ScamperTom
Supposed to be working
Hi all, I'm new to the forums here, and to classic cars in general! I just purchased a 1972 Scamp that is in pretty good condition overall. However, it formerly had a vinyl top, and is badly rusted on the roof, the deck filler panel, and both quarter panels by the rear window. I understand this is a common issue for these cars. Unfortunately, after I cleaned it up a bit, I realized it was a LOT worse than I thought when I bought the car.
The roof is completely pitted on top, and completely rusted through where it meets the front and rear windscreens. The quarter panels are totally rotted where the pillars meet the deck, and the filler panel is badly rusted where it meets the window.
The former owner told me he was quoted at $3000-$4000 to cut out patch panels from a donor car and weld them in. That is unfortunately way out of my budget. Before I realized the extent of the damage to the front of the roof, I thought I could lay fiberglass over the holes to keep the car on the road for a few years, then replace the metal at my leisure, the right way. Now I'm not so sure. Problem is, I don't have a welder, I don't know how to weld, and I don't have the money to shell out for two $1k quarter panels from AMD. Not to mention the fact that I can't find a repro roof skin...
What should I do? I was thinking I could glue a thin sheet of metal over the roof, then liberally apply bondo/fiberglass, but that sounds too revolting even for me...
TOM
The roof is completely pitted on top, and completely rusted through where it meets the front and rear windscreens. The quarter panels are totally rotted where the pillars meet the deck, and the filler panel is badly rusted where it meets the window.
The former owner told me he was quoted at $3000-$4000 to cut out patch panels from a donor car and weld them in. That is unfortunately way out of my budget. Before I realized the extent of the damage to the front of the roof, I thought I could lay fiberglass over the holes to keep the car on the road for a few years, then replace the metal at my leisure, the right way. Now I'm not so sure. Problem is, I don't have a welder, I don't know how to weld, and I don't have the money to shell out for two $1k quarter panels from AMD. Not to mention the fact that I can't find a repro roof skin...
What should I do? I was thinking I could glue a thin sheet of metal over the roof, then liberally apply bondo/fiberglass, but that sounds too revolting even for me...
TOM