The areas covered in red are the rusty areas it's on both sides too I'm pretty confident most of it is surface rust but in some parts it's rusted through but there is enough solid metal still that makes me (as completely inexperienced as I am) think that I could sand blast and then maybe apply something that kills rust? (if such a thing exists) and then bondo it maybe? I assume that the previous owner tried to patch it with some fiber-glass stuff but I don't think he got rid of all the rust before he did it because it came back and cause the paint to bubble up. The rear fenders are the worst and I've looked into rear quarter panels but the cheapest I could find were like $250 each is there any way I could just get new fenders instead of whole quarter panels? ANY input would be greatly apreciated thanks.
You can find good front fenders here on the forum in the parts for sale section. As for the quarters... Donor car...or Replacement quarters which you discovered are not cheap. If you intend to re-use what you have. You must remove the rust completely and treat (with a rust neutralizer)that which you can not remove. Make or purchase patch panels for repairing the rusted out sections. Fab skills and welding abilities are a must either way. Body filler is meant to smooth and level small defects in the surface of the body.It really isnt meant to fill dents/holes.
You can get the rear quarters for less than $250. I bought them and only used what I needed which was the lower panels. If money's tight you may look into having the body shop class at a local college do the repairs, might just cost the amount for supplies. I bought both quarters from Jim at American Muscle Car Parts for $427 shipped, check them out.
west Texas btw I found this website http://www.showcars-bodyparts.com/maverick.html with fiberglass parts anyone have experience with this website? How would I go about using fiberglass panels?
I have fenders and patch panel from my parts cars. I live in Forney, TX just east of Dallas. PM me if interested. Rick
if its just small holes and your as inexperienced as i was this is what you do take a wire wheel and clean all rust, inside and out, get some fiberglass matt and resin, along with a fiberglass bondo mixture, i like the stuff that has the small fibers in it take the fiberglass matt, and following all instructions on the can of resin, apply the matt to the back of the fender, pushing it smooth with your hand (gloves help its messy) leave it over night come back and mix up some of the fiberglass bondo mixture and apply it to the outside of the fender let it dry for about a half hour and sand smooth, i use a small rubber hose and 80 grit to get the grooves around the wheel wells this worked for me great, and actually holds up well, of course nothing is as good as welding in new panels, but that is out of the question for some of us
By the way the rust neutralizer you want is called por-15 clean all the rust you can off first then apply the por-15. With gloves if you get it on you it takes like a month to wash off but its good stuff.