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Take it to another body shop tell them that you just want them to grind that down apply filler and spot repair. The rust isnt too bad and looks like surface rust. But if I were you I would grab a wire wheel to a drill and grind it all down then take it to a body shop since you already have the mirror apart. If they give you a price talk them down $200.
This is a quickie job for them!
Thanks ibidu. Do you don't think they should cut out the rust and weld in a few new pieces of metal?
Thanks ibidu. Do you don't think they should cut out the rust and weld in a few new pieces of metal?
I dont think it is rusted through out, I think you can get away with using a small wire wheel attached to a drill. Will take you 2 min to find out! Wire wheel it until you see bare metal. Body shop will use a body filler, then sand it, prime and paint over it. Its a minor job! I dont know why these shop that you are taking it to are wanting to charge you so much.
e-man. Sorry about your rust but good that you saw it and are ready to address it before it worsens. I lived in the NE for the first part of my life and I am familiar with the tin-worm. There really is no way to stop corrosion other than to cut out the affected area, replace with clean metal, skin coat of filler, prime and paint. If you watch any of the auto restoration shows on Velocity that is their practice and it certainly isn't because it is the easy approach but rather the only one that lasts. The shop that quoted you ~600.00 for the repair was fair. It is a very labor intensive process. I worked in a body shop as a young man and I can tell you that the other repairs do not last. Removal of the corroded area is the only way to make a lasting repair. Corrosion neutralizers have not worked for me either.
Hey Ed. Thanks for your reply. I was thinking the same thing (cutting and welding versus sanding and painting). Here's the thing though. Of the 3-4 shops that I went to, only that one said they would cut and weld. The other shops specifically said that they wouldn't cut and weld because it was too tricky to do that in that location. To be honest, I am a little concerned because of the bend at the top of the door as well as the style line about an inch below the top of the door. I'm just not sure how they are going to be able to replicate those lines exactly when they patch in new metal. I'm not concerned about patching new metal behind the mirror because that will be hidden. It's the top of the door skin and the style line that concern me.
Yessir, I understand your concern. It takes a craftsman with patience to fabricate the patch panel as close as possible to the body lines to minimize the filler needed to get everything aligned perfectly before primer/paint. A good body man also knows how to 'stitch' the weld so as not to generate too much heat on the door panel causing warpage, they know about zinc rich primers and fillers so that the weld itself doesn’t bubble back through the paint, and they know that skipping any stages or going cheap on materials is a big no-no. It is a delicate task and also requires the customer to be patient. While you will be zoned right onto that spot after repair it should be pretty close to perfect when done. Don’t expect absolute perfection though, that is unattainable. The repair will look good to you without a magnifying instrument though, or should. This isn't a "sand and squirt" job if it is done well, and you should plan on another source of transportation while it is being repaired. The other shops that won't quote a weld know that the corrosion will come back in time but bank on the car wearing out before that happens, and it may, but you indicated that you want to go a long time before you get rid of the car. Your initial question was not should I do it but rather how is it done well. That is what I am addressing.
Again, I’m sorry about the rust, believe me I understand. I grew up in NE Ohio. My brother bought a 1971 Dodge Demon brand new and it was rusted through in a year and a half. We all used stop signs to create floor boards that had rotted through and uni-body cars would sag so much we couldn’t get the doors to shut. We’ve come a long way since then.
Sand the rust down and see what you have, you have nothing to lose, youre already willing to pay to get it fixed you wont do more damage if you grab a small wire wheel on a drill and clean that rust. If you can sand the rust to shiny metal then youre ok, if you sand and theres a rusted hole then go ahead and get it welded up. The car is a 2006 with 161k miles sanding and painting most likely will out last the car. Rust doesnt pop right back up it takes many years to form.
Have you gotten yours fixed yet? I just noticed tonight I have literally the exact same thing in the same spot on my 08 GS460, wondering what you ended up paying. I hate finding little flaws like this
I'm bringing it in today as a matter of fact. I should have it back in a few days. There's a part of me that wants to take apart the other door and check that mirror but I haven't done that yet. I ended up going with Gerber who said they would cut and weld for $572 all in. I know that's probably more than what's required here but I don't want it coming back (hopefully).
I got quoted today $660 (and possibly more, depending what it looks like when they take it apart) by the body shop lexus recommends, so I think you got a good deal. I was told by the guy the rust will come back eventually but I don't see why it would if you remove it all, and properly repaint it.
Hello guys, long time lurker on the forum but had to share my experience with this same issue. 2006 GS300. Car has never left Florida. I found the same rust area in October of 2017. The car had 55,000 miles on it at the time. Vehicle has been garage kept its whole life. Drivers side power mirror had failed and when I went to replace the the internals with a new OEM motor I found a similar rust spot behind the mirror. From the photos I'd say mine was not as far along as your case. Honestly performed the repair myself because the damage was strictly limited to the area behind the mirror and covered up 100% when assembled. I don't have finished pictures but I removed the rust with a wire wheel, painted with a rust-oleum rust sealer spray paint, and then when I installed the new mirror I ran a bead of silicone around the mirror on the inside to (hopefully) help keep that area dry.
Have you gotten yours fixed yet? I just noticed tonight I have literally the exact same thing in the same spot on my 08 GS460, wondering what you ended up paying. I hate finding little flaws like this
Aaaaaaaaaaah crap.... I just noticed the exact same flaw on my newly purchased 08 GS460. I'll take action ASAP.
A few things. First, this rust was under my drivers side mirror. To the two other posters, I assume this was also under your driver side mirror and not your passenger side mirror? There is a part of me that wants to take apart the passenger side door to check to see if the same problem is happening there, but I don't want to disturb anything that's properly sealed.
Second, I am picking my car up today. A couple of important points. First, the initial plan was to cut away the rusted metal and weld in new pieces. Obviously, that would be a fairly invasive procedure and something you wouldn't want to do unless the rust was bad. To be honest, it made me nervous and I would prefer that they didn't cut at all. So they first sanded down the area to bare metal. They called me and told me that the rust had not progressed very far and that they would rather sand, prep, prime and paint than cut and weld. Now we all know that means there is a chance the rust will come back, but they are giving me a lifetime warranty on the work and said that if it comes back, it will be fixed under warranty. Actually, I'm good with that.
So I picked the car up this afternoon. They did a nice job. The color match is perfect as far as I can tell.
However as I was going over the car with the service guy, we noticed a small chip in the paint on the door, just above the middle style line towards the front of the door. It looks like the painter must have nicked it before the paint had completely cured. He then proceeded to touch it up and clear coat over it. Pictures below.
So the service advisor asked me, do we need to repaint it?
07-22-18, 07:41 PM
