Showerthought: The shift in how we handle quarter panel rust on older trucks

Back in the day, we'd just cut out the rust and weld in a patch panel, maybe using a little filler. Now, I see more shops, like mine in Boise, doing full quarter replacements even on '90s pickups, which adds about 8 hours to the job. Is this new standard just chasing a perfect repair, or is it the only way to make the fix last more than a few years?

3 comments

3 Comments

gracet222mo ago

My uncle's '85 F-150 is more Bondo than steel now.

jennyh412mo ago

That bit about rust coming back fast is so true. My neighbor kept slapping patches on his old Chevy's wheel wells. It was like a weird game of whack-a-mole, a new bubble would show up two inches over every few months. He finally gave up and sold it for parts when the floorboard got soft.

josephl672mo ago

I used to think patching was fine, but seeing how quickly rust comes back changed my mind.