybe $1,000 as a running parts car.

C) Another option you guys can think of.

 

...realy big pics..

I would buy the swap, do whatever you need to do(header, intake, built bottom end) when you get everything you need, swap it in the car one time, and you are good

 

that shell is done, sorry to say i'd part it out you'll get more or try and unload it quick and hope the next person doesn't know....

 

Whats your location? My advise find a bare shell no rust an swap over everything. Theres no amount of work you can do to catch up with the rust.

 

I would either part that out or use it as practice for when you get a good shell and swap over any mods you've done to this one.

I'm leaning towards part out.

 

thats the craziest rust ive seen on a newer hatch, time to move on....esp on your budget.

 

LOL, boy does that car look familiar. Sup Tom?

 

Yeah, for some reason this car got hammered with rust. I figured someone had fixed light surface rust when I bought it - boy was I wrong.

So I guess things will go as planned, I'll buy the best rust-less shell I possibly can, keep it in the driveway, then buy a swap and just do it. Then sell this thing for as much as possible....

 

Yea, i forgot to mention, sell that, and get another..

 

You can go to a junk yard and cut out a good section off another and have it welded in or try searching online for a rust fix panel. That area isn't horrible to fix but does need cut out and replaced

 

50% of his rocker panel is gone lol and I bet it's made it's way into the floor OP if it has started on the floor scrap the car.

 

Frame rails are solid, as well as the floor as far as I'm aware. This car has been demoted to winter beater, and I'm already devoting all my money to a B18b swap and a nice clean EJ/EK shell on Craigslist with NO RUST. After that project is done I'm rally car'ing my **** until it's dead then scrapping it; hoping for 250$ for the single cam and tranny, and 250$ in scrap for the shell.

 

lolraly y u no Lancer?

 

Thats some serious rust! Ive had some cars just like this, one of them being a 93 accord i wanted too make a project of. Too say the least i ended up filling the holes with great stuff "the spray insulation" after it dried i trimmed and bondo it up and it held me through a few winters. Stayed nice and warm on the road lol.

 

+1 Have done this on my last 2 cars to pass inspection, but I got lucky with the civic, live in the rust belt and no rust yet!

 

Picked up two cans of Great Stuff today. Going to fill all the holes and bondo it up to get me through this winter. Currently in saving mods for a new shell, yay.

 

I'm going to keep spamming this until you actually reply to my BS posts.

 

buy the replacement rocker panel and rear quarter patch from fixmyrust.com rust is fixable, nobody wants to do the work, though. also try using epoxy or automotive glue instead of welding the wear quarter patch in place, its still very strong and not as much of a risk of it rusting again.

 

LOoks like it sat in a pond for a while.


The time,money isnt worth it to try and fix this. Unless it was a special car. Like a deceased loved ones gift etc,

I wouldnt try and fix it. Its a huge task and can become expensive quick.

 

Get a new car ASAP!!

 

Yeah, saving all my money right now to build another car this spring, don't worry. Afterwards this shell is going to get obliterated, then I'll sell the D16y7 & tranny for 250$ if I'm lucky, scrap the shell, collect my money with my tail between my legs and move on.

 

I did that to a car a few years back when I lived in the Northeast. If the car is already on its way out its a great way to get a little more life out of it. Once that stuff hardens its pretty solid. Triple expanding foam FTW.