Well the rear window seal has gotten worse, and enough water enters the car where I can't put off replacing the seal any longer. Problem is, I suspect there will be a fair amount of rust in the window channel. Does anyone know of a shop that does good metal work for a fair price around the Santa Cruz, CA area? I know it depends on how bad the rust is, but what would you guys think is a fair price for replacing the rusted metal with new metal? Anything to watch out for? Any and all related info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

Not familiar with CA but I wouldn't be surprised to see a $600-$1000 bill for the work.

 

What specific area are you talking about?

 

@zmetalmilitia: yea thats pretty much the figures I was expecting, I just want to find a reputable place to do the work well and on time
@hightower11: I'm referring the area underneath the rear window seal. The "lip" so to speak. I have the new seal, and plan on installing it myself, but I know that when I remove the window the metal underneath will be in bad shape. I don't know how bad the damage will be, but I can't take the window out just to see because she's my daily driver and its been pretty rainy.

 

I thought it never rained in Cali.

 

Ah I gotcha. It really is a case of having no idea how bad the damage is. Could be little, could be a lot!
Cost wise, zmetalmilitia could be right. You might can get away with a cut and patch DIY job without a repaint if the patch is covered by the seal, but you never know.

It doesn't.... he's lying!

 

So does anyone out there know of a place? The Bay Area is acceptable too!

 

climb into your trunk and take a look at the damage. You can also pull your rear seat, remove the bottom then unbolt the top section at the floor so it can be removed, then lift from the bottom and remove from the car. The more work you do upfront, the less $$ it will cost you. Also consider removing your rear window before hand, or pay a glass shop to do it. If the shop can get access to the work that needs to be done before hand, the more accurate and lower the estimate will be. It may be as simple as filling the corners, all the way up to replacing the entire rear sill plate. Or.... buy a used mig welder and do it yourself for about the same price, and when its all done, you still have a welder.

 

@groho: Yea I planned on doing the removal of the window myself before bringing it to a shop. I will definitely take a trip to the trunk to see what's going on. I will look for rust, and poke with a screwdriver or something to see how rotted it is. Anything else to look for? The reason I won't do it myself is that I can't. Like I said before, she's my daily driver and it's been rainy. Plus I am a student who also works = no time. And to add I have never welded a thing in my entire life.

 

Here's a little info on what you may face.

http://www.mustangmonthly.com/techar...k/removal.html