The passenger rear wheel arch on my '81 is significantly rusted at the lip from about the 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock position. It had been filled with bondo by a prior owner, and it is coming out.

My question is: does anybody know of patch panels available? I have an '85 parts car with an excellent body, but I hate to cut it up at this point unless I really have to.

By the way, it doesn't have to be perfect cosmetically as it is a race car. I just don't want to fiill it in and have it fall out again in a few more years.

Other ideas are welcome.

Thanks!

 

Cut out all the rusted **** rivet in AL, and put a body kit on. Good luck finding rear quarters, aftermarket, patch panels or even factory panels. Im told youcant get them anymore..

 

I just had the rear bumper replaced on my car due to a collision (avid readers will remember the learner's-licence-girl-in-the-parking-lot tale of woe) and while the body shop was doing the repair I slipped them $200 to

a) paint all across the back of the car behind the hatch, finally removing the scrapes and cips in the paint from where a previous owner had dragged parcels out of the hatch

b) redo the pinstriping along the passenger door

c) Remove the "Mazda" badge from the car's *** and fill in the holes before painting

d) Cut out the slight rust bubbling on the right rear wheel arch (the only rust on the car) and weld in new metal

this is not the first time I've had a body shop fabricate new wheel arches from scratch, and on the cheap. Don't use bondo or fibreglass when actual metal goes in so easily.

 

If you need any 81 body parts, I've got half the car (rear). It has no body damage. If you want it, PM or email me.