Hey everyone! I am looking for some advice on the rust damage on my 1999 Civic Coupe Si-G. I just recently purchased this vehicle and it is technically my first car. This has for awhile been one of my favorite generations of the civic and in the PFB color I could not pass it up. I got a decent deal on the car but this is the main problem with the car. Ball park how much would this cost to be repaired? It is not a show car so I don't car about paint quality or whatever, I just do not want to see rust any longer. Pictures below show the state of the car.






Let me know what you think!

 

I can't help with pricing--I just clicked on this because I'm about to repair a segment in the same area using Bondo Hair fiberglass resin, but the damage on mine isn't nearly as extensive, restricted to the area where it's bright orange on yours and only a minor rust through. I was thinking about getting a wheel arch panel and a flange tool and panel bonding it, but I decided I could do it another way.

With yours, I'd be wondering about the condition of the rocker panels as well. I don't think it will be that cheap to get repaired at a body shop. The panels themselves are not that expensive, though, and if you know someone who can weld them and if you can be meticulous about preparation (complete removal of rust before patchwork, for starters), you might be able to do an acceptable repair, and use it as a learning opportunity. I don't know that you could get by with the bondo hair method, but that's really not for me to say.

 

Hey thanks for the response! Before purchasing the car I had it up on a lift in the air and underneath the car is in great shape! It seems the previous owner had it undercoated yearly. I am gonna assume that a rock or something got kicked up and exposed the metal underneath to what the government thinks is good to put on our roads every winter. I am considering sanding down the entire area to get a good look at the entire area affected by this.

I am gonna get a few quotes for the work because I have never welded anything before. I know the rust is bad enough to the point where I will need new metal welded in. The paint work doesn’t worry me it’s just the welding part but I am gonna look around locally and see what I can find. Thanks for the reply!

 

BTW I had watched a video not too long ago and I looked it up just for you. Go on Youtube (3m Collision Repair channel) and look up: "Combining Seam Sealing and Welding In Collision Repair." If panels are just welded in, they can end up rusting, but there is a weld-through seam sealer that can prevent this.

I don't represent 3M in any way, but knew from the manual Honda used specific 3M products, and in turn I watched various videos on their channel. You can really learn a lot from their videos! 3M also makes a panel adhesive for attaching non-structural replacement panels, but you'd need to flange the panel so it doesn't stick out.

I'll add, 2-part epoxy primer (though very toxic and should have proper respirator and spray in VERY well ventilated area like outside) is good to apply to unfinished panels because it doesn't absorb water, providing extra protection. Body filler and regular spray primers need to be painted with a topcoat without too much delay since they can absorb water.

You might consider (depending on costs) getting the panel welded (look at video for ideas) and do the bodywork if you can (you'd need an assortment of sandpaper from 80-2000 grit, body filler, and nice to have a random orbital sander but can get by without since it's not a show finish--watch some videos for techniques) and call around to see how much it costs to get it painted. It might not be too bad.

Or consider 2-part epoxy primer (SprayMax--can be ordered on Amazon), use precautions and getting a couple of cans of paint mixed up at a paint store. They can mix it up in cans to match your factory paint. It still won't be a perfect match (new vs old paint/ single stage vs base coat clear coat) but it'll still be a huge improvement.

 

Hey thanks for the response and the write-up! I will definitely look up those 3M products and videos. I know the paint code and I am not concerned with paint work since I feel I could get decent results in my own garage after a clear coat and wet sanding. I also found out that a local parts store can mix up the paint code and sell it in a rattle can, which is all I need for the small section that will need painting.

However I am not sure how I feel about the welding portion. I am gonna spend some time to see if anyone I know can weld in a piece of metal for me. Also, what I was considering was practicing welding on sheets of metal and then grinding down those welds and painting them. If I can get decent results then I might go ahead and mock up a new piece of sheet metal to match the other side and then weld it into the quarter panel.