Bodywork Question

[gmain1967]

My S40 has started to show signs of the hard winter, and there is a small amount of rust coming out from under the arch liner on the front wing, near the door.

I am doing bits and pieces to the car and don't want the cost of a respray, so are there any suggestions as to how I can stop this getting worse and not look too bad?

I'm contemplating stripping it to metal, painting on a rust inhibitor, and putting carbon fibre sheeting over it, to run to the same height as the rubbing strips on the doors - only on the wings though, not right along the flanks...

Or will that just look naff and shout "BOY RACER"!!!!!!??????

Cheers!

[Jimmie]

I would rub it down put on KU-Rust or something similar ,undercoat then apply a few coats of gloss paint to build it up to the same level as the rest.
Get your paint from a car care place that can make up small amounts at a time,we have a small shop that does it.Make sure that it isn't waterbased paint because it wont work.Rub down when finished with 1500 w/d paper which will take a while and then polish it up.
Good luck as your car colour is not easy to match.
Would mud flaps not cover the rusty part?.

[gmain1967]

Thanks Jimmie

KU Rust is what I was going to use on the metal, but as you say, the colour is a pain to get a match for (it's slightly different shades as it is, due to a repair by the previous owner....)

Might see if local body shop could do just a lower half spray, and get the rear arch/doors done too (pretty sure I'll have some rust there soon, as I think I can see it just starting...) And while they're at it, I could get the ubiquitous chips on the bonnet seen to as well. After that, it would be nearly new!

[Jimmie]

I would try and do some of it myself first and see how it looks.You have nothing to lose and everthing to gain ie;money.
Be careful with some bodyshops as there are a lot of shoddy work out there ,look ok for a start and after a while one big mess.
You could be £300/£400 just for your bonnet or £2000 for a full respray (A1 job),is it worth it?.

[scoobysn7x]

Seems expensive last time I got work done it was £90 a panel at an excellant bodyshop that has unfortunatley since closed down as the gu y immigrated very inconsiderate, could you not just sorce a replacement wing in the same colour with no rust and just swap it over?

[lordvague]

Sattech/ssicarman,

Anything in the shop manual on this issue?

Thanks,

Bob