Happy about getting that rusty rear quarter back into shape today

We had a 2012 F-150 come in last week with a rear quarter that was rotted out worse than the guy thought, like he said it was just a dent but we pulled the liner and found about a foot of rust running up toward the wheel arch. I spent three evenings after my shift cutting out the bad metal and fabbing a patch panel from 18 gauge sheet, which is not my favorite thing to do, but it came out way better than I expected on the first try. The key for me was using a flanging tool to create a lip so I could plug weld it from behind instead of trying to butt weld and pray, and I ground it all smooth today before a thin skim of filler. I know some guys would just say replace the whole panel, but the customer was on a budget and this saved him about 700 bucks in parts alone. Honestly I'm just stoked the wheel arch line matched up on the second attempt, my first flange was off by a quarter inch and I had to redo it. Has anyone else had luck patching these F-150 quarters, or do you always go full replacement? I'd love to hear what your cutoff is for when a patch just isnt worth it anymore.

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bencampbell16d ago

Man, that's awesome work! I did the same thing on a 2009 F-150 last spring, except my rust was hiding under the bumper cover and took out the lower corner. I ended up making a patch out of a scrap hood and used the same flanging trick. That lip makes plug welding so much easier, and the panel line came out almost invisible after a light skim. I draw the line at structural stuff or when the rust is creeping into the cab mounts, but for a rear quarter, I'll patch it every time if the customer can't swing a new panel. Saves them money and honestly, it's more satisfying than just bolting on a new piece.