what costs am I looking at?

[mbreder]

I have a 1993 Bronco with some rust in the usual spots. I have been thinking of buying my own welder to save on costs but I was wondering how much money I am looking at if I were to just pay someone to do the work.

I want to replace both rear wheel panels as they are rusted. I also need to do a little work on the rear bed support. Would this welding work be costly to pay someone? Would I save any money by buying my own welder and doing it myself?

 

[Gilligan]

Have you done body repair work like that before?

 

[mbreder]

I "helped" someone when I was 15. So, I guess the answer is no.

 

[Gilligan]

I asked because its not a trivial matter to properly replace body panels. In addition to the MIG welder (and knowing how to use it in sheet metal repair), there are other tools required for all the cutting and fitting required to get the old metal removed and the new installed.

But a small 35A 110V MIG welder can be had fairly cheaply..and the same is true for the various air tools required if you stick with the Lowes or Autozone quality tools.

The metal repair panels themselves are generally pretty cheap and readily available for that truck. I helped a buddy replace all four rear quarter panel bottom sections in a weekend...he went off and did the bondo work later.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

You're looking at a few thousand, probably.

If you do it yourself, make sure you tack the panel in, and bounce around. Don't run a continuous bead. The heat will warp the panels.