Cost of resp[raying wheelarch?

[Hollywood Wheels]

The rear wheelarch on the Omega has the usual problem of surface rust and bubbling, pretty much all the way around the arch. I wouldn't mind getting it sorted and resprayed, not bothered about a top quality job, just making it look better for a couple of years. Can anyone have a stab at a ballpark price for such a job, because I'm gonna be unable to take it in for any quotes for a good few days, and if it's too much I won't bother. I'm thinking £200-ish? Cheers for any help....

[Anatol]

We'd charge around £130+vat to grind out loose rust, apply rust inhibitors/zinc primer, reprofile with filler/stopper and refinish, for a typical rusty wheelarch, including on-site repair or collection/return of the vehicle. £100+vat ish if the customer delivered to us and collected again under their own steam. Repair would occupy about 4 hours of diary time.

We're slightly pricier than local competition without VBRA/OFT and associated warranty/customer charter, and in a slightly pricier than average part of the UK.

If the damage is a rusty arch, a full panel + blend adjoining type repair is not necessary.

HTH

Tol

[JayKaybi]

Anatol is your man mate

[Hollywood Wheels]

Cheers for the advice, sounds a v good price.

[cartoons]

it does sound a good price,but if grinding it off,applying rust inhibitors+filler to a bubbling omega wheelarch makes it last a couple of years i think i will catch a ride on the next flying pig out of here! i think you would need to budget on welding a new arch on first.

[danrc]

cartoons said:

it does sound a good price,but if grinding it off,applying rust inhibitors+filler to a bubbling omega wheelarch makes it last a couple of years i think i will catch a ride on the next flying pig out of here! i think you would need to budget on welding a new arch on first.

agreed buddy.

In my experience, if there is rust on the surface, the rust underneith is going to be at 5x worse.

My civic has got the dreaded rust on the rear arches, i did a bit of exploration with a screwdriver and it turns out my inner arches are also rusty as hell. I'm going to go for a set of new rear panels, and whilst i am at it have the rear arches cut out and welded to make sure the rust doesnt reappear for a hell of a long time.

[Anatol]

cartoons said:

if grinding it off,applying rust inhibitors+filler to a bubbling omega wheelarch makes it last a couple of years...

The OP did specify "surface rust" - not "arch rusted right through". Plenty of rust is from outside-in rather than the other way round - chipping that perforates the paint skin (common on arches, often the widest-flared part of the car along the side) causes exactly this eventually.

Provided there's good steel to bond the repair to, rather than a tissue of rust from inside-out, a repair of this nature is a viable option, it certainly wouldn't have a lifespan beyond a few years, but the OP was about a short-term cosmetic fix. Welding new arches on for older cars is often uneconomical and a non-starter given the overall vehicle value. The cost involved leaps by far more than the cost of the new metalwork.

Tol

Edited by Anatol on Thursday 28th June 14:38

[cartoons]

sorry,when i read the op`s post it said "bubbling" and lasting a couple of years.trust me,if it`s an omega it needs a new wheelarch welding on first!as for price,he seemed about spot on at around £200ish.