Well I bought the 91 Si for a "winter beater". Turns out its not a bad little car, especially for its age! Not bad for $1400 (Im sure I should have paid a few hundred less...). I may decide to keep it and make a road racer out of it (already have some V8 drag cars). Anyways.... I was wondering of anyone here can help me with some rust repairs? After poking around (yes, literally) I have found the rot in the 1/4's to be fairly severe, much worse than it originally looked. Since Ill eaither be going racer, or selling it in spring I dont want to put much into repairs. Im also not an experienced body man. Any ideas appreciated! Should I try to make panels out of steel, aluminum? Maybe try to fiberglass and bondo it? Well here goes....

The car


drivers side 1/4 front


drivers side 1/4 rear


pass side 1/4 front


pass side rear (just 1 bubble showing)


drivers door

 

What rust! You should see my CRX!!!

 

how and where does this happen My car is rust free but that maybe beacuse i live in so cal...

 

no fair!

 

Pretty nice looking 'beater'. Fiberglass is your friend, but judging from those pictures I would find some good panels at a yard and cut em' out and reweld. It really isnt that hard, it doesnt have to be perfect, that is what the touch-up fiberglass is for.

 

Metal would be best for most of those since they are on corners. I just bought my car with a **** load of rust and poked as much as I could out and soaked the rust with rust changer and inhibitor and popwelded some new sheet metal on the bigger pieces and fibreglass on the small spots and sanded it down. CRX Forum gave me a how to, Ill find the thread.

EDIT: Heres the link, has a sick how to and a coupla good points.

Good Luck
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=637990

 

Thanks guys. Car is pretty nice for the money, interior is like new and paint is good. But I have 2 SVT lightnings and a Mustang GT besides this car, glad the wife is tolerant.

I followed that how-to but I couldnt see any of the pics? Seems like they would have helped? Is there a way to achieve similar results with Bondo? You cant use it with matting, can you?

I like the idea of using metal, but how would I get sections from a junk yard? Will they cut them? I dont own a welder either. What about crimping the panels and using countersunk pop rivets and automotive adhesive to attach them and then Bondo over the seams? Does anyone sell replacement panel sections new? I hate to spend the money for tools just to fix this car, but new tools are always cool.

 

2 SVT's and a stang GT..not bad. What year is the GT?

I don't honestly know if Bondo would do it. Those holes are pretty large..but I'm sure that someone here can let you know better than I can.

 

since hes a trial Ill bump this for him since hes already used his daily 5

 

Oh yea...that's right. Well, in that case, a bump from me too...(again...)

 

Nice beater, it looks just like mine with the same hubcaps. Mine is white though.

 

POR15 is your friend.

 

Mrock, the GT is a 91. I have owned since new and its becoming basically a drag car (cage, suspension, etc).

Thanks for all the help so far guys! POR15 is a rust preventer? Where do I get it? I have a few ?'s about fiberglass though.
1. Since the wheel lipos have rotted too, where would I attach the glass on that ewnd of the car?
2. If you are layering mat over the existing sheet metal how do make a repair that is NOT visible? It would seem there would be a definite difference in the levels of the surface?

Especially on the pass side aslot of the rocker panel has been eaten. I would think that using metal would be better. Would using a sealer and riveting the metal be OK? And then glass or Bondo-ing over it? I want the repairs to be as unnoticeable as possible. There arent any compoanies selling 1/4 panel patch panels?

Also what should I do about the bubbling on the pass side 1/4 and drivers door bottom?

 

http://www.por15.com/

Google is your friend.

I bought the whole resto kit, but I ended upo abandoning my project becuase my floors and rockers were gone, its easier to find a running CRX that was cleaner then to sink money into a rusty car.

If you do get it, get the preprimer at least and the accual POR15 paint. You cant spray it on, its so ******* thick it goes everywhere, and its like afucking plastic layer when your done with it. but it adhears straight to rust.

You gotta be carefull. it likes to fish eye and where it does the rust WILL peak thru, you need a few coats of the preprimer and a coat or 2 of the accual por15 to get it towrk right.