Sounds like you're on limited funds with this car.
From the sounds of it, I take it you're a young teenager with his first car bought with funds earned at a low paying after school job?
Unfortunately, you can't get anything good these days for $1200 unless you find some old lady who had this car since new, took care of it and doesn't know the value.
To fix that rotted out spot, to do it right will amount to cutting out that metal and re-welding an exact piece in it's place. Then it has to be sanded at the seams, shaved, and painted. That section alone could cost you $1000 in my opinion. Your only other option is to do what the last guy did and clean the area around and bondo again. However, due to the stress put on this car from the engine and the accompanying body flex, that bondo will crack over time. You really need to put this car up on a hoist and look around underneith. I find it hard to believe that that's the only weak spot in this car. Are you sure your floorpans are solid? Will this "friend" really do all this work for free?
From the sounds of it, I take it you're a young teenager with his first car bought with funds earned at a low paying after school job?
Unfortunately, you can't get anything good these days for $1200 unless you find some old lady who had this car since new, took care of it and doesn't know the value.
To fix that rotted out spot, to do it right will amount to cutting out that metal and re-welding an exact piece in it's place. Then it has to be sanded at the seams, shaved, and painted. That section alone could cost you $1000 in my opinion. Your only other option is to do what the last guy did and clean the area around and bondo again. However, due to the stress put on this car from the engine and the accompanying body flex, that bondo will crack over time. You really need to put this car up on a hoist and look around underneith. I find it hard to believe that that's the only weak spot in this car. Are you sure your floorpans are solid? Will this "friend" really do all this work for free?