Body Shop Guys - Need Your Advice

[swanicyouth]

The winter was not kind to my 14 year old daily driver. Rust is forming at the area of the rear quarter panels where there is a perpendicular bend into the part where the door striker mounts. This is all one piece (rear quarter panel). It's on both sides of the vehicle (both rear door areas).

Car has all factory paint (except for bumpers). This I know because I've measured it and the thickness is pretty universal. Also, I've polished it and all paint reacts the same.

See pics:

Quarter panel from Nissan:



Passenger side (worse side) upper rust:



Passenger side lower rust (worse area):





Stand back view of passenger side:



Drivers side:





What, I want to know is:

1. Does this look fixable without replacing the rear quarter panels? Repair doesn't have to look 100% factory - I just want to stop the rust and have it look somewhat decent, as you can't see much when doors are closed.

2. Is this a huge job, i.e. $$$$.

3. Anyone know anyone in SE PA / Montgomery County PA or the area who does this type of work who is good? I haven't had to use a full fledged body shop in years (knock on wood).

Here is the vehicle (below). While the vehicle has this issue, it runs perfect, everything works perfect, the interior is near perfect , and it has all factory paint on the body panels in relatively good shape. So, I'd rather fix it than trade it in. Also, I really don't want to replace the rear quarter panels, mainly because they have the factory paint and it's in good shape.



Thanks in advance for advice or help !!!

[top189h]

We get jobs like this quite often, mostly in wheel openings and fuel tank door areas. It is possible to fix without replacing the quarters depending on the severity. Sometimes it's on the surface and can be ground out and filled with fiberglass resin. This only lasts a few years at best tho. Yours also looks like it is where the inner structure meets the quarter, and if that's the case, it may have spread to or come from the inner structure at which point it does become a large job. The outer quarters are usually around 500$ each and the inners are almost as expensive sometimes. This combined with labor adds up really quick.

[swanicyouth]

We get jobs like this quite often, mostly in wheel openings and fuel tank door areas. It is possible to fix without replacing the quarters depending on the severity. Sometimes it's on the surface and can be ground out and filled with fiberglass resin. This only lasts a few years at best tho. Yours also looks like it is where the inner structure meets the quarter, and if that's the case, it may have spread to or come from the inner structure at which point it does become a large job. The outer quarters are usually around 500$ each and the inners are almost as expensive sometimes. This combined with labor adds up really quick.

Thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it. Initially it looked to me like it was "where the inner structure meets the quarter" (like you said); but if I'm understanding what you are saying, it's all part of the quarter panel according to the Nissan diagram:



Maybe I'm not looking at it correctly. I have zero body shop experience.

It seems isolated to what I can see, but who really knows??? I guess I'm going to have to throw a dart, pick a body shop, and get a guesstimate. Too bad the quarters don't unbolt like fenders often do, or I could possible buy them, install them, and get them painted. I did that once with a fender when I was a poor student on a Honda and it worked out well.

[top189h]

I will check into it tomorrow at work and I will let you know the price of the part and cost of the labor. We are in southern Maryland but at least I should be able to get you in a good ballpark rather than having to go shop to shop.

[swanicyouth]

Appreciate the help greatly.

[top189h]

According to the estimating system I have (southern md so my shops hourly rate of 42$ may be different then where you are), you're looking aroung 3800 to completely replace the quarters. There isn't any inner structure that isn't included with the quarters. They are 895 each with 17.5 hours body to put each one on and then another 5 hours roughly to paint each side, but if I was you, I would ask a shop to just section in the area you need and it would make it cheaper, but the quarters would still be the same price.

[57BORNTORUN]

You may have to consider the black book value of the car before you decide the repairs.Those are some of the most time consuming repairs.Maybe Ospho, filler, paint and live with it.Either the door seals or Nissan`s body prep let you down.

[swanicyouth]

Thanks for all your help guys. Hopefully I can find a guy who can repair it with some type of filler and repaint the area.

In a few days I'll start my tour of the body shops to see what can be done.

[57BORNTORUN]

Thanks for all your help guys. Hopefully I can find a guy who can repair it with some type of filler and repaint the area.

In a few days I'll start my tour of the body shops to see what can be done.

When you weed through the shops and costs let us know what you come up with.

[swanicyouth]

When you weed through the shops and costs let us know what you come up with.

Will do. All will be documented in this thread. Good, bad, & ugly.