I NEED NEW REAR QUARTER PANELS!!!!!!

[mitchell_jarvis]

I just bought a 1996 mx3 but it need new rear quarter panels(rusted out), i was wondering if anyone new if you could order new ones. i know they would have to be welded in, but i just need new ones.

[Newfie_dan]

You can order new ones the big problem is that mazda mx-3's rear quarter is the entire piece from the middle of the door to the rear of the vehicle kinda like a vertical line cut in the middle of the door frame then joined together. The easiest bet is to go to a scrap yard find a good one and cut the metal out of it that you need. The only source for the sheet metal in question new is mazda itself and its stupid expensive. I cut the rockers out of a good donor car when I found someone selling off parts paid 50 bucks for them and they were mint. A drill to drill out the spot welds, a angle grinder and zip disk and about 30 mins is all it took. Very few body shops will weld sheet metal these days what they usually do is cut out the rusted metal then flange it with a pneumatic flanging tool cut the new metal to match and glue it on. Yes thats right glue it, the autobody shops use a 2 part epoxy based glue and its stronger than a weld. Almost all unibodies these days are glued together. Its messy so prep for it if you use this method. If you opt to weld it then make sure that you are welding to good clean metal.

[mitchell_jarvis]

Alright thanks alot, ill probably search around for a parts car to cut out panels, and ill just spot weld it, i need new rockers too know anything about them?

[Newfie_dan]

same thing the panels I mentioned before include the rocker panels and all, so just cut them out of the car just drill out the spot welds as well if the donor metal is not rusted use a spot weld cutter to take care of the spot welds, I just drill them out with a good quality 1/8" pilot but followed by a 3/8" bit since my donor car did have a little rust in that area. If you opt to spot weld them on make sure that you flange the body where you are going to weld on the new metal it makes seating and mating them much easier then finish the seam up with some jb weld to seal the whole deal in for good. Coat the interior metal with some rust killer once your done to prevent it from happening a 2nd time around.