chrisl757

Hi all,
I have a 2001 xj that has a very good body with almost no nicks or dents. I started getting a surface rust on the bottom of my rear passenger door that is causing the paint to bubble.

I think this was caused by the used car dealer spraying some sealant over the seams on the INSIDE of the door. If that is the culprit, it might have trapped water and that's how I got this rust.

It is bothering me, and I am wondering if there's a way I can tackle this that won't set me back too much money.

Thanks!

Xj88

If it were me id sand it down bare..then just coat it with some OEM Silverstone Mopar Paint

extrashaky

Not sure where you're located, but in my neck of the woods the local Pull-a-Part sells whole doors for $57. If you happen to find an XJ on a self-service yard that has the same paint as yours, you might even be able to get away with just replacing the door altogether without painting. That would be a lot cheaper than what a body shop will want to do.

Row 52 searches multiple lots and even includes pictures, so you might be able to find one in your color within a reasonable drive. That search doesn't include all self-service yards (no Pull-a-Parts ), so don't limit your search just to that site.

southsidecatac

That's more than surface rust. It's always worse than it appears from the paint side. You will need to do it right. Now, there's degrees of right when it comes to this stuff depending on your skill level and cash. The metal is deeply rusted at least around that one spot. The bad areas will have to be removed and replaced with new metal and body filler. It's more than a touch up job. You may get away with just filler but it will still take some skills to make it look good. Painting it is another story. The area will enlarge so the panel will need to be painted. It all depends on how you want it to look when it's fixed. Body work is an art and painting is not something you can do well without decent equipment and practice.

chrisl757

I like the new door idea best. I'd drop $100 to just buy a new door and be done with it.

I feared that I would hear a response like what southsidecatac said.

I have skills, but no experience in auto body. I don't have the tools and I definitely am bad at painting.

If this was something that I could tinker with over a weekend, that's great, but between body filler and paint, those seem pretty tough to master for a newbie.

Just out of curiosity...any ideas what a body shop might charge to fix this so it looked good?

southsidecatac

Find a body guy who does side jobs and find out what beer he likes. You may be able to cut a deal.

extrashaky

Most body shops are not going to want to even bother with that door. They'll order one and paint it to match.

Lookit:

http://row52.com/Vehicle/Index/1J4FT58S81L567779

Is that the same color as yours? Even if you're not near enough to Arkansas to make that drive, that page lists parts pullers on the right hand side who can go get it for you for a fee. Unfortunately the pic doesn't show the side you need, but I would almost be willing to bet that truck has no damage and is there because of a cracked head.

You could also try searching for used parts on Car-Part.com. I haven't had great luck on there in the past, but you might. If you find a door on there that matches your vehicle, ignore the price listed and email that vendor for a real quote.

You could also try going to a local full-service junk yard and asking if they can find a door for you on their parts exchange. They're probably using the same database as Car-Part.com, but they may be able to negotiate you a better deal.

chrisl757

That is the exact color extrashaky. Thanks!

I am going to try to contact one of those handlers. Thank you!

andrewmp6

That's a rust bubble the way to fix it right is cut it out and weld on new sheet metal or replace the whole door.Hit up some body shops see how much they will quote you to fix it.