I just bought my sixth Type 4 but have never run into this problem that I have with it. Rust. The front left side of the frame is almost totally rusted away. This is where the front suspension bolts to, as well as the front bumper.
Am I screwed? Or is there any way that a good body shop could repair this somehow? Will I have to find another 412 to part out to get this part of the frame to have welded on? The car (wagon) is in near mint condition except this.
Help, please!!
Thanks
Possibly Fatal Rust on 412?
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ubercrap
- Posts: 1394
- Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2004 8:00 pm
Hi there, try posting in the 411/412 forum also. 
I used to have an old BMW that had rust-through on the frame rails near the crossmember mounting points. I took it to a good ol' boy local bodyshop and asked him what he thought. He went ahead and cut out the bad parts and welded in some thick plate steel, but I had to pay him in cash and he would not give me a receipt. He said if anything happened with it, like it broke in half and the car flew out of control, I didn't know him. Anyway, later when I had the car at a dealer and it was up on the lift, I asked a tech what thought about the repair. He took a look, and said it looked fine, plenty sturdy. He thought it would be perfectly safe. I drove the car hard and it seemed fine. I would have to see pictures of your particular rust, though. With time, skill, or money-most likely all three- I think that any concentrated rust problem areas can be fixed. You may never have that factory-built peace of mind, though. That being said, the wagon is the most common Type 4 bodystyle, and rust free shells do exist. Heck, in California, people can have a hard time even giving these cars away, it seems. If you have to pay to have somebody do the bodywork, you might be better off buying a good shell and transplanting all the parts.
I used to have an old BMW that had rust-through on the frame rails near the crossmember mounting points. I took it to a good ol' boy local bodyshop and asked him what he thought. He went ahead and cut out the bad parts and welded in some thick plate steel, but I had to pay him in cash and he would not give me a receipt. He said if anything happened with it, like it broke in half and the car flew out of control, I didn't know him. Anyway, later when I had the car at a dealer and it was up on the lift, I asked a tech what thought about the repair. He took a look, and said it looked fine, plenty sturdy. He thought it would be perfectly safe. I drove the car hard and it seemed fine. I would have to see pictures of your particular rust, though. With time, skill, or money-most likely all three- I think that any concentrated rust problem areas can be fixed. You may never have that factory-built peace of mind, though. That being said, the wagon is the most common Type 4 bodystyle, and rust free shells do exist. Heck, in California, people can have a hard time even giving these cars away, it seems. If you have to pay to have somebody do the bodywork, you might be better off buying a good shell and transplanting all the parts.-
raygreenwood
- Posts: 11912
- Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2003 12:01 am
And Dr. Craps point ....brings me to another point. please...if you guys find or buy cars that are basket cases, and you use them for parts, or swap parts to a chassis, start keeping a log of what chassis #'s you have found and sent to the grave.,..and what car your parts came from. Its nice to know where these things are ending up. I have history of most of the cars I have laid my hands on. Ray
....brings me to another point. please...if you guys find or buy cars that are basket cases, and you use them for parts, or swap parts to a chassis, start keeping a log of what chassis #'s you have found and sent to the grave.,..and what car your parts came from. Its nice to know where these things are ending up. I have history of most of the cars I have laid my hands on. Ray