I want to fix a bad rust hole on my 71 olds cutlass but i dont know were to start. the hole is on the drivers side quarter panel and it is rusted through the panel and through the wheel well. what should i do?

 

Check out OPGI.com They are in California and they should have the inner and outer patch panels for that year. If you are going to weld them and you are not an expert i recommend drilling a series of holes about 1/2 inch from the edge and spot welding. This is so you don't create a weak spot around the perimeter of the repair by trying to weld all the way around.

 

You could slather a big glob of bondo into it and then sand it down. However, that is the hillbilly way to do it. Mike's idea is much better.

 

hahaha well sad for my Hurst/olds....the person i got the car from slapped a big glob of bondo in the driver side rear quarter,didn't even bother to sand it down.....A Fix on my to do list which keeps growing .

 

thanks for the input i guess that is what i will have to do is get the patch panels....i want it to be right

 

I used the wheel lips from 71/72 front fenders to patch up my 72'. The driverside fender makes a near perfect wheel lip for the passenger side quarter panel. Looking at the photo and the fact that your in CA your little rust is what I would consider rust free here in Ohio. If its a small hole just fabricate a patch panel out of steel and but weld it in. I have relatives who built whole quarter panels out of maxwell house cans, pop rivets and bondo.... not a good idea!

 

Are we related?

 

Bondo slathering is an art. I'm not a hillbilly, I'm just broke.

 

what I have done in areas where seams are involved .Cut out the rust entirely.then bend the metal inwards about 1/16 deep creating a lip 1/16 deep and 20 mm wide.The orig. metal is 1.5mm thick.I replace it and riveted it every 1" or so n the same time squeezing out the xcess sealant that was laid between the pieces.I cleaned off the excess sealant.The metal sheeting I used was i mm (galvanised ) and I bent a return on it at the edges to match the double lipped seam.This left a small 1/32 face difference which i bogged, primed
This is a budget fix but should be pretty permanent
mike