rrgrr Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 It's rusty here in the midwest, they use a ton of salt. Here's a weird idea: I am wondering if it might be feasible for someone to create a panel -like using a 3D printer -using the patch panel as a template? Does this area carry structure? Also, if someone has done this panel replacement, I am looking for threads... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyeights Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 https://www.millsupply.com/auto-body-rust-repair-panels/subaru/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 nice hit! find a rust free one and cut it out. call every yard that has one and see if they'll cut and ship. www.car-part.com they generally don't ship large parts though if yo'ure wanting an entire rear quarter. around here the rust gets so bad that repairing a panel buys you a few years before it's rusting elswhere or the parts adjacent to the panels up underneath are cancerous. kind of a long term battle. the same reasons you don't want to do it yourself means it won't happen - Cost (financial, time, and opportunity costs to be specific), And then a group project variables are even more complicated pay up front, or later who holds the money, what if they disappear, quantity requirements, too small of a market, how long, who is going to send a good one for a template, people request different shapes, sizes, years, models, primed or not, shipped overseas...et.al. All that for a part that like 7 people want and most only want one if necessary - not preemptively buy one because they love it and plan on keeping it 10+ years. there will be a couple of those, but very few. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrgrr Posted August 26, 2016 Author Share Posted August 26, 2016 I was more thinking of getting the mill supply panel and seeing if there was anyone in the world with a printer that would give it a shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 No financial incentive (needs to be cheaper than the currently available $30 part?) and resource intensive 3D scanning and printing and logistics organizing people/financing/shipping/costs make it a tough fit. These are large parts, beyond the scope of most of the entry level printers...but even then it would still be hard to pull off. someone posted a a year or few back that he had access to a printer and wanted to produce stuff for Subarus, got lots of suggestions. find that thread? i think it went nowhere though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 From what I have learned with designing plastic housings, thin shapes like something that would normally be made from thin sheet metal are not printable. This was from industrial 3d print shops, and a small part was a few hundred dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrgrr Posted August 26, 2016 Author Share Posted August 26, 2016 (edited) Thanks, Dave that's good solid info! "From what I have learned with designing plastic housings, thin shapes like something that would normally be made from thin sheet metal are not printable. This was from industrial 3d print shops, and a small part was a few hundred dollars." It must be nice to live where such an idea is silly, and people cut them up and give them away regularly. I'm just trying to think of how to get a million miles out of a car I like. What would I pay...? Hard to say, but I do know many people in many fields that might help me. I'm not saying my buddy at NASA is going to be able to make Suby panels, but there might be things I haven't thought of. Even a chunk of something would fit that section if it could be molded or cut on a cnc machine or ? You could flare the fenders or whatever,...just thinking... Edited August 26, 2016 by rrgrr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 They are incredibly rare here also, CT. And yes, I intend to keep driving them as long as possible, even if I have to mill my own parts out of blocks of aluminum. If I had all the time and the money, I'd replace all of the steel with 316 stainless. I have 2 in very good condition presently, and I intend to stay ahead of the rust. My previous ones, by the time the areas that show got bad, so was the internal "frame" / structural parts, so fixing the outside with plastic wouldn't really solve the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrgrr Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 My last old Subarus I drove 10 years each (except the 'vert, which was more of a rescue) and rusted before they got 250k I didn't even try to preserve them. They are using a Lot more salt now. I've done some undercoating, but I do abuse my car like it was meant to be, IMO-what's the point if you can't drive it in winter or whatever? If I thought I could seal it, wrap it, or make plastic/fiber panels, I would like to see how far my Suby can go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferp420 Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 (edited) I made flaired fiberglass fender panels for my ea82 wagon but never finnished them I went with steel flairs instead but fiberglass is easy to work with if your looking for stock pieces just cover the area you want to reproduce with seran wrap and glass over it make it real thick and work it in to the corners and use that as a mold then you can make fenders all day long Edited August 27, 2016 by ferp420 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrgrr Posted August 28, 2016 Author Share Posted August 28, 2016 That's interesting, sounds like a mess! maybe I'll give it a try...I will make a thread and start taking orders if I decide to get into it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted August 28, 2016 Share Posted August 28, 2016 why is it you don't want to source used panels or use those ones in the links above? ut I do know many people in many fields that might help me. there's your starting point, ask them, buy them lunch, invite them over, sell it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrgrr Posted August 28, 2016 Author Share Posted August 28, 2016 I don't weld, and I don't see much future in putting more steel in this particular spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted August 28, 2016 Share Posted August 28, 2016 II don't see much future in putting more steel in this particular spot. HAAAA!! so true! seriously! good thinking. how sure are you it's only external rust? if the rears are rusted it's usually subject to the law of diminishing returns. once you cut those off there's rust underneath that's much harder to properly treat/repair and continues to get worse: https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi1235.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fff427%2Fchrisb65%2FMiscellaneous%2F97impreza3_zpsf92f7d38.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scoobynet.com%2Fscoobynet-general-1%2F986583-classic-impreza-and-rust.html&docid=Fy2gxyk7Kwy03M&tbnid=Hr0io_08PGz8TM%3A&w=1024&h=768&bih=839&biw=1164&ved=0ahUKEwin4ayb3OTOAhWCYiYKHcYKCckQMwgfKAMwAw&iact=mrc&uact=8 https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi1235.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fff427%2Fchrisb65%2FMiscellaneous%2F97impreza3_zpsf92f7d38.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scoobynet.com%2Fscoobynet-general-1%2F986583-classic-impreza-and-rust.html&docid=Fy2gxyk7Kwy03M&tbnid=Hr0io_08PGz8TM%3A&w=1024&h=768&bih=839&biw=1164&ved=0ahUKEwin4ayb3OTOAhWCYiYKHcYKCckQMwgfKAMwAw&iact=mrc&uact=8 where's those pictures of people's rear struts blowing the rusted mounts out into the cabin of the car? those are awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott in Bellingham Posted August 28, 2016 Share Posted August 28, 2016 (edited) If there's a market I could source them from the cars over here I've scrapped many a Subaru and the wheel wells have all been good, here in the NorthWest i could even bang out a few new sets for a price ( new sheetmetal ) , show a picture of the complete patch panel you desire , show the car and outline the panel size you need Edited August 28, 2016 by Scott in Bellingham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott in Bellingham Posted August 28, 2016 Share Posted August 28, 2016 https://www.millsupply.com/auto-body-rust-repair-panels/subaru/ That's a great deal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyeights Posted August 28, 2016 Share Posted August 28, 2016 I ordered a set and they look good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrgrr Posted August 30, 2016 Author Share Posted August 30, 2016 Not sure of anything, just hopeful...My car came from out West a few years back, it was pretty clean when I got it. The paint was sunburned, mostly. I did some under coating, and had it painted 2 years ago. The rust I can see is eating the round part of the outer fenders, it's where the crap collects driving in salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmoss5723 Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 If there's a market I could source them from the cars over here I've scrapped many a Subaru and the wheel wells have all been good, here in the NorthWest i could even bang out a few new sets for a price ( new sheetmetal ) , show a picture of the complete patch panel you desire , show the car and outline the panel size you need How about for an Gen2 / EA81? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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