1988
Ford Fiesta
Mk2
1.1L · Rust Repair · Hand-Fabricated Panels · Original Red Respray
This 1988 Ford Fiesta Mk2 1.1 came in for what looked like a straightforward job – weld up the old side-trim holes and repaint both sides. Stripping the paint back told a different story: a big dent in the driver's door and the driver's rear quarter starting to rot through. What followed was a proper rust repair with hand-fabricated panels, full bodywork, and a respray in the original red – flatted and polished to a mirror shine at our workshop near Milton Keynes.
A Simple Repaint
That Wasn't
What We Found
- Rows of holes along both sides where the old side trim used to sit, needing welding up
- A big dent at the front of the driver's door, hidden under the old paint
- The driver's rear quarter had started to rot out – through both the inner and outer panel
- Bare metal and bodywork needing protection and straightening before any colour went on
The Fiesta came in to have the holes along the sides – the ones that used to hold the side trim – welded up, and then paint laid down both sides. A tidy, honest job on a clean-looking car.
"It's only when you start taking the paint back that a car tells you what it really needs. This one had a bit more to say than most."
During the paint removal we found a big dent at the front of the driver's door, and the driver's rear quarter had started to rot out. There's no point painting over either of those – so the job grew into a proper repair: dent out, rot cut away, new metal fabricated and welded in, then the whole lot prepped, primed, painted and polished.
Step by Step
Trim Holes & a Repaint
The original plan was simple enough – weld up the holes left along both sides by the old side trim, then paint both sides. Filling those holes properly with weld, rather than bodging them with filler, is the only way to get a flat, lasting finish that won't crack or shrink back later.
Stripping Back the Paint
As the paint came off, the car showed its true condition. A big dent appeared at the front of the driver's door, and the driver's rear quarter had started to rot out – not just on the surface, but through the inner panel behind it too. Both needed sorting properly before any thought of colour.
Dent Out, Rot Cut Away
We removed the dent in the door the proper way, using hammers and dollies to work the metal back to its original shape rather than relying on filler. On the rear quarter, the rust was cut out completely – inner and outer – back to clean, solid metal so the repair had something sound to attach to.
New Panels Made & Welded In
With the rot gone, we fabricated new replacement panels for the rear quarter – both inner and outer – and welded them in to match the original shape. As we went, we used primer to protect the fresh repair and the surrounding metal, keeping rust from getting a foothold again in the future.
Primer & Straightening the Sides
Once the welding was finished, we primed the sides and the roof to protect all the bare metal. The sides then had bodywork to get them nice and straight, followed by a coat of high-build primer – the layer that lets you block it back to those smooth, dead-straight lines that catch the light evenly.
Original Red, Polished to a Mirror
Then came the best bit – painting it back in its beautiful original red. With the colour on, the whole car was given a flat and polish, cutting the paint back and buffing it up to a deep mirror shine. Straight panels, solid metal underneath, and a finish that looks the way the factory intended.
Photography
How It Turned Out
Solid Metal Again
The rot in the rear quarter was cut right out and replaced with hand-fabricated inner and outer panels, the kind of welding and fabrication work that keeps a car solid for years. Protected with primer, no filler hiding a problem – just sound metal that'll last.
Straight & Smooth
The door dent was worked out with hammers and dollies, the trim holes welded shut, and the sides given the bodywork repairs and high-build primer they needed until the lines ran dead straight from front to back.
Mirror Finish
The respray went back on in its original red, and the whole car was then flatted and polished – leaving the workshop with a deep, even shine, looking exactly the way it should and ready for the road again.
Work
Carried Out
Got Rust or a
Dent to Sort?
Whether it's hidden rot, an old dent, holes left by trim, or a tired car that needs a full respray – I'm a classic Ford specialist working on classics and moderns at my workshop near Milton Keynes. Take a look at the Capri Brooklands and Escort GTI restorations too, or send me a few photos on WhatsApp and I'll give you an honest assessment of what your car needs.