Structural rust?

[ratsar_nx]

Today I decided to take out the panels inside my trunk to try and fix the remote release for my gas door. As with nearly every car project, what seems like a small job ends up turning into something way bigger. I took the trunk liner panels out and found some rather serious rust problems.

 

This is what the right side looks like.:

The hole is bigger now after pulling off some of the rusted metal

 

This is the left side:

After removing some of the rust, there is a hole there almost as big as my fist.

 

This is on an '86 Pulsar, which is a unibody car. Given the location of this rust, does that look like a structural area to anyone else?

 

What is the best way to deal with this? I do not own a welder or have access to one. I do know one person who I can ask, but I don't know if they would be willing to help me or not. All of this would involve welding directly over the gas tank and the filler neck is about a foot away from where you would be welding on the right side, just out of view in the first picture.

 

The other option I'm considering is to remove all the rusty metal and patch with fiberglass.

[Skib]

take out your gas tank and filler neck, cut that shit out and weld in a new panel.

 

personally I wouldnt even drive it like that, having the strut mounted to a rusty panel is not very safe.

[Guest 510kamikazifreak]

What Skib says about driving it like that, big risk.

I wouldnt put the effort into replacing the inner wheelhouses myself.Big job,In the end is it going to be worth it.(jmo)

Glass is going to do nothing for structural integrity what so ever.

There is a 86 Pulsar on kijiji in Saskatoon.

[ratsar_nx]

I know it's anything but safe... it's not the full coilover mounting there though.

 

The N12 has a trailing arm rear suspension. The spring meets the body further underneath and it's just the shock that mounts to the body in the location you see in the picture. If the panel did decide to give out, I wouldn't be losing all support on that corner, but it would definitely be a bad thing.

[Guest 510kamikazifreak]

One good bump and the shock will blow through the wheel house,At any kind of speed it could be catastrophic for you and anyone around you.:eek:

[ratsar_nx]

I missed your first post when I posted my reply, 510freak.

 

The possibility of retiring my beloved N12 is there in my head, as much as I like the car. After all, if I fix the wheel wells, what's going to break next? Depending on the welding patch job, it might not be safe even if I do repair it.

 

I had a look at that '86 Pulsar on Saskatoon kijiji... That guy is asking too much for it, IMO. If it does get replaced, I'm definitely going Japanese, maybe European if I could get a good deal. Ideally, if I do get a replacement, it would be another Nissan or Datsun.

[Guest 510kamikazifreak]

You could always low ball offer the guy.

There must be more pulsars in that area,

There are a couple 87-89 body styles for sale in that area for around 1k

[MikeRL411]

Get some 3 inch C channel iron, fab a triangulated cage to accept the shocks and then fiberglas or steell is a personal choice. Worked on my 1955 Chevy, don't ask me what year I did it! You were probably not even born then. Yes, I am a "senior" in more ways than one.

[thisismatt]

Doesn't look like too difficult of a repair job, especially considering it doesn't have to be very pretty.

[ratsar_nx]

It doesn't have to be pretty, but it would have to stand up to snow and salt. I'm pretty sure that's why it rusted out in the first place... snow filled with sand and salt wedged between the shock and the body. Also, there is some rust penetration in the body further down which must have let some moisture in.

[72240z]

I agree with matt. That's like a lazy afternoon for any capable welder. If you love the car is that really a high price? I don't think so.