Ouchie

In person it isn't horrible. It's the flash from the camera that makes it look awful. At least it's there and not somewhere like the roof or even worse the battery box. So much for their galvanizing that won't rust...

If these side moldings sell for as much as I read they can, then I'll have enough to get the rust repaired. There's a 944 in a local junk yard that I can cut that area from the quarter panel and use it to replace mine. Or I could get some rocker panels that will cover that spot.

Hope it turns out well. I don't have any rust but I do need a few spots touched up whenever I get the time to leave the car at the shop.

If the car wasn't galvanized, then probably over 90% of the 944s on the road wouldn't be on the road. It's actually quite amazing they're galvanized - the cars were built at the Audi plant. Audi didn't galvanize their cars until the nineties. Maybe late eighties.

It's common for them to rust there, I don't know why.

Take a good look at the car you would cut from. It might be better to have new, clean metal shaped and welded, rather than an old piece of metal. All the rock guard coating on there needs to be removed from both the car and the piece anyway.

Rocker panels to cover up the spot is like adding oil to a car that hasn't had it's oil changed in the past 20k miles. IMO.

Take care!

our cars being so low to the ground, the trim only protects from us hitting other ppls car doors in parking lots and our garage walls. I got so pissed at myself for hitting my floorjack today, but the paint is screwed any ways so whatever. Ive been looking in to plasti dipping my whole car matte black. just a little wet sanding and spray it on with a $100 HPLV sprayer. total cost is around $250 with sprayer. I have no means the $ for a professional paint job. besides it cant look any worse than my current paint and I can peel it off if I really hate it.

How to spray Plasti Dip on a car using VM & P - YouTube

Plastidip car coating porsche subaru impreza volkswagen golf - YouTube

Plasti Dip GT-R Matte Yellow - DipYourCar.com - TRC GTR - YouTube

I have three cans of plastidip, black. Was gonna try on the wheels. If I didn't get such a good deal on my paint and bodywork (3kish) , I'd probably have wanted to also just plastidip it. A lot cheaper and looks okay. Easily reversible and re-doable as well... But still it's not guards red :)

I too have sat and sworn about the paint... From gettin swiped by stepmom, to scratching the paint removing the nose panel and dropping a screwdriver which bounced and left a pinhole in the paint X( touch up slightly helped

True. If mine were GR i'd go the professional route too. Mine being black with crap paint, I have cheaper temporary options than you(without looking like total crap). I can get away with a matte black exterior and clear coated door jambs and engine bay with out it being that noticeable.

by the late 1970's to the early 1980's all car manufacturers were galvanizing there cars . VW/AUDI started in 1978 .
the reason why porsche 944 don't rust as fast as other cars is for two reasons one most are not driven in the winter months and the other is they are chip guarded very well .
they only start to rust because over the years the tires sand blast it off in the areas around the tires or the rocker gets a dent in it that cracks open the chip-guard . porsche also added the over lays on the QTR's and fenders to help stop them from chipping and then rusting out . they took that idea for there 911 line .

Huh. I didn't know that. I had always heard Porsche was the first, and about a decade before anyone else.

Not to go off-topic, but I have heard some people with the 80's Audi 4000's complaining about them not being galvanized. Not saying your wrong, maybe they were galvanized poorly? Heard a lot of complaints with other 80's Audis, VW's too. Maybe it's the winter driving, as you note.

You are right, they are stone guarded very well. Most notably on the rockers and behind the rear wheels with the undercoating.

Thanks for the info. :)

Take care!