If one were to wish their Evo8 live forever, WHO would one bring their rusty Ohio born, rustbelt refugee TO when the floorboard was no longer able to withstand a direct hit from a curious screwdriver?
Is replacing a significant chunk of the rear passenger floorboard, including the foremost suspension pickup points, a job for the local neighborhood body shop, or a racecar chassis shop? Perhaps a restoration shop more familiar with working in and around rusty metal?
First, it has to be someone who wants to do it. Lots of body shops are very happy just doing insurance work.
Next, it needs to be someone who will do it properly.
The, it needs to be less money than it would take you to find (and maybe import) a rust free example.
What you want done is a difficult, hateful, costly job to do properly.
Streetwiseguy said:What you want done is a difficult, hateful, costly job to do properly.
Once it gets that far, it may never end. It's a losing proposition, many, many times.
You could do what my dad used to do. Cut out the bad part, pop rivet new metal in there, and coat it with some kind of rust prevention.
Won't help with the suspension points though.
Pictures?
Can you buy the metal parts you see as needing repair? Else someone is going to have to fabricate them.
Second thing to consider. Ever curse the engineers because the simple bit of maintenance you are doing requires the removal of half the engine mechanical systems? Car bodies are built along the same lines. The bit of rusty tin is often in the middle of a spot-welded sandwich.
Reputable bodyshops do not want this work because they cant make $$$ off the work.
There are people who will do a "repair" but quality of repair will vary greatly from clever to criminal and hard to tell what you will get.
There is going to be more rust if the car has got to this point.
Post some pictures and go on the net to see if others in the same boat have effected a repair.
Perhaps, because it so hard to find someone to do the job and second, to do it right, and on top of that the cost…
Maybe you invest in the tools and do it yourself. The ppl. here range from backyard to pro team builders so you can always ask for help if you cant find a video on YouTube. When your done sell off the tools if you want.
Key thing is you would need the space to do it properly.
As a fellow rust belter - get under the car and look at absolutely everywhere that's rusting or bubbling paint. Zapping in a patch is relatively easy to do poorly, but I agree with the above sentiment. Most shops won't want to touch it, and I'd bet at $100+/hr, it'd get really expensive if you're paying a shop to do it well since you're probably only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
If you're not worried about the expense or time to get it fixed, I'd look at the local restoration/hot rod type shops.
As a fellow Ohio born enthusiast I would strongly suggest finding a clean shell from somewhere far away and thinking of your car as an organ donor.
I still have all the important organs of my 323GTX that lived in Ohio. The tin worm started in the usual places and kept feeding into places that couldn't be repaired.
It gets to the point where you are better off jacking up the radiator cap and pulling a new car under it.
Is this Brian Robertsons old evo from OVR columbus ohio?
In reply to Peaches :
Be aware that 90% of what needs repairing isn't visible and accordingly is going to cost you 90% more than you expect.
remember Rust never sleeps.
Growing up my Dad would get an old Scout each winter for a winter beater. Every one of them had the floor board gone in the driver side. He mainly used old stop signs and riveted it to the remaining metal. Good memories
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