What is terminal rust?

[GTS]

Going by the pics I'd say you have some serious rust going on....but possibly repairable by the right person.

The reason I say its serious is because for rust hole to be that big on the outside I imagine the problem is 10 times worse on the inside.....a little bit of recent experience talking there I've been lucky in that my panel beater mate of 41 years has made me cut and repair the rust myself....well some would call it lucky He has shown me what I need to do, how to do it and how to make it a finished product. Not everyone gets a chance like that when doing a resto/repair. He normally charges around $40.00 per hour and so far I've saved thousands by doing it myself.

Up until 6 weeks ago I would never have taken to the van with a cutting disc in an angle grinder and cut a hole.....just to see what was behind it :eek:...but thats exactly what I ended up doing and found that it wasnt as scary as I'd thought. So far all the repair panels have hand made by me, although thats about to change since I found that the rear outer beaver panel was beyond repair and I bought a Rares one which I'm fitting tomorrow....assuming it's not like the cowl panel I got off them that didnt even go close and (with thanks) they refunded me the full purchase price...but thats another story.

A job the size of yours, if you pay someone to do it, is going to cost you the national debt. Look around your local area and see if there is a TAFE that offers a panel beating/metal work or even just a welding course where you can learn what you need to so you can do the job yourself.

Your first attempt may not be show quality...but what you learn along the way will be with you for life, and many other cars.

A wise man once said " If you learn something new every day you will die a very intelligent person":Tongue:

There are plenty of experienced people on the forum so if you get stuck just ask the question.

Having said all that, it does look like a big job (especially those 1/4 panels) and probably not one for a beginner like me. I wouldn't take it one knowing what I know now.