Mk1 rear wing/sill repairs costs

[ast]

Both of my Roadsters will need the usual sill/wheel arch repairs in the not-too distant future. SAZ9961, the 96 Roadster is in more urgent need, with the drivers side “sill” perforated, and bubbling/general unevenness along the wing lip, on ther passenger side, the 6 year old sill repair is still sound, but the arch is bubbling, so the assumption is the whole lot also needs cutting out. The S-Limited  is better, and nothing to really to worry about on this year’s MOT, but there is no bubbling around a passenger side wing repair from 2 years back.

 

How I will treat these repairs will depend on which of the cars will be going; I need to down size on the MX5s, and replace 1 with a 4-season box (in my new house, I have for the first time, a garage). SAZ9961 will be likely the one going.

 

Sill/arch repair costs; I am assuming £500 a side as a fair estimate.  Would this break down as:

Repair panel costs and misc. consumables: £150

Labour: £150 (welding, assume painting is being done by a different shop, place Iwill be using does the welding in house, then pushes the car over to the coachworks opposite for painting etc)

Paint (incl. labour): £200 (rule of thumb I have used is £200 per panel)

 

But a complete new, genuine Mazda rear wing from MX5parts is £280; £180 more than a typical pattern patch panel. So, does that mean that a complete rear panel is £180 more? My expectation is that this rout would need more disassembly prep, but some of that I could probably do myself, and still drive the car to the workshop (removal of rear deck carpet, removal of beltline moulding, or does the entire top and frame need to be removed). But are those costs balanced out by less labour needed in cutting out a rotted panel, taking on a new part, filling/making good the join.

 

The only reference I have for a complete rear wing replacement is from a NEM member that I recalled had both rear wings replaced, and a half car repaint on his J-Limited 2, and the cost was around £2k, but that was many years ago.

 

In terms of originality, it it better to keep as much original metal as possible, albeit at the cost of adding in patter metal, or losing more of the original metal, but at least repairing with factory panels?

 

Anyone know if Mazda are still making these panels? Should we be stocking up on them?

 

SAZ9961, if its going, is the one likely to be repaired via the current typical “gold standard” repair (I won’t sell it in its present state), though the “if” is because, although the car has significant mileage, mechanically, its great, and the P5 suspension just works so well for me.

 

[Drumtochty]

Robin who posted a lot on the thread on MK2 front chassis rails had the rear of his Mk2.5 done with a repair panel then a few years later had the rear wings replaced with the complete Mazda rear wing as the original repairer who put on the repair panel did not do a great job of rewelding all the hidden parts. That was the same car that had the new front chassis rail rather than repair panels.

I would agree with your £500 price for a repair penel repair but others say to do it properly to last for more than say 4 years it could be nearer say £700 a side. My Mk2 is starting to erupt where the repair panel is welded to the parent steel.

I find there are no savings whatever you do.

[ast]

What’s the extra £200 get to make the repair last more than 4 years? My sill repair is still 100% solid 6 years on. Its the rest of the original metal that is crumbling.

[Flood]

@saz9961

Both of my Roadsters will need the usual sill/wheel arch repairs in the not-too distant future. SAZ9961, the 96 Roadster is in more urgent need, with the drivers side “sill” perforated, and bubbling/general unevenness along the wing lip, on ther passenger side, the 6 year old sill repair is still sound, but the arch is bubbling, so the assumption is the whole lot also needs cutting out. The S-Limited  is better, and nothing to really to worry about on this year’s MOT, but there is no bubbling around a passenger side wing repair from 2 years back.

 

How I will treat these repairs will depend on which of the cars will be going; I need to down size on the MX5s, and replace 1 with a 4-season box (in my new house, I have for the first time, a garage). SAZ9961 will be likely the one going.

 

Sill/arch repair costs; I am assuming £500 a side as a fair estimate.  Would this break down as:

Repair panel costs and misc. consumables: £150

Labour: £150 (welding, assume painting is being done by a different shop, place Iwill be using does the welding in house, then pushes the car over to the coachworks opposite for painting etc)

Paint (incl. labour): £200 (rule of thumb I have used is £200 per panel)

 

But a complete new, genuine Mazda rear wing from MX5parts is £280; £180 more than a typical pattern patch panel. So, does that mean that a complete rear panel is £180 more? My expectation is that this rout would need more disassembly prep, but some of that I could probably do myself, and still drive the car to the workshop (removal of rear deck carpet, removal of beltline moulding, or does the entire top and frame need to be removed). But are those costs balanced out by less labour needed in cutting out a rotted panel, taking on a new part, filling/making good the join.

 

The only reference I have for a complete rear wing replacement is from a NEM member that I recalled had both rear wings replaced, and a half car repaint on his J-Limited 2, and the cost was around £2k, but that was many years ago.

 

In terms of originality, it it better to keep as much original metal as possible, albeit at the cost of adding in patter metal, or losing more of the original metal, but at least repairing with factory panels?

 

Anyone know if Mazda are still making these panels? Should we be stocking up on them?

 

SAZ9961, if its going, is the one likely to be repaired via the current typical “gold standard” repair (I won’t sell it in its present state), though the “if” is because, although the car has significant mileage, mechanically, its great, and the P5 suspension just works so well for me.

 

 

I am looking at this option for my S-Ltd. I think I will have to replace full outer sill on either side as well. I reckon that full replacement will last longer than even a good patch

 

Be interested in hearing your outcome. 

 

 

[Drumtochty]

@saz9961

What’s the extra £200 get to make the repair last more than 4 years? My sill repair is still 100% solid 6 years on. Its the rest of the original metal that is crumbling.

Sorry did not check this post again.

 

It appears that a number of body shops are all front and will do a reasonable job of what you can see but when they take the rear wing and the back of the sill off they will not repair any rust that appears on the inner sills and inner wheel arches etc and do not dose the internals with cavity wax after doing the job. It is also tricky to get the rear sills properly dosed with goo on all surfaces.

Therefore you may be lucky that a good bodyshop sorts your car or it may be a bodywork guy that is finishing at that company at the end of the week, in that case you are goosed.

 

In a lot of cases quality costs but when I got my Mk2 done I was expecting a cheap price that has turned out not to be the best idea.

As always an expensive price with a bad guy is a waste of time but some of the better places after getting cars back have improved their work practices and have learned to charge for a good job rather than have lots of complaints on underpriced jobs with corners cut.