That is suspiciously cheap for a competent repair and respray to such severe corrosion. Proper repair needs all the rot to be cut out, and it will definitely reveal far more damage than you can see, new metal to be welded back in, and then careful and skilful respraying of the entire rear quarter blending in right across the adjacent panels. Even then, the rot will return within two to three years unless there's extensive rustproofing to the repairs and adjacent bodywork.

There's no way to do that for just $500. What that buys you is a bit of basic cutting out of the worst of the rot, a tub of body filler, and a rough and ready paint finishing job. You can do that yourself as a quick and dirty job yourself for far less money as a cheap tart-up before selling to some gullible fool.

With corrosion that serious, that car will have serious problems elsewhere as well and repairing it on a 17 year old model which is already well past the original design life and with a low residual value just isn't worth it.

If you're like most people, you'll just go for a quick DIY job and sell the car for whatever you can get. If you have any morals you'll realise that the car is severely weakened and will be unsafe in a collision and will sell it to a scrap yard, or you can get more money by dismantling it yourself and selling whatever parts are good to be reused, and then selling what's left for scrap.

You are DREAMING if you think you will get even HALF a decent job done for that price. Add a 1 no better a 2 before it and you are CLOSER to the price of a new rear quarter panel and respray COLOUR MATCHED. Chances are the other side is just as bad so add another 1000.

As for buying NO CHANCE. Who buys a car that they know they NEED to stick 2-3 grand into it before they even drive it. Plus when rust starts it just gets worse NEVER better and if a car has been looked after THAT badly. I would have concerns over the engine and everything else. I would walk away as soon as I saw it, as handling with the price for a bag of SH+T even if I got it for $2 I still have a bag of Sh+t.

the corrosion on the arch can be repaired with body solder, and maybe one or two small patches if the visible holes become larger during the restoration, due to cleaning off the rust down to bare metal, grinding is not an option as it will remove too much metal, a zip wheel (twisted wire knot wheel) will clean it down to bare metal without removing any metal, to allow it to be tinned prior to applying the body solder, this type of repair will last 6 to 8 years.

it is the old fashioned way of dealing with rust on cars, and still used to repair vintage or classic cars, long winded by comparison, to a tin of filler gap (called nosh, or instant chassis, fiber glass strands in a gel)

it would take a skilled person 2 to 4 hours to effect this type of repair, which would include a skim of polyester stopper over the repair to prevent sinkage when painted, it may be possible to blow in the repaired area with topcoat, depending on whether the finish is a straight colour or metailc, priming and painting would add about another 3 to 4 hours to the time taken to complete the job.

so the overall time taken is 5 to 8 hours at the hourly rate, $500/ 5 = 100 per hour or $500/8 = 62.5 per hour, find out what their hourly rate is and work it out!!!

in the uk small body shops would be charging ￡35 to ￡ 50 per hour ￡175 to ￡280 at the lower rate and ￡250 to ￡400 at the higher rate, $282 to $$451 and $403 to $645, as a yardstick $500 = ￡309.

500 bucks? LOL!!! That's like the repair to my bathroom floor that someone made before I bought it. The floor under the crapper was rotting out so they filled it with thinset, put a new piece of mdf and vinyl over it and called it a winner. Ten years later, I thought I was drunk every time I sat down.Had to tear it all out and replace the 2 bys on up.

five hundred bucks on that car will get you a bucket of bondo and a good paint blend.

*$500

That needs a new wheel arch and if that side it that bad the other will be going soon so budget for another $500 and if the front are on the way they will need new wings as well. Personally I would not touch it as if the bodywork is that bad the chassis could potentially be terrible/dangerous.

Before you spend your money ask a dealer or two what they would offer you for the car. Presumably as a trade in. They can fix the rust for half the price you can so that may be the way to go.

I had both lower panels between the door& wheel, the right rocker panel, & the right wheel arch, done in steel, both quarters painted & cleared for $900. On my 2001 2dr. Blazer. But as has been mentioned, check the chassis.You need to shop around, but it can be done. As for trade in value, no mater what it says on paper, you'll get $200 or less.

To fix that rust is going to cost more than the car is worth. I wouldn't buy it .

Terminal! $500.00 is a quick fiberglass or bone job which might last one year. A new rear fender will cost well over $1,750.00 - $2,250.00 installed, primed, painted and clear coated.

Have car evaluated by a reputable auto body shop. This will save time money headaches.

Would this put you off on buying the car?

I have a quote to fix it for 500$

The car is a 97-01 Honda prelude.

What do you guys think?

rusted through, that is bad. the quarter needs to be changed.

It's not looking cool, you have to maintained it very soon.

well your not getting it off