I have rust holes in my the rear wheel wells on my 65 mustang coupe. You can see the road through the trunk. What are the pro's and con's of repairing using a) bonding material, b) welding a plate to cover the holes, c) replacing the parts and welding them in place. This will never be a show or collector car, it is a father/son project with the goal of taking the girls out for ice cream.

Comments appreciated (my skill level is low but increasing rapidly)

 

The only proper way to fix it is to cut out the rusted metal and weld in new patch panels. Simply covering the holes will just hide it until it gets too big to hide. Don't use bonding material as it is a unibody car (no frame, the cabin is integral to the structure of the car) and every piece of sheetmetal contributes to the strength of the vehicle.

 

I agree, I am doing the exact same project right now. The only thing to do is to get the panels and replace them. Why make it harder on yourself or someone else down the road, as the rust will continue to make this into a huge mess.

 

I would second that....

 

I would just file it under "weight reduction" and call it a day

 

Okay, Ill look into this.
thanks for your help

 

Use patch panels, but follow the rule of only replacing what is necessary. This means retain as much of the original steel as possible. If the panel is solid (and you are sure), except for a couple of holes fairly close together, cut out the cancerous section rough cut the patch from your replacement panel, lay it over the section you cut out on the car, trace the exact opening, final trim the replacement steel and butt weld it into place. If the rust is extensive replace the entire panel, but your goal should be to remove all rust, while retaining as much of the original sheet metal as possible.