I’ve got this bad rust spot starting and want to fix it before winter. I got a quote from a body shop for about $1300 to fix it. Can I just cut out the rust, fill it with bondo, and cover it with corner armor? If not, what’s the best way to handle this?
That’s exactly what I would do 
Yeah, you can just cut or grind out that rust spot, treat the metal with primer or some other rust preventative, and throw a corner guard on top. But did the bumper cause this by flexing into that area?
@Teagan
No, it’s been a slow-growing rust spot for a while. It’s just gotten a lot worse in the last year.
Luca said:
@Teagan
No, it’s been a slow-growing rust spot for a while. It’s just gotten a lot worse in the last year.
Since you’re working on it, maybe check your hinges and fender flares too. They look like they could use a bit of a touch-up. Rustoleum rust converter works pretty well, matches faded black powder coat almost perfectly.
@Teagan
Yeah, I actually ordered new hinges yesterday, only $50. I’ve got plenty of other stuff to paint on this thing anyway 
Luca said:
@Teagan
Yeah, I actually ordered new hinges yesterday, only $50. I’ve got plenty of other stuff to paint on this thing anyway
At least yours is black. Mine’s in dune, and that paint is pricey, like $30 per spray can. I learned a lot about body work when I had to fix up a smashed door and pillar (trail damage).
Luca said:
@Teagan
No, it’s been a slow-growing rust spot for a while. It’s just gotten a lot worse in the last year.
I’ve got a similar rust spot on my JK. I’ve seen a lot of people mentioning this same issue. There might be a spot where water naturally collects inside the body.
Use a wire wheel to get all the rust off, then coat it with primer to stop it from coming back. You could use bondo and paint it after, or just paint it directly depending on how nice you want it to look. The bare minimum would be removing all the rust and sealing it up.
I wouldn’t even bother. It’s a Jeep.
Jaime said:
I wouldn’t even bother. It’s a Jeep.
It’s my daily driver though, and not everyone wants a rusty Jeep! Maybe if it was a 30-year-old beater trail rig, sure.
Jaime said:
I wouldn’t even bother. It’s a Jeep.
It’s my daily driver though, and not everyone wants a rusty Jeep! Maybe if it was a 30-year-old beater trail rig, sure.
That’s fair. Mine’s more of a weekend cruiser now. I always liked the look of those diamond plate black corners.
That rust looks like it’s eaten all the way through. The only real way to fix that is to cut it out completely and weld in a new steel patch.
Lux said:
If you’re going to cover it up, you should at least cut out the rust and check how deep the damage goes. Try to stop it before it spreads and becomes a bigger problem.
Yeah, that’s the plan—cut it out, seal it up, bondo, spray it black, and then throw the corner cover on top.
Rust can be a nightmare. Just get yourself a new Jeep and call it a day 
You’ll need to pull off the bumper and light, grind off the paint, use a stud gun to straighten things out, hammer and dolly, cut out the rust, apply rust converter, patch it, skim coat with Rage Extreme, sand, seal, prime, guide coat, scuff, base, clear coat, spray Tekwax inside, then reinstall the bumper and light.
@Micah
Now this person knows their bodywork 
Just fix it with money 
That Jeep is totaled! Time to get a new one 
Just add some body armor and call it a day.