Yet another boot panel (and rear wheel wells) rust thread - idiot-proof DIY?

Hi all!

I've had my (gen 3, 2005) jimmer a few months now and after pulling out interior trim it is, surprise surprise, rotten as a plumb in the sun. The boot panel is bad but what's more aggravating is the rear wheel wells which are also, shall we say it, absolutely shot.

I took it to a local dinitrol undersealing & welding specialist and they quoted me £1,400 to get the wheel wells done and then it was something north of £3,000 to get the boot too because they said they would have to drop the tank (understandable). I am a car noob - this is my first car - and so I don't know if that seems excessively high but they felt honest enough and are well regarded (8 week wait for their welder to even begin). Regardless, it's no bueno, that money is basically what I (daftly?) paid for it and I'd rather not spend it again. I think part of the problem they had is that the previous owner already Waxoyl'd it so there's a lot of busywork scraping to be done first.

So anyway, I have purchased a replacement panel (part no: 62100-81811) for £189.55 delivered from JimnyBits and I'm now looking for guidance on the cheapest way to stretch the life of this vehicle out as much as possible. Its MOT isn't due until December so I am happy to spend the next 6 months messing about with it.

How far can I get with DIY skills, determination and a driveway? My basic plan is to drill out the spot welds & use a metal nibbler on a hand drill to get the old crusty boot out. I'll jack the car up, take off the rear wheels and set about removing the rust in the arches with a brush / wire drill head / sanding (it will be better exposed on both sides at that point).

After all that is where I get stuck... Do I fibreglass bodge the wheel wells like a moron (I can see someone already did this on the passenger side...)? Do I buy a welder and risk setting my car and myself on fire? Do I put the boot panel in with adhesive / fasteners ( per this thread, seems feasible , despite not technically being MOTable)? Do I clean it up as best as possible and just try to find a welding man to do the tricky bits for me?

Frankly I know that the right answer is weld it or pay someone to weld it, but are the cheap-out options even viable? Any and all guidance would be welcome. Per pics you can see the existing fibreglass on front of passenger-side & copious amounts of rust converter

Have put on imgur for posterity too: imgur.com/a/PBJfE7p

Those prices seem a bit steep to me but they are probably taking into account the fact that rust is nearly always a lot worse than it looks. Dropping the tank isn't a big deal.

I'd suggest getting a few more quotes before going much further.

Bodging it isn't a good idea. Generally the bodges don't last long then you are back where you started. Possibly OK if you just want to stretch out one or two more MOTS or you want to flog it on to some poor unsuspecting soul but otherwise to be avoided.

Doing it yourself will cost a bit in equipment (welder, grinder, and other tools) and take a long time. To be brutally honest if you just want it done and you have no experience you would be better off spending that time earning money to pay someone to do the job. On the other hand by doing it yourself you will learn a lot and have the satisfaction of having done it yourself. Just be sure you want to commit the time - garages don't like dealing with a half started job. If you are thinking of going DIY see if any local educational establishments have a welding course. That way you can fairly cheaply see how you get on with welding and metal work. Learning to weld on rusty body work, while doable, is a painful and slow way to learn.

The advice above is spot on ^^^^
Its possible to do a very good repair with DIY skills, determination and a driveway, I've done it.
But it's far from the best way and takes time and investment in good hardware (welder and 1000 other items'). It's uncomfortable and the elements will be against you. I have the equipment and ability, but in no way would I now attempt this level of work on a driveway, a garage or shed of some sort is a must for me these days.
So give paying someone to do it for you some serious consideration. If you go this route try to establish the quality of the work they do rather than just the cost, too many garages just slap misshapen plates over rust with pigeon poo welds.



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just discovered an insane amount of rust on the rear corner below the rear door hinge. Pics elsewhere in here in "my jimny" I think but found more after the pics as well. Will post more when the job is done.

Not at all proud of my welding either and all rust will return some day unless the car is kept inside and dry forever. As long as we take the car out in the salty winter roads when the washing possibilities are frozen as they will be for me, rust will never die. 4-6 months of winter without washing and sloppy during summer as well takes its toll. Should have kept it tidy and it would have saved me 3-4 nights in the garage welding.

A botch job will help, but for a shorter period as said.
Les got it right above here as Scimike says!


I regret not doing more preventitive measures earlier. Most inner parts have been sprayed and treated but the bottom and frame have been neglected for some years now and the result is scary. the car was treated when I bought it but not otpimal so hit have been on my list for years to get it done. But more fun jobs and life got in the way.
i get annoyed when i see debates in here on wether to treat the new Jimny. Of course it must be treated unerneath and inside cavities and all over.
But now it seems i am just as sloppy as anyone. ashamed

If i had not had my own place and welder and "skills" I would probably just get someone to fix it or sell the car for parts. Some day you will just have to call it and send the car to its final destiny.

Thanks for the responses guys, they are really helpful.

@LesNewell

I'd suggest getting a few more quotes before going much further.

Yeah, this is definitely first port of call. The place I mentioned is pretty much the "gold standard" of rust repair & prevention near Glasgow because it's all they do on the site. I expect them to be on the higher end of quotes but best quality finish. That said I have a mechanics 2 mins down the road who welds and then another one 10 mins away who also says they do welding work so will look for quotes from both. Before getting that done I think I'll clean off the waxoyl from inside the arches a bit so they can get a proper looky-looky.

Now, if the quotes for the wells come in and are still high (in excess of a grand say), I will entertain going in DIY-bodge mode. It really doesn't appeal to me and I know it's the wrong thing to do but if I can get through my next MOT - and maybe the next one - I will be happy enough taking her to the big scrapyard in the sky and getting a Gen 4. Going DIY but welding properly appeals to me but it's not very achievable in my current living arrangements and frankly scares me a little too much

Which, per @yakuza, I would pay to get dinitrol'd day 1 by the guys I mentioned!

Update... I went to 3 different garages for quotes!

Garage 1: "Sorry mate, our welding machine is broken" (they literally have 'weld' in their name )
Garage 2: "Ah, really sorry, that's too much work and we've got lots going on at the moment"
Garage 3: Same as garage 2, it's a one-man-band shop and really more of an Alfa Romeo specialist so not as miffed

So I'm back at the initial place looking at a bill of ~£3k to get it fixed

For reference, this is to fix up my rear wheel arches on both sides (there's literally nothing for them to weld into - except a big dollop of fibreglass from previous owner which will obviously have to go), put in the fresh OEM boot panel / boot panel crossmember ( www.jimnybits.com/genuine-suzuki-jimny-centre-floor-panel.html , part: #62120-81A04) and also underseal it all. They reckoned about 5 days labour.

And in fairness, they did get it up on the ramp and for about 30 mins their welder had a good proper look, showing me exactly what he'd do, why and what the process will be. They send picture updates at each step too apparently.

Very hefty bill though, thoughts?

Despite my best hopes there's really no chance of me doing this DIY at (my parent's) garage. I don't have the time, skills or tools. At this point I am also just exhausted with the problem and want it fixed. I could scraparoo my jimmer but 1) that's like putting down a pet and 2) I don't think I'd get anything better for scrap value + cost of repair. I got her relatively cheaply so I can't be too upset.

So anyway, I'm feeling bent over the barrel

I guess expensive place will do your car at a set date and work on it as promised and finish at more or less the expected time.
Wich rarely is possible at a cheap place generally speaking.
Also as they did give a quote based on a thorough look, so they most likely will not exceed their given price as much as cheaper places that may both exceed their time estimate and price estimate.

I would use the expensive place if you can afford it.

Thanks for the response @yakuza. I think I'm going to pinch my nose and go with them. The fact is I wouldn't really be able to flog it in its current state if I wanted to, except scrap / spares. So like £500 - £1000?

Not sure exactly but if I take that amount and add the cost of the repair could I get a decent, clean jimmer for that? In Scotland, ech, they're mostly pretty rough. Plus the hassle of selling, buying...

I've got the money so let's just roll with it and see how things go. I will update with pictures in a few weeks when it's all done.

It's the correct call if your Jimny is a keeper.
3K for another is likely to purchase a Jimny with some (if not all) of the issues you have, and a few you are not aware of !
Better the devil you know as they say 
Body work is a pain, most garages don't have the skill or can't be bothered unless it's a quick MOT patch. So it's always going to be expensive as it's time consuming.
keep us updated and look forward to your rust free Jimny.

The state of the rest of the car is a factor of course as scimike says.

Mine has an approved lift, and many expencive mods so I feel I am kind of trapped with the car :dry: cant sell it for a price that would give me any profit compared to the amont of work and parts i have put into it either. Some parts i can remove and sell or keep for the next project.

But all the trips and places I have been and how much fun I am having with it, is just priceless compared to what it cost me in money to do it all.

I try not to buy things but experiences. Well things that give me experiences and fun.

Update! Put the car into the garage on Monday and got some progress pics this morning. Can see the new arches have been fabricated and the old boot fully chopped out, not bad for a day's work. She's also going to be getting undersealed at the same time too.