Lee Iaccoca
Member
- Joined
- January 8, 2008
- Messages
- 45
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Washington, DC metro-area
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1991 Explorer EB
My ex has over 200k.
I was planning to just keep using this ex around town and on the highway, so I wanted to keep it roughly presentable (even though its probably worth about $1000 at most).
Of course this ex has bad rust on the rockers and doglegs. And fixing that means a serious investment in personal time/tools and/or shop time; its an investment worth probably twice the truck itself!
Did see the rust repair job photographically detailed here, but that's just not going to be practical for me.
Was looking for aftermarket rockers or sliders that might obscure areas on the rockers where I'd remove rust. But these parts don't seem to exist for Explorers.
Since the rust on the rockers doesn't reach the doors, I was considering sawing off straight all the metal below the doors on both sides. Then treating the area with rust-proof coating, primer and paint. This would eliminate the rusted area fairly easily. Of course, it wouldn't look OEM, but it would be cheap and DIY. You think this is a sound idea?
Or you think the more expensive option of buying the relatively cheap panels and having those welded in place + body-work is a sounder idea? I am a couple of miles outside of Washington DC, so don't have great tools, garage, place to work, reasonable labor rate estimates, pick and pulls etc, unfortunately. Thanks
I was planning to just keep using this ex around town and on the highway, so I wanted to keep it roughly presentable (even though its probably worth about $1000 at most).
Of course this ex has bad rust on the rockers and doglegs. And fixing that means a serious investment in personal time/tools and/or shop time; its an investment worth probably twice the truck itself!

Was looking for aftermarket rockers or sliders that might obscure areas on the rockers where I'd remove rust. But these parts don't seem to exist for Explorers.
Since the rust on the rockers doesn't reach the doors, I was considering sawing off straight all the metal below the doors on both sides. Then treating the area with rust-proof coating, primer and paint. This would eliminate the rusted area fairly easily. Of course, it wouldn't look OEM, but it would be cheap and DIY. You think this is a sound idea?
Or you think the more expensive option of buying the relatively cheap panels and having those welded in place + body-work is a sounder idea? I am a couple of miles outside of Washington DC, so don't have great tools, garage, place to work, reasonable labor rate estimates, pick and pulls etc, unfortunately. Thanks
