Hey all, I posted a while ago about getting some advice doing some rust repairs, especially around the battery tray/wheel arch/firewall area on the passenger side. Sadly the rust under the battery tray/wheel arch is pretty bad and I don’t have a good reference of what “right” looks like in terms of shape/drain holes etc. Yes it is a fairly hidden area and a rough repair would be good enough but I’d like to aim for as close to original as I can. It may be a long shot, but I’m hoping someone may be able to help me with some nice clear photos from a few angles of the battery tray/wheel well area (without the battery tray if possible, or at least the area under the tray) so I can see what that panel looks like. If possible I’d like some photos from underneath as well (I think there may be some fixtures in the wheel well area?). Bonus points if anyone has a 3d image of that area thanks!
Can you post up photos of what you have to give an indication of what angles you are wanting, and the damage you have? I can get some photos at similar angles to help you compare.
You could try searching for someone who's wrecking a 300. If they have a section that's healthy; you might be able to ask them to cut out the section/s you need for your repair. Most Zeds will rust out around the Battery support area because of poor battery management. And often the rust can extend down into the chassis rail. Roadworthy guys know where to look for rust and will put a car off the road when they spot holes near chassis rails. A good idea to run a Lipo battery. No acid..
Thanks mate, here are some photos, sadly most of it has rusted away. With a quick measure of the area and a sprinkle Of imagination, it seems to me that it SHOULD be pretty close to a mirror image of the passenger side which I could use to re-create the drivers side. Just after confirmation of that or if it’s different, some photos that show the differences. Cheers!
absolutely, have been on the hunt for panel cuts for a while, even bought a front half cut with the hope of salvaging this panel (among others) but unfortunately it was full of rust too! If anyone has a good cut I could use tho I’ll never say no to it but it seems like its hard to come by, especially in Canberra! Engine bay and shell is completely stripped bare so there shouldn’t be a lick of rust for the roadworthy mob to find once I’m done
The holes and repair doesn't look to be too challenging; however I guess that depends on your skills and the tools you have at your disposal. If it were me; I would fabricate the panels from some panel steel / sheet metal and weld the panels in. Most of the repair will be hidden behind the wheel cowl and below the battery. You could shape it with a little bog and then cover with body tar. No one will know if the repair is blended into a repaint of the firewall and engine bay. Maybee some google panel / rust repair training vids could help and motivate. Good luck.
