I'm about to take a FD I wanted to restore into a friends shop for body work. The car only has two areas with rust on it and to me and my lack of bodywork knowledge, these seem like very unfortunate locations for rust to occur.

Note: I bought this FD from a guy who kept it outside, partially covered by a tarp for 7 years...but that is another story so don't blame me for the rust.

Based on these photos, how bad would you consider these rust issues? I'm primarily concerned with the Passenger side spot as it has rusted through and I'm concerned about sealing of the windshield plus structural integrity. However both rust areas are by seals...

Here are the photos...

 

After 7 years outside and the rust didn't happen in the lower portion of the car. That's a testament to the rust protection on the FD.

 

it doesnt look too bad....
did you try stabbing it with a screw driver to see if there is a hole?

 

@slpin - The first picture shows a hole completely through the top layer of metal. The frame underneath it is solid still.

 

New Roof section? Might save you alot of hastle.

 

I'd let the bodyshop be the judge of it. They can definitely answer what they can fix and what they can't.

Basically, that's not light rust, that's some SERIOUS damn rust. To fix it RIGHT is most likely going to be labor intensive, and labor ain't cheap at a body shop.

Might be worth cutting the top off the car and welding on a new top.

Dale

 

+1

Instead of trying to fix it by patching it, replace the the entire roof. It isn't that hard to do. In the end, it might be cheaper because you won't have to worry about the rust coming back in a year or two. Plus while it is off you can check out the structure down the pillars and inspect for hidden rust.

 

thats a good $2K - 2.5K job with parts paint and labor

 

take the windshelid out you will probably discover a lot more rust.

 

pull all your moldings on the sunroof the windshield and the hatch glass, then check for rust. stab that hole some more and see how thin the metal is away from that hole. i wouldnt cut the roof off, the rust for sure isnt bad enough. i would cut out that spot and make sure you dont have rust below that hole. always keep as much original body pieces on your car that you can. even if you cut off a oem panel and replace yours there is a risk of gaps not sealing right. what does the rest of the car look like though if the roof is that bad?

 

if you are saying that it will cost this much for replacing the roof, body work and paint then your way off. if your going to a reputable body shop your going to spend that on just paint.

 

It seems like you sir have a very rare FD....

 

Sand it down..paint it... cut a hole.. reweld it?? lol..ppl do that....

 

Let me put it this way. I got a full FD w/ title for $500. This includes a full black interior and engine.

Only items missing off it were the front bumper, stock turbos, radiator, and intercooler.

Outside damage apart from the rust in those two places only is some minor dents above the two rear fenders (which I was going to cover with aftermarket fenders), a broken front windshield, and bad paint all around.

Yes...I could part this out for big bucks since I paid $500 for it but I was hoping to restore it as who can complain what I do to it if it was jacked in the first place!

Everything else is no problem, the rust is the only part that had me worried. I've been taking photos of the tear down but am not willing to post a build thread until I make a final decision what to do.

Cliffs:
1) Paid $500 for FD
2) 5k in bodywork to do everything right sounds good to me!
3...
4) Profit (Who am I kidding...no one profits with an FD)

 

Sounds like you have all of your bases covered. As restoration projects go you seem to have a reasonable scope of work. I would err on the side of caution and replace what is questionable.

Dave

 

Restore it! There aren't enough of these car left to part out and scrap.

 

@Static...you summed up my feelings. I was in the market for a running one but I thought, "Man I could do this EXACTLY how I want and be hands on the entire way".

I picked up this car 6 months ago and I had a 2 year build plan for it that currently is still on track. Since bodywork is part 2 and the only one I was uncertain about, this is why I brought my question up now! =)