Though I had put it off as long as possible, it was finally time to cut off the lower rear section of the driver’s side quarterpanel. There were small rust spots along the seam where the section had been replaced previously, as well as some damage inside the lip of the wheelwell. I taped it up to give myself a guide and then went to work with the reciprocating saw.
What I was not excited to see was the rust evident on the wheel housing below the left end of the removed piece of the quarterpanel. It looked severe enough that I decided to cut away that piece of the wheel housing to try and determine how far the rust had spread.
After removing a roughly 4″ section it became apparent that the rust continued up and around the lip where the quarterpanel and wheel housing met. Not wanting to give in just yet I cut out even more of the wheel housing to confirm my conclusion.
Cutting out that section provided a much clearer view of what I feared – the rust was prevalent throughout the area where the quarterpanel and wheel housing meet.
Before I completely gave up on the idea of salvaging the quarterpanel and wheel housing I cut away the most obviously rust damaged potion on the opposite side of the wheel weel.
This was especially disappointing as I had spent the last few weekends crafting patch panels to address what I had thought were the only major issues with the quarterpanel and wheel housing. With the rust I discovered today I’ve decided to go ahead and replace the entire quarterpanel and wheel housing on both sides of the car. It will be a lot more work but that’s the only way I’ll feel confident about having removed all of the rust.