I'll get hate here for suggesting this. But, if you're looking for budget friendly and not worried about looks from sub 20 feet, then a cheap way through this is to
1) sand/wirebrush the rust
2) treat the rust with a rust agent like Por15
3) Find an automotive paint store that can mix up a custom color of spray can paint, have them paint match your fender. ~$50
4) mask it, prime it, spray it
5) F' it, it's done.
The final paint will look like trash, the surface will be trash, the dents will still be there. BUT, it'll look better from 20 feet away than it does today. And at the end of the day it's a used up Audi.
I'd do similar honestly, I love my old cars, early 2000s.
1) pull the fenders
2) sand down as far as possible with a flap disc or sanding pad with a grinder, just enough to get rust out, not taking away material.
3) pull the dents out with a hand tool (YouTube is your friend here)
4) find a color match, might have to do a bit more than one can
5) use a good automotive primer, sand with high grit, 6000+ in-between each coat (at least 3 coats of primer)
6) use the color match paint, same case as step 5, except the final 2 coats.
7) wet sand each coat of clear coat, except last 3 coats (6+ coats total)
Then reassemble it and glorify all of your effort.
I am not a mechanic or a body work mechanic, I drive old ass cars that's it. I like the way they work and I like to do my own work if I can. I hate paying out the ass for body shops and my cars are old enough to not gaf.
Bought both sides fenders for my 05 durango, less dents, but surface rust covered them both from sitting in the yard.
Definitely would have been cheaper to buy "new"
You have to 100% remove the rust or it will grow underneath your new paint and bubble fairly quickly.
Replacement fenders can save you a lot of headache
I see one fender is kind of kinked. I see it's an 04-08 Audi A4 B7. You can get replacement fenders from Junkyards for under $130. I would just pay $260 extra to get good, non dented, non rusted Junkyard panels. The rust in yours looks so bad and fenders are very thin. It looks very likely you will sand multiple holes in the fenders which will make it cost more to patch and fill in.
You always need to factor it the cost of repair vs replace. If the cost of repair exceeds the cost of replace, it should be replaced.
Like you will still need to remove the paint on perfect condition junkyard fenders even if they are the same color, because you need to blend in and color match to the body of your car.
No 2 cars are 100% the same color even with the same color code due to variations of factory painting temperatures and wear over time etc.
So I would heavily advise against waisting time, money and effort on this unless you just want to remove and slow down the rust and don't care about it looking good.
For me needing parts for much older vehicles, repairs the 1st thing I think of unless the parts gone completely, than go through the efforts and bs of finding the part, what pisses me off more than anything else are the ones you call up and get told it sold 3 months ago but they forgot to pull the ad
Edit: clarity & spelling
That's common on classifieds. I would just verify with a legit Junkyard as the 1st option unless classifieds is cheaper, but usually classifieds is a PITA for various reasons including what you mentioned.
The problem is I live in a midsized town, and I'm looking for 60's/70's dodge parts. engine, driveline, brakes & steering parts are still available new, but body parts are pretty much limited to classifieds, whereas with something like those fenders above, where other contributors said one of the rusted spot was nearly perforated and would need bondo, I can use my plasma cutter to cut the bad area out and weld in a patch
Edit add additional info
There is no aftermarket? I felt the same with my 91 Honda CRX but found a company that makes aftermarket bumpers and fenders new. Takes like 6 months made to order, but it's quality is OK and is relatively cheap. I wouldn't be surprised if there is nothing for a 70s car, lol. That's really rough and classifieds is the most reliable option. I had to hunt down a Hood on classifieds because the aftermarket hood was $200 but $3,000 to ship, which was ridiculous.
Yeah I'm looking at a few parts right now, and buying aftermarket and shipping is nuts, it's going too be easier and cheaper to drive across province and pay cash and picking then
For me repairs the 1st thing I think of unless the parts gone completely, rather than go through the efforts and bs of finding the part, what pisses me off more than anything else are the ones you call up and get told it sold 3 months ago but they forgot to pull the ad
I say this with the utmost respect in mind but it’s a 20 year old run of the mill Audi… there isn’t a chance in hell I would spend a dollar more than necessary on this car. You should save the money you’d spend on paint for maintenance which will 100% be needed if you plan on continuing to drive this thing daily
I just don’t see the value in investing money in cosmetics for a car that is notoriously expensive to keep running. I do understand people having pride in ownership and not wanting to look like they drive a beater, but a cost benefit analysis needs to be done
I would recommend sourcing a junkyard for a write off with roughly the same color. If not sand with 80, bodyfill, block with 220. Use metal etch primer, then actual primer. Block the primer with 320 or 400 grit. Sand the rest and paint. But again getting one from a junkyard is always easier that’s in better shape. Or even aftermarket isn’t too bad sometimes just check the fit before sanding in case you gotta return it
Rust needs to be sanded down until bare metal as long as the rust isn't to bad. Then you need a good rust preventing primer then paint. I'd also sand into the painted area and get all the rust. If you leave any it'll spread and just mess up any paint or primer you put on.
Gotta remove all rust or it comes back. There is rust on the backsides and below the bumper. Bumper and fenders need to come off. Going to need to sandblast the areas to get the pits cleared out. Feather paint back 36-80-120-180-220-320, epoxy primer for metal adhesion and protection from rocks/rust, prime, block, prep, blend, clear, reassemble.
You can sand all you want those will rust again rather quickly. I know this because I am a shop foreman of a decent size fleet and when we sand and don’t replace with-in 2 years it has returned. When we replace the panels it takes the normal 5-7 years to rust. I live in the rust belt btw.
Just use a touch up pen on that. It has a little nub for sanding the rust. It'll look better than trying to do a full paint job. Save what factory paint you can.
Gotta get the rust gone first then bondo then sand then prep then paint, or replace the entire part, which may end up being cheaper and potentially less work, even if you just get a matching one from a junkyard that just has less rust going on
Before you truly get into repairing that rust. Id check underneath the car throughly. Dont be like me and start putting money into essentially a rust bucket.
36 grit rust/paint stripping wheel on a drill until it's bare metal, then 120 grit down to 220 on a random orbital sander, feather your edges 2 inches past repair (prime at this point) then finish it with 320 then 400 (both by hand, don't take all the primer off, you don't want bare metal at this point) paint, wet sand if you have to usually with 600 then 800 grit, then clearcoat.
Also, if you dont get the rust 100% use a wire wheel on a drill after the rust/paint stripper then use rust remover gel on it. Also I'd use a rust inhibiting primer instead of the average cheap crap. I know everyone is saying replace the panel, it's not worth the money and time, but if you wanna pick up a new skill, the experience is worth it alone.
Buy new fenders. Otherwise you're just wasting money
The amount of time and cost of repair materials. Itll be cheaper and last longer with replacements.
Yup, you wouldn't have to worry about getting rid of all the rust
Inside and out is something you have to consider when getting rid of rust. It's like cancer you gotta get it all
Not an expert in any capacity but if you don’t completely remove the rust, it will come back. Source: I drove a lot of 90’s Volkswagens.
You can just say Volkswagens.
2010 and newer VW's are aluminum, only the panels that unbolt are steel. They don't rust, they corrode.
This is so incredibly wrong
I'll get hate here for suggesting this. But, if you're looking for budget friendly and not worried about looks from sub 20 feet, then a cheap way through this is to 1) sand/wirebrush the rust 2) treat the rust with a rust agent like Por15 3) Find an automotive paint store that can mix up a custom color of spray can paint, have them paint match your fender. ~$50 4) mask it, prime it, spray it 5) F' it, it's done. The final paint will look like trash, the surface will be trash, the dents will still be there. BUT, it'll look better from 20 feet away than it does today. And at the end of the day it's a used up Audi.
When you’re pushing it home, no one is going to say “look at that shitty paint job “. Just another Audi being pushed home.
I'd do similar honestly, I love my old cars, early 2000s. 1) pull the fenders 2) sand down as far as possible with a flap disc or sanding pad with a grinder, just enough to get rust out, not taking away material. 3) pull the dents out with a hand tool (YouTube is your friend here) 4) find a color match, might have to do a bit more than one can 5) use a good automotive primer, sand with high grit, 6000+ in-between each coat (at least 3 coats of primer) 6) use the color match paint, same case as step 5, except the final 2 coats. 7) wet sand each coat of clear coat, except last 3 coats (6+ coats total) Then reassemble it and glorify all of your effort. I am not a mechanic or a body work mechanic, I drive old ass cars that's it. I like the way they work and I like to do my own work if I can. I hate paying out the ass for body shops and my cars are old enough to not gaf.
Good thing the fender is replaceable. I would look into getting new/used one of possible
Is it not cheaper to buy used replacement
Yup. Junkyard
Bought both sides fenders for my 05 durango, less dents, but surface rust covered them both from sitting in the yard. Definitely would have been cheaper to buy "new"
Yepp and if you're lucky you won't even need to repaint
You have to 100% remove the rust or it will grow underneath your new paint and bubble fairly quickly. Replacement fenders can save you a lot of headache
You need some rust mort
I see one fender is kind of kinked. I see it's an 04-08 Audi A4 B7. You can get replacement fenders from Junkyards for under $130. I would just pay $260 extra to get good, non dented, non rusted Junkyard panels. The rust in yours looks so bad and fenders are very thin. It looks very likely you will sand multiple holes in the fenders which will make it cost more to patch and fill in. You always need to factor it the cost of repair vs replace. If the cost of repair exceeds the cost of replace, it should be replaced. Like you will still need to remove the paint on perfect condition junkyard fenders even if they are the same color, because you need to blend in and color match to the body of your car. No 2 cars are 100% the same color even with the same color code due to variations of factory painting temperatures and wear over time etc. So I would heavily advise against waisting time, money and effort on this unless you just want to remove and slow down the rust and don't care about it looking good.
For me needing parts for much older vehicles, repairs the 1st thing I think of unless the parts gone completely, than go through the efforts and bs of finding the part, what pisses me off more than anything else are the ones you call up and get told it sold 3 months ago but they forgot to pull the ad Edit: clarity & spelling
That's common on classifieds. I would just verify with a legit Junkyard as the 1st option unless classifieds is cheaper, but usually classifieds is a PITA for various reasons including what you mentioned.
The problem is I live in a midsized town, and I'm looking for 60's/70's dodge parts. engine, driveline, brakes & steering parts are still available new, but body parts are pretty much limited to classifieds, whereas with something like those fenders above, where other contributors said one of the rusted spot was nearly perforated and would need bondo, I can use my plasma cutter to cut the bad area out and weld in a patch Edit add additional info
There is no aftermarket? I felt the same with my 91 Honda CRX but found a company that makes aftermarket bumpers and fenders new. Takes like 6 months made to order, but it's quality is OK and is relatively cheap. I wouldn't be surprised if there is nothing for a 70s car, lol. That's really rough and classifieds is the most reliable option. I had to hunt down a Hood on classifieds because the aftermarket hood was $200 but $3,000 to ship, which was ridiculous.
Yeah I'm looking at a few parts right now, and buying aftermarket and shipping is nuts, it's going too be easier and cheaper to drive across province and pay cash and picking then
You really gonna repaint that dent?
You'll need to replace those wings if you want rid of the rust.
[удалено]
orrrrr he could just sand it and spray paint it himself if he wants. "stop being cheap" isn't an option for everyone.
Tell me you have no idea what your talking about
For me repairs the 1st thing I think of unless the parts gone completely, rather than go through the efforts and bs of finding the part, what pisses me off more than anything else are the ones you call up and get told it sold 3 months ago but they forgot to pull the ad
I say this with the utmost respect in mind but it’s a 20 year old run of the mill Audi… there isn’t a chance in hell I would spend a dollar more than necessary on this car. You should save the money you’d spend on paint for maintenance which will 100% be needed if you plan on continuing to drive this thing daily
really good point, use this car to stack as much money as possible and invest in a honda or toyota
I just don’t see the value in investing money in cosmetics for a car that is notoriously expensive to keep running. I do understand people having pride in ownership and not wanting to look like they drive a beater, but a cost benefit analysis needs to be done
I would recommend sourcing a junkyard for a write off with roughly the same color. If not sand with 80, bodyfill, block with 220. Use metal etch primer, then actual primer. Block the primer with 320 or 400 grit. Sand the rest and paint. But again getting one from a junkyard is always easier that’s in better shape. Or even aftermarket isn’t too bad sometimes just check the fit before sanding in case you gotta return it
Rust needs to be sanded down until bare metal as long as the rust isn't to bad. Then you need a good rust preventing primer then paint. I'd also sand into the painted area and get all the rust. If you leave any it'll spread and just mess up any paint or primer you put on.
That rust needs to be handled first.
Gotta remove all rust or it comes back. There is rust on the backsides and below the bumper. Bumper and fenders need to come off. Going to need to sandblast the areas to get the pits cleared out. Feather paint back 36-80-120-180-220-320, epoxy primer for metal adhesion and protection from rocks/rust, prime, block, prep, blend, clear, reassemble.
Comedically large bandaid sticker from Amazon
You can sand all you want those will rust again rather quickly. I know this because I am a shop foreman of a decent size fleet and when we sand and don’t replace with-in 2 years it has returned. When we replace the panels it takes the normal 5-7 years to rust. I live in the rust belt btw.
search chrisfix rust repair
Just use a touch up pen on that. It has a little nub for sanding the rust. It'll look better than trying to do a full paint job. Save what factory paint you can.
I’d sand it until it’s bright, use rust inhibitor, fill it and paint it over buying pattern parts that don’t fit right without a lot of swearing.
Gotta get the rust gone first then bondo then sand then prep then paint, or replace the entire part, which may end up being cheaper and potentially less work, even if you just get a matching one from a junkyard that just has less rust going on
I have a feeling new fenders would be the least amount of work.
Just get caps aftermarket’s. Probably like 100each
Don’t even bother just drive it, not worth painting it
New wing and bumper my man 👍
Sanding? Nahh that's gonna require steel wooling
If you have to ask, you shouldn't be painting anything.
Before you truly get into repairing that rust. Id check underneath the car throughly. Dont be like me and start putting money into essentially a rust bucket.
Gotta replace that vendor first you don’t wanna paint over rust nor will it seal anyway
Hi, I am new to this. I am planning to sand these areas to get them prepared for a paint. Which sandpaper grits do I need for something like this?
36 grit rust/paint stripping wheel on a drill until it's bare metal, then 120 grit down to 220 on a random orbital sander, feather your edges 2 inches past repair (prime at this point) then finish it with 320 then 400 (both by hand, don't take all the primer off, you don't want bare metal at this point) paint, wet sand if you have to usually with 600 then 800 grit, then clearcoat.
Also, if you dont get the rust 100% use a wire wheel on a drill after the rust/paint stripper then use rust remover gel on it. Also I'd use a rust inhibiting primer instead of the average cheap crap. I know everyone is saying replace the panel, it's not worth the money and time, but if you wanna pick up a new skill, the experience is worth it alone.
oh, ChrisFix has a YT video about this, see [here.](https://youtu.be/n4vusY2-rkQ?si=zv_Rn8GOr2TOSY1b)
Lmao four people downvoted you. Probably people who followed his advice lol