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[bigdods]

I have rust on the n/s rear wheelarch. It started as bubbles but has now broken through the paint. Shame really as its an Elite that I have run for 4 years as my company hack so its been properly looked after, all genuine parts and all faults immediately fixed and everything works.

Havent had a rusty car for a long time, but memories from my youth tell me that once it sets in its terminal. As the rest of the car is in fine nick (but now on 170k miles) is it worth trying to get the wheelarch sorted (and any idea what it would cost?) or is it time for ebay.

[o-meg-a]

not hard to really sort.
Just have to be thorough in removing it.

It also depends on how good you want the arches to look after. because removing the rust is one thing.
Doing the body work after to make it look normal is another.

[bigdods]

not hard to really sort.
Just have to be thorough in removing it.

It also depends on how good you want the arches to look after. because removing the rust is one thing.
Doing the body work after to make it look normal is another.

If its possible to fix it then it would have to go to the local body repair place (not a dealer or bodyshop, just a bloke in a unit) so I would expect it to look ok when it came out.

At least it sounds like it might be worth me paying him a visit. I know on my older cars when I was starting out (Austin 1100, ford cortina) as soon as rust appeared that was it , the car would just turn to dust pretty quick.

[o-meg-a]

not really. its probs not as deep set as you may think.
Sure if its showing thru the paint, its got to a certain stage, but as long as you remove as much, if not all of it and re seal then it should not come back.

Its a case of grinding it off and getting it back to metal, all be it with some holes if its that bad.
Then as you say, either yourself or a bodyshop patching the holes and filling, sanding and the hardest part!! SPRAYING!.

thats the bit where the finish is hard to achieve as a novice.
But the rust treatment itself i would say is managable.

[o-meg-a]

And certainly not the end of a car!! by any means.

As long as nothing structural is hit, arches can rust away.
Come MOT time, just cover them with gaffa tape so there are no hard sharp edges, because that is what they fail on. Not the rust itself.

[Abiton]

" Rusty Wheelarch, is the end Nigh ?"

Nah, this is normal. Along with a few rusty bubbly bits somewhere at the bottom of each of the side windows. 

Years of life left in it.