The motor is running great and recently upgraded cd player so guess it is time to address the door warts. Bottom of the driver and passenger doors have rust and the weep holes are clear. The car was repainted in late 80s and it had the similar rust bubbling back then. Painter convinced my Dad that steps were taken to alleviate the rust. However, I don't think the metal was cut out and replaced. The zits are back and wondering if anyone has recommendations for a shop in Los Angeles area for repair. Seems a sand and respray is only going to last a few years and probably worth it to replace the lower skins. https://awitalian.com/product/ferrari-308-left-lower-door-patch-panel-1003083.html/ Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Please share the estimate you get for the door repair and painting when you get it. I received an estimate for 10k+ to repair Please post your estimate when you get it. I was quoted 10k+ to reskin both doors very recently.
I would get @ diagnosis first before formulating a treatment plan . If the outer skins are AL remove the door card and examine the internal aspect looking for a bimetallic contact .Thinking electrolysis- an un insulated steel component touching the outer AL skin ? In which case it’s needs insulation before any repair . Have you checked the drain holes are patent ? It might be possible simply to rub down and fill ? Access from both sides desirable .DIY sone corrosion preventer first .Then send it to a body shop for its final finish to the lower sewage line .Hundreds of $ .
IMHO: Metal finishing is the best way to deal with this cancer. Cut out all the rust and replace it with a cleanly fabricated patch panel of the proper gauge. One tip to save a lot of dough is to do much of the R&R on parts yourself if you're capable. Body shops (again, in my humble opinion) are trained with metalworking/finishing, paint prep, and painting, etc, and the time it takes and patience and liability to take the door apart carefully is just a big burden to them. Door handle, armrest, mirror and window switch and wiring, door panel, speaker grill, speaker, glass, wing window & frame, window guides, window motor, door latch, on and on. Also, it gives you the opportunity to clean the hardened window motor grease. I've done this, and the body shop really respected and appreciated my approach. Also, I could be super fastidious about detailing the components and re-assembly. BTW: That premade patch panel could save much time doing the metal finishing. Just conjecturing, a $150/hr typical body shop rate and ~5 hours to cut and fabricate a suitable lower door patch panel would justify the money for that pre-made patch panel. Sounds like a good idea to me. The best thing about these projects is to be done and have them behind you. Best of luck however you proceed.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login The previous owner of my car had similar rust “repaired” by a body shop. From memory he paid about $6k. I had new genuine Ferrari door skins fitted. I would suggest going with either new complete lower panel or complete skin. Make sure your body shop knows what they’re doing. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
From experience, the skin isn't always the end of it. My car needed the base of the doors replacing. With cars of this age, until the bodyshop start cutting stuff back they won't know what needs to be done and are likely to be conservative with their estimate. With some other rust repairs, by a very good bodyshop, they admitted after they had finished that their estimate had been way too low. The work they did had been fully documented and I had bitten their arm off when I got the original estimate. After some discussion we came to an amicable agreement.
If you can I'd take off the door panels and take a good look inside. See if you can see the corrosion or any previous repair. I often see incorrect repairs where the previous owner had someone lap weld or glue a piece of metal from the inside to hide the damage. This way you have an idea of what to expect before you strip the paint. Technically you do not need an entire door skin. Standard repair is to strip the door bare and then cut out an replace any rusted metal by butt welding a new patch in and metal finishing by hand. When done correctly you won't even know it's been done. Pretty standard work in metal shaping. I'm doing this on mine as I type. Material cost is maybe $20-$50 in 20 gauge remnant steel. DO NOT let them lap weld a repair patch in like the picture above. No offense but that fitment and technique is really rough. That is also the incorrect way to fix rot and is a sign that the shop isn't exactly competent at metal work. Not to mention it will just trap moisture and will rot again.
I got a referral to Cy at Rich and Famous body Shop in van nuys from Francos European service. I took the car down to Cy and he quoted $2400 to remove doors, cut out rusted sections, weld in new metal, and blend paint to match. Seems it will take a week and a half to complete. Also, mentioned rust proofing on door interior and adding more weep holes. I did ask about me removing doors and bringing them down. He said it would be much easier to have the car to blend new paint. From all the posts above it seems $2.4K is a good price.
He is doing both doors for 2.4k? Sounds like a great deal. Will you ask him for pictures of the pre repair damage once the paint is off along with pictures of the actual repair before painting? Be great to see the whole process end to end.
Just be sure the doors are refitted to the car to check gaps before painting. The previous owner of my GT4 had the doors “repaired” and the bottom door gap was 1/2” at the front corner and about 3/4” at the rear. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
