Rust Issues

I have rust issues with my caprice in various spots. When I bought the car, the spots were there and i figured it would be something else to tackle and learn about dealing with it. At least that's what i told myself to justify the purchase of it. I just didn't want to go home without it.....

After taking a wire wheel and Dremel grind disc to it, i think i'm in way over my head. I think if i want to keep the car as a whole, my best bet is going to be to search out replacement doors. In other spots it won't be as easy as that. I know the way to truly fix it is to cut out the metal and replace it. Measures that i can neither afford to pay someone to do nor do myself due to time and money. At this point, is there anything i can do to just cover the spots that can possibly fend off the rust until i can replace the part, metal, or worst case scenario, the whole car? Some may not like the idea of not doing a permanent fix all at one time. I understand that. However, it's not feasible and when the family and I have to pile in with the dogs, this is the car we have for that.

The bigger ones on the door and the one by the rear light passenger side are very very thin and soft in some areas. i tried not to put too much pressure on them to keep from breaking through.

Beware: The pics you are about to see contain amateur use of wire wheels, grinders, and sandpaper.

Driver Side




closer








Passenger Side

 

Por15 or Eastwood's rust encapsulator are going to be your best bet to slow down the rust. You just brush it on over the rust and it seals it up. It is black in color, so if you dont want it to stick out like a sore thumb on a gold car, you can go to a local auto body supplier and get your paint color mixed up and put into spray cans for like $25ish a can.

 

I already have in my possession, Rustoleum Rust reformer which is a rust converter. Will that suffice? For that one spot which already has the hole, should i use filler for it right now? It's a very soft spot and too much pressure will make the hole even bigger.

 

Moliva1568,

It appears you have some minor rust and also major....using the rust sealer like was mentioned will slow things down until the time comes for a permanent fix...getting new doors from the junkyard could be a possibility however if you are strapped for money repainting them may have to hold off...Just don't wait too long as you could have water getting in on your floor pans or rockers down the line....anything can be done by yourself with the right knowledge and tools even when money is tight....Do you have any friends who can hook you up with a welder or additional tools? Personally as long as you don't mind seeing rust you will be fine for a little while....of course the longer you wait it could end up in more repair and cost....personally I would start scouring the junkyards for replacement metal or possibly doors...once you get a little bit of money buy the pieces one at a time

 

I have never used Rustoleum rust reformer, so I cannot say how well it works, but it would probably work just fine if most of the heavy rust was already removed. I would take off as much of the aluminum trim near the rust as you can because the areas that are near the trim probably have rust under them as well. Apply the rust converter in a couple of coats and then topcoat it with some paint. It is not a permanent fix by any means, but it will certainly help slow it way down.

For the hole you can just do the converter and paint, and leave the hole there, or if you want to cover it up, you can use some fiberglass reinforced body filler (tiger-hair, or kitty-hair) or some all-metal filler over it. Fiberglass filler or all-metal filler is waterproof. What ever you do, do not use regular pink bondo over rust or holes, becuase it absorbs water. To make this repair last even longer, it helps if you seal it up from the back side as well.

 

unfortunately i don't have any friends with access to any welding equipment. i don't mind seeing a little rust. the kids however, have a reputation to maintain i guess. i knew when i purchased it i would have to deal with this. unfortunately, certain things unforseen have come up and made it more difficult.

right now the car is stored outside but fortunately under a carport which keeps it dry for the most part. will the exposure to the cool air hurt it much more? i'm probably going to get to this next weekend if i'm lucky.

 

Rust Reformer is ok, but not as thorough as Zero-Rust's products. The converter doesn't stop until it gets the last of the rust fungus (oxide), then apply the Zero Rust Primer, then your fillers, then your paint primer, and paint/clearcoats. It's about $13 for a can up here, but it does kill the rust fungus. Hope you can get to the backside of those areas, or it will start again quickly.

Then, when you've got the Zero Rust primer on inside those spots, undercoat right after it dries (dries to touch in an hour, and you could work right away, but the can suggests 24 hours for a full cure).

 

You have to really love the car, or have lots of time and/or money to repair something like that in my opinion.

But if you decide to continue with the project for experience, as a hobby, then I would suggest to do it in small bits, don't try to do everything at once, just one panel at a time.

 

Hey Moliva,

Your wagon is very repairable. :2_thumbs_up_-_anima

The rusted areas are obviously from anywhere the paint was chipped under moldings, and the rust traveled under the paint unchecked.

The following recomendations is how I would deal with your vehicle's rust issues.

I think you should order the POR-15 catalog http://www.por15.com/ and familiarize yourself with their products. Their Metal Ready metal conditioner is essential for your situation. The POR-15 paints come in a few different colors.

POR-15 paints are designed to paint right over the rust. It creates a seal that stops rust and their systems can bond, fill, strengthen and level rusted steel.

You need to remove all of your moldings, the bumper filler pieces, door edge moldings...everything that the rust is coming from under. There is even a chance that the rust around the rear cargo window area extends up under the glass. The window molding must come off...ALL molding must come off to properly assess and treat the problem areas.

Take your inside door panels off so you can clean (with Marine Clean, the most incredible cleaner) and condition (with Metal Ready) the inside of your doors and get them ready for the POR-15. This goes for the entire vehicle.

The POR catalog also has products to fill rust holes, so you won't need to weld anything.

Go to a Harbor Freight, and get an inexpensive DA sander. Go to an Auto Paint Store and buy some sand papers and blocks, high quality filler, and a good primer.

If I felt you could get good rust-free doors in NY, I might say go get some...but you can fix what you already have, and you would still need to buy the same materials to deal with the quarters.

This is a big job, and yet, it is a very doable job. It is not hard, but it will take commitment and, also, faith in your ability to accomplish this.

YOU CAN DO THIS! :2_thumbs_up_-_anima

David

 

i appreciate the advice and encouragement. i guess my best bet would be to do it 1 panel at a time time to avoid half ass incomplete messes. if you agree, where should i start first? If i do it 1 at a time, should I put the rust converter/encapsulator on the other spots till i get to them? i'd like to say that i'll try to do a 1-2 spots a week but that may be pushing it.

Wixom,
You say POR 15 has what i need to fill the hole(s). Underneath that you mention picking up filler from an auto paint store. which is better?

 

moliva,

If it were me I would focus on the lower most parts of the car first that have holes all the way through....you want to seal up the holes so no more moisture can get in and affect other areas of the car around it....If you can knock out those repairs before winter comes than at least you have some protection from road salt...I don't know what your time frame is but on a limited budget and lack of tools things can take a little longer....I agree though everything is very much doable on the car

 

Everything we can see might be doable, but we have not seen it on a hoist.
We could be seeing the tip of the iceberg. Show me the rust underneath the car.

 

I agree with Andy on that. However in regards to where to start first, I would start on the panels that can't be easily replaced (i.e. quarterpanels). At least you know on a door or a fender if you can find a clean one somewhere you can unbolt your old one and put a new one on. The rust around the rear side windows would probably be the first area I would look at. Unfortunately it will probably also be the most difficult to do if the areas around/behind the window are worse than what you can already see.

 

Well Ill do it again!
Iv used this stuff and it work great. http://www.therustdoctor.com/how-to/rustdoc_uses.html
It converts rust to magnetite.
Check it out. Way easier to apply and safer.
Good luck.
Rick

 

Hey moliva, on the Por-15 filler, they have materials to fill small holes and create a strong repair vs welding in patch panels.
The auto paint store filler is to smooth the overall so that the affected areas blend with the rest of the panels.

As far as how much to do at once, I would start with one door, removing the trim, moldings and working the rust and applying the POR paint and learning the system ins and outs, and dos and don'ts.
After you feel comfortable using the materials, then I would launch into this thing big time.
Yeah, it might look bad for a while, but it has looked bad/rusty for years.

Also, I have used the POR products, and I like them, but there are also other systems such as the one that Ford Nut is talking about. Research these various product lines and see which one you like best.

David