my vx is rusting...

[sprinterdellacasa]

I had a '93 VX with similar but more extensive rust problems. The quarter panels can be done with virtually no power equipment if you have a cordless drill (and sander). I did both sides but am showing just the left so I don't flood the thread.















You can see quite a bit of the rockers if you cut out the quarter panel area and take off even just the small interior trim piece (where a speaker would go). I saw a lot more than I wanted to see. Oh you need to remove the exterior rocker panel trim piece too.

I did the work in basically an unpowered garage (I used a small generator so I could use a sander, drill, and a couple lights). If I had a cordless drill and matching cordless orbital sander then I could have done the whole thing with no power plugs nearby.

Other than the quarters I bought virtually everything from Eastwood - panel repair it, all-metal filler, metal snips to cut, and various rust convert / zinc / rustoleum primer / etc sprays to cover rust and prime. At first I used bodywork specific sanding stuff but later went to the orbital palm sander.

I had more extensive damage than what I initially saw - the rocker panels were going and the wheelwells were starting to rust through. I figured it'd be okay for a winter beater car and it was really fun car to drive (and yes I did put a fart can on it but only because it was cheaper than OEM replacement stuff).

Then we had our son so I sold the car (and its summer counterpart, a 350Z, which, without engine off coasting or other radical techniques, normally got 28-30 mpg up to 35-36 mpg steady highway stuff @ 65 mph avg speeds; this prevented me from selling the car for a while because it got "good" mileage and was fun/fast) and replaced both with a Golf TDi. I got the VX from a friend who bought it new. I got it with 246k on it, sold it with 283k.

I hope this helps give you an idea of what you need/want to do and how to do it. I'm no expert at bodywork although I think in a different world I'd be hammering panels for a living. The job was definitely second rate but it was fun and I enjoyed doing it. If I had more time I'd have done more, even recruiting a welding friend, but I wouldn't put my kid in this car and it was taking up space, eating up insurance premiums, property tax (in CT), etc, so I sold it.

[Rusty94cx]

There isn't a Honda in Ohio that doesn't have rusty wheel wells. Rockers optional on my cx. All the advice is good they rust from the inside out. So take off the interior trim and be prepared to be sad. Also take off the rocker trim and be sad. You can also take off the door panels and I've use heavy spay lube like a red grease in a aerosal can and coated the inside of doors to prevent rust or to halt it. No air no rust. good luck either fix fast or live with it. If you saw my cx you would laugh. Spay foam holding the rear wheel wells on but the belly pan and all suspension points are rock solid.

[slownugly]

sprinter nice job on that. thoses look like the same panels ive used and have sitting here waiting to get installed. we got some adhesive we just bought to be used instead of welding or riveting. its supposed to be super strong and you wont get the warping you do with welding.

Sivx, post some pics of the rust to see how bad it is. easier to give advice if we see how bad it is.

i hate the reputation that honda has aquired. mostly because of idiots who dont know what they are doing and have seen the fast and the furious too many times. i do like some of the drag cars though. clean ones.

[razor02097]

My car's name is Tetanus. Rust doesn't scare me.

If the panel isn't rusted through it can usually be saved. If not the only option is replacement of the rusted area. By the way body filler can be applied to bare metal. In fact Bondo brand filler's instructions indicate you put in on bare metal.