been a while, body rot?

brim · 04-03-2008, 12:31 AM

Anyone experiencing body rot just in front of the rear tires where the side skirt bolts up?

I noticed little rust spots a while back and after a car wash It took a chunk of the clear and paint right off. I took the sides off and noticed that the entire portion about a foot and half is almost completely rotted out. It's gotta be beyond basic repair, for now I sanded it down the best I could, sprayed over it. I'm not considering getting new metal welded and cut at this point, it's not worth it.

Also, clear coat is a bitch when it comes to this, It's like removing a layer of vinyl off the car around the area.

troyertrain · 04-03-2008, 07:17 AM

yeah, mine started a couple months ago and is getting progressively worse. i have not taken the skirts off yet to check under them, as i am afraid of what i will find...

Vinman · 04-03-2008, 07:28 AM

yup, i've got the same thing...right behind the passenger door....thankfully i'm finally getting that fixed tomorrow..its started as a 3inch wide bubble in the paint, now it looks just like what you have...it got worse just this winter

and...is that manta green?

surreal_awakening · 04-03-2008, 08:02 AM

Got it on both sides, as well as just inside the doors in the bottom rear corners.

[ion] C2 · 04-03-2008, 08:35 AM

Ya I discovered mine when I took the LH side skirt off to install the AAS skirt. Not that bad though. Still haven't installed the RH skirt, contemplating whether or not to have it professionally fixed before I semi-permanently install the side skirt. If I have my car stuck someplace for a while to have the rust fixed, I'll have my RH fender replaced/painted as well, so I need a little money before this, and I just bought all of the parts I need to rebuild my engine, so I need that installed as well. Bah.

Have your rust professionally fixed, soooon.

comanche · 04-03-2008, 12:56 PM

There's no good way to bondo that.... It happens to every coupe eventually.

Welding time...

[ion] C2 · 04-03-2008, 01:22 PM

^You coming to ASS, Mr. Kalamazoo, MI?

comanche · 04-03-2008, 02:59 PM

Actually, I don't even have an alero right now (again). Right now I'm looking for a 00' or 01' that needs a 2.4L engine.

AJules · 04-03-2008, 03:11 PM

yeah that actually looks similar to mine.
has anyone got theirs professionally fixed?
if so, how much did it cost you?
I'm planning on getting mine fixed sometime in the near future.

CharleyO99Alero · 04-04-2008, 02:28 PM

***

I guess I'm a lucky one as I have no rust on my Alero.

(well, at least none that I can find.)

***

[ion] C2 · 04-04-2008, 03:41 PM

^Might find something once you look under her skirt.

o_O

surreal_awakening · 04-04-2008, 04:21 PM

They also tend to rot behind the rear bumper cover, usually towards the center. My white rear bumper came off a NY Alero and when my buddy pulled it for me he said the rot behind it was horrible.

brim · 04-04-2008, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinman

yup, i've got the same thing...right behind the passenger door....thankfully i'm finally getting that fixed tomorrow..its started as a 3inch wide bubble in the paint, now it looks just like what you have...it got worse just this winter

and...is that manta green?

no actually onyx black, haha

reflection of the grass by the phone caught that

I'm glad I'm not the only one seein this problem, it's gotta be somethin to due with the water buildup on that particular area for all i can reason.

Alero_1986 · 04-04-2008, 08:17 PM

I think the previous owner of my alero may have had sections re-painted at some point. Every time I wash and wax it, I find a new surprise. From a distance the finish looks great. But at a closer look I can see small imperfections and bubbles in the clear coat. A couple weeks ago we had our first warm day here from a while, so I chose to give the Alero a well deserved bath. Well cleaning, a flake of paint approximately 2"x1" came off just above the driver side skirt(near the rear wheel). No rust was exposed beneath. But since then it has developed a very light amount of surface rust. It saddens me to see the alero suffer like this.. I have not had time to remove the side skirt yet. but when warm weather heads this way I am going to sand off the rough paint, prime and re-paint this section.

Alero_1986 · 04-04-2008, 08:17 PM

Sorry, my computer froze up... double post

meadus101 · 04-05-2008, 01:04 AM

I have the Middle underneath the Cover one really bad. It Rusted straight through.

Vinman · 04-05-2008, 11:48 AM

I got mine partly fixed yesterday, now i just need to paint it...

and i noticed the other side is starting to do the same damn thing in the same damn spot...

sound_xtreme · 04-05-2008, 12:00 PM

i'm not sure if i remember right but when I cut out a hole for vents there on a buddies alero, i don't remember seeing any drain holes. so that would explain it.(granted it would be hard for water to get in, since it's "sealed". but i'm guessing it happens.

Vinalero · 04-05-2008, 12:10 PM

You guys jinxed me.

Just went to look at the end of my side skirts, just before the back wheels, and seen some rust starting where the skirts bolts in the rear wheel well.

My guess is that under the skirt is some rust. I wont take them off.

How much would I expect to pay for repairing both rocker panels the right way, which would mean cutting and welding fresh metal under those + painting?

jamcllw · 04-05-2008, 12:35 PM

Mines the same way. Noticed it in Sept of last year. It was about 2-3 inches then. Now its about the size of a football.