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rocker panel replacement??????

13K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  rforce1024 
#1 ·
I live in wisconsin so when i bought the car a month ago it was rusted on both sides below all four doors. The kid that sold me the car informed me that the rocker panels had rusted out so he removed them entirely and that it was only a minor cosmetic repair. Well apparently, these rocker panel things are what keeps the back of the car attached to the front. Now, I'm no expert but I'd say that is more than a cosmetic issue, yeah?!! So I did a bunch of research on rocker panels and replacing them and all that jazz but I just cant seem to find a solution that helps my specific ( poor white girl ) situation. So with that being said, any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated!! I could probably convince my dad to do the work for me but I'd like to be as efficient as possible and have the whole process mapped out ready to go along with whatever parts I will need!

Thanks in advance G6ers!!!!😁
 
#3 ·
Rocker panels do not keep the front and rear of your car attached . Sorry to say but that kid played you , God only knows what else he has done to the car . If it's running condition drive it but start looking for a new ride .If you can , post a picture of it so it can be better assessed .
 
#4 ·
Body work is always difficult to access for the average owner. I always tell people to get a few estimates from Body Shops first before buying a car, having someone else fix it or doing it yourself. It might look simple enough but there could be some hidden problems or structural issues that can make things a lot more expensive and difficult to repair. As far as getting help on forums like this. You can post a few pictures of the damaged areas but that will only give us a rough idea what is going on. I hope that helps.
 
#7 ·
Like most Body work issues without actually seeing the damage and what's underneath all we are doing is guessing. If it is surface rust you are talking about that is quite doable for the average owner. You can get the retainer clips on eBay for cheap, as when you pull the plastic panel off most of them break anyway. Dealer prices are insane! Or grab some at a Bone Yard! A company called Automotive Touchup has the exact color match in 12 oz spray cans. If the metal has rusted out or there are some fairly large holes areas etc, then those will need to be ground out and either Bondo filled or matching sheet metal welded in place. Depending on how bad things are will quickly tell you whether you can do it yourself or a pro has to do it. As with most things get 3-4 estimates and compare the work and prices they want to charge.
 
#9 ·
My rocker panel has rust, kinda pisses me off but I live in NJ and we deal with some messy winters.. all the salt and brine we put down!! Sometimes for no reason.. always hated the state for doing that.. I always try to rinse my car whenever possible but I guess the rust beat me to it.. my car is a 08 G6 GT and is 15 years old though along with 351,000 miles..
Ii have thought about taking my car to a few body shops just to see how much or if they can repair them.. I just don't have a lot money and I don't know how much they would charge
 
#11 ·
So far it hasn't. I did clean up the rust and used rustoleum rusty metal primer and then rustoleum blue paint.. tried getting as close to my color but it's not bad.. used tape and covered everything around the spot then sprayed the 2nd color, removed tape of course after I was done lol.. should hold up for awhile..
Take it though my car is 15 yrs old with plenty of miles but still has the original paint and is in good shape so I guess after all these years any car is bound to get rust especially if you live in a state that gets nasty winters and overkill of salt.
 
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