# TT Body repair what would you do



## G'D60 (Mar 11, 2002)

Gents, 

So My TT has some rust. I know crazy right? Tried to get warranty to cover it but the panel has to rust through and the hole has to be bigger than a pencil. Eff you Audi. 

Anyway. Still want to fix this rust issue but I'm wondering what will be more cost effective. The area effected is the passenger rear quarter panel. The rust is all along the wheel well. I've also noticed a rust bubble starting where the rear window meets the quarter panel (in the corner) So what do you guys think is the easiest (cost effective) way to fix the issue. 

A) Take it to a shop, hope the can sand down to metal and build up the quarter panel again? ($$) 
B) Find a replacement panel and get them to put it in ($) 
C) worse comes to worse they need new metal they can use the arc from on of my old fenders and splice it into the existing quarter panel ($$$$) 

I'd assume replacing the panel would be easiest for the body shop and probably most cost effective if I could source it myself. My question to the guru's is: 

How would one go about removing that panel? is the a write up somewhere? 

What do you guys think would be the best way to fix rust in these areas. I have a line on possibly 2 panels that are in good shape that happen to be the same color as my car... 

Whats the best way to tackle this issue? 

Pic for reference (Car is NOT mine) 










The red area is where rust is bubbling through. Yellow is the panel in question except I need it on the passenger side (Gas cap side)


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## speed51133! (Aug 5, 2002)

change your "replace panel" option to about five "$" symbols. 

Those are not replaceable panels. They are part of the unibody. So you need to cut them and weld in new metal that has been hand-formed or cut out of an existing car. BOTH options will be VERY costly.


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## warranty225cpe (Dec 3, 2008)

Take it to whatever body shop you trust, and see what they have to say.


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## 18T_BT (Sep 15, 2005)

Jiabano


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## G'D60 (Mar 11, 2002)

18T_BT said:


> Jiabano


 Does this mean I'm more or less screwed? lol


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## PLAYED TT (Oct 17, 2010)

Take it to a shop and let them deal with it lol. It will cost you but youll never know how bad it is without an experts knowledge. AKA none of us but a few know squat about body work:laugh:


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## hunTTsvegas (Aug 27, 2012)

Like mentioned above, take it to professionals to get an "estimate." I'm also a fan of going to multiple reputable shops to have them all give an estimate and then start working those estimates to get prices down between competitors. Always an option. 

:beer:


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## Codenamecody (Feb 14, 2013)

I'm no expert, but I think the way to fix it would be to cut out the problem areas and weld in new metal. If there's enough metal there, welding might not even be nessesary. Just filler and fiberglass maybe? I'm not sure all of what they use. Anyway, it probably isn't as expensive as you think, you could probably get the whole thing done for less than a grand. Look around at "mom and pop" body shops; they tend to have better prices. They will probably have to spray that whole panel, and thats 500 bucks right there. Then you got the time it takes to make the repair, that really depends on the extent of the damage. Rust goes fast so do it sooner rather than later! 

Good Luck!


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## 18T_BT (Sep 15, 2005)

G'D60 said:


> Does this mean I'm more or less screwed? lol


 http://forums.quattroworld.com/other/msgs/2089295.phtml


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## [email protected] (May 14, 2009)

Best way is to replace the whole panel. Repair cost will be at least $1500 to $2500 to be done right with paint. Rust never sleeps! 

Cutting the affected section out and welding in a new piece is what most auto body shops will do. Then they will coat it with some filler and block it out to the original contours. Then they will paint.

The problem with this is that the area affected will still be compromised from a corrosion stand point as the galvanizing will have been burned off from welding in the new section, so in a few years of exposure to a damp climate, the rust will start to show up in form of bubbles in the paint. 

The best repairs for long term are to drill the spot welds that hold the quarter panel on and then re-spot weld a new panel in (isolation of weld areas to be away from the damp sections of the car, ie the inner fenders) 

Best bet is to find the highest quality shop that has a long history of successful repairs of this nature. Shoddy body work is the death of a car.


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## 20v master (May 7, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> Rust never sleeps!


 Even in Arizona? :laugh:


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## [email protected] (May 14, 2009)

20v master said:


> Even in Arizona? :laugh:


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## becker780 (Apr 30, 2013)

I have rust on both inner fender wells in front, in the seam where the front right fender meets the rocker, and along the passenger vertical side of the windshield. It's only surface rust where paint flaked off but its the start of a bad trend none-the-less. I have a bottle of touch up paint that's about 6 years old and am not sure if its good anymore.. I thought about sanding this stuff out myself and touching it up myself, then (this may sound juvenile) painting the car with "Plastidip" 

I hate to say it but this stuff looks like a cheap temporary solution for me. Fenders and a rocker are not a very big deal..but the windshield edge isn't good. Pushing 300,000 miles now on a Central New York daily driver, so I try not to complain :beer: 

I'll be seeing a trusted bodyshop for some advice.


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## bb-tt (Jul 2, 2013)

*qtr*

So no one has any advice for how to remove the rear quarter panel?


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## G'D60 (Mar 11, 2002)

depends on where that rust is. mine was in the wheel well. so i actually had it cut out and i had them weld in a new (used) piece. the rust that was accumulating towards the window was grinded out as the rust hadn't gotten too far into the metal. the results on that portion of the body work was very well done. 

the big issue with that piece is its all one long part thats welded onto the unibody. very hard to remove. and if you could its probably very hard to put back on in the proper way. it will probably also effect the structural integrity of the car. in my opinion at least. 

end of the day it was alot more cost effective to cut out the cancer and well in some good bits again. 

best of luck


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## sciroccohal (May 4, 2005)

*Laser welded*

The seam between the roof and the 'fender' rear is a laser welded seam.

short form....conventional rust repair is your best bet...


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## sciroccohal (May 4, 2005)

*Only the retirees!*



20v master said:


> Even in Arizona? :laugh:



Every piece of iron based metal in the whole world will turn to rust....the trick is....not to own the car by then!

In Arizona.....everything plastic turns to powder!


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## Von Stiegan (Feb 20, 2013)

Find a donor for some of the more complex shapes like the wheel house if you can..But most custom rod shops keep sheet metal.And a good body man will have no trouble with this.Snap-on even makes a cool spot sand blaster.Mud of course will be a necessary evil.Most likely looking at a complete paint job.(I would anyway) It's going to be down for a while for sure. So the question is, how much do you love your ride?


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## G'D60 (Mar 11, 2002)

Von Stiegan said:


> Find a donor for some of the more complex shapes like the wheel house if you can..But most custom rod shops keep sheet metal.And a good body man will have no trouble with this.Snap-on even makes a cool spot sand blaster.Mud of course will be a necessary evil.Most likely looking at a complete paint job.(I would anyway) It's going to be down for a while for sure. So the question is, how much do you love your ride?


This is true. Mine was down for almost a month. full respray to boot. not cheap but it look so much better. pix will come when i get my mesh mounted.


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