2007 "Red Yaris" RS Restoration

[Desircustoms]

Originally Posted by 06YarisRS

Yeah, it's a shame this happens. It's going to involve quite a bit of cutting and shaping metal to properly rebuild the area. I was toying with the idea of welding in some reinforcement patches and then using a heavy fiberglass mat and epoxy resin to just fill the thin metal hole. But, that will be a last resort if I can't mold up nice metal pieces to 'rebuild' it close to the same shape as original. I wouldn't worry about the fiberglass as it's both thick and won't let go if the surfaces are well prepped. Also, the cavity will be filled with oil, so should stay in good shape. Hope to start digging deep into this on the weekend.

Last time I looked at it, I got discouraged because it's so close to the fuel tank on the driver side...
Your thread is motivating!
I had the same idea, if I can't fully patch the holes, I'll weld some braces at least.

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by Desircustoms

Last time I looked at it, I got discouraged because it's so close to the fuel tank on the driver side...
Your thread is motivating!
I had the same idea, if I can't fully patch the holes, I'll weld some braces at least.

Yes, I think some metal strips bridging the hole would provide a good foundation for fiberglass. I would use the mat material as it's very strong - almost like steel when the resin cures. The added advantages, of course, is that it doesn't rust, it's very easy to conform to any shape and primer and bedliner sticks to it like crazy. I might drill some holes in the metal strips to poke the fiberglass into. Then, maybe apply a second layer of fiberglass. Everything will ultimately be drenched in oil, so no further corrosion should occur. I did a quick bit of research as I was concerned that the oil rustproofing might destroy the bond between the fiberglass and metal. Apparently both the polyester and epoxy resins are tolerant of many fossil fuel based products. Now I just have to find some epoxy resin. Shouldn't be too hard as I live in a fishing community. LOL.