Is this rust worth repairing?[PICS]

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 1:49 pm
Hi,

I have a 2008 Ford escape (121k miles) and as you guys know us northerners have harsh winters with salty roads. I've had this vehicle for about a year now and kinda getting annoyed looking at these rust spots. The question is by judging by these pictures are these spots worth repairing? I plan on selling this vehicle maybe a year later down the line.

Also, If it's worth it how do I go about fixing it. Media blasting, welding, etc?


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Yes, I know this is the worst and found out this is a common problem with all rear hatches of Ford escapes.
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Thank you

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 8:15 pm
Generally, grind or cut out the rust, weld in new metal where needed, prep and paint. Totally doable, but hard to say if it's worth it or not. Everyone has their own motivation with jobs like that. For me, at this point in my life, I cringe at that on a non-investment vehicle...



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PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 3:33 pm
I think your vehicle has more rust damage than the total value of the vehicle so I don't think it worth the effort to fix. Rust free Ford Escapes from 2008 in the Dallas TX area go for about $8,000-$10,000 so you'd be better off selling yours and buying one of these than spending thousands of dollars or hours trying to fix all that rust.



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PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 10:01 pm
Well if you are determined then go for it. Look for replacement parts that are bolt on.

I redid my 82 Toyota 4x4 with rusted cab mounts. Typical for all 4 corners to rust out. Yes the truck was a right off with this much rust but the truck has been good to me. It took me about 1 month working a few hours after work each day. I had to re make the front cab mounts. I ended up making 55 pieces of metal to weld in and get everything done.

I did all this in front of my parents house at the side of the road ( no shop then). I primed and painted with Endura S.S. Did all this in 2001, still driving the truck today and getting compliments about how little rust it has.
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 8:49 am
The thing to remember is that the rust you see is an indicator of much more rust you don't see.
The above pictures show how involved a simple rust repair can be when its done right. Cutting, welding, grinding, priming and painting all sound easy but it takes time, skill and tools to accomplish.
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 10:39 am
I was reminded by the wife (gf then) this repair took almost 2 months to complete. Rust is always worse then it looks especially when seams are involved as most seams involve more than 1 panel and 95% of the rust always starts at a seam.

It's not easy, but it not impossible. It just takes patience.



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PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 11:21 am
Thank you for all the replies and nice work btw 5440

I'm getting a feeling from the replies that this might not be worth it. Considering how much I bought it for (6k) and the time estimate of the job. I just assumed it would be somewhat time consuming and I wanted to clean it up before the winter and possibly sell it. From watching a couple videos and reading some first hand diy'ers I imagined of simply media blasting the panels, priming, and painting (i'm sure it's some parts inbetween).

Taking that last picture(Rear hatch) out of the equation, would the cost and time of the repairs still not be worth it. I have access to a welder and sand blaster. Thanks

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 3:05 pm
From a strictly financial perspective I don't think its worth it. If you want to fix it to learn how its done because you want to repair similar problems in the future or you like doing repairs as a hobby then its worth it. But its challenging to get all the rust cut out, weld in new metal. The rust will be much more extensive then what you see cause its starting from the inside working its way out. Then there is filler work so all the body lines are perfect, get it super smooth and contamination free for paint, then the challenge of color matching and laying the paint correctly learning how to use a paint gun, proper air supply, filters etc etc. For a first timer it will be very challenging. Also, you will spend a lot of money in tools and supplies and you need a place to do the work. Not worth it unless its just something you want to do...

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