Rust Issues

i plan on ordering my POR within the next few days. I came across some ads on craigslist for caprice doors. for those that live in areas where they can find them rust free, how much do they usually go for? according to the ad it's rust and rot free and the guy wants $75 for 1. he doesn't have all 4 so i'll probably find them 1 at a time.

 

$75 for a clean straight door seems good to me. The only thing to keep in mind is window and lock actuation. If your have power windows and the new door is manual you'll likely have to swap the window regulators over. Not a big deal, but something to keep in mind.

 

I used to use a product ("Extend"?) that was probably the same thing as Rust Doctor to restore marine salvage parts. The stuff is pricey (about $30/qt), but it works. Wire-brush off the "chunky" bits, and mop it on with a brush, shoot it with sprayer, or even a "Pre-val" spray-bottle. They suggest 24 hours to allow it to react and dry properly, but you can speed things up a bit with a heat-lamp. Make sure to treat both sides of any panels that have "perfed".

When it's done "cooking", you'll be left with a part (or panel) that looks like something you just fished out of the BBQ, but that's just the indicator that the rust is DEAD. Lightly scuff it with some 120-grit, give it a wash with soap and water, and gently dry it with a heat-gun or blow-dryer. You're ready now for hi-build primer or filler to fair-in any texture issues you're left with.

Any panels that have lost strength can be backed-up with F/G mat and resin after treating for rust. This is kind of a cheese-burger approach to restoration, but it'll get the car back to "presentable" condition, and put the brakes on any further losses to rust. It's also a great compromise while you determine whether or not you'll be able to win the battle before you start shelling-out for "major surgery".

As for strategy, I'd start with the tail-gate area to cut your teeth. You can take-off the interior panels and trim without disrupting the family-hauler duties too much. Once you get the hang of things, you'll find yourself moving much quicker when it comes time to tackle things like the doors. You can color spritz-bomb the primer-spots as you go, for "20/20" cammo (looks OK from 20 ft, or at 20 MPH), and then you might even feel like tossin' Earl Scheib a few bucks. Good luck...

 

One tip before you put anything on it, kill as much rust as you can.

muric acid can be found in any store and destroys rust like you wouldn't belive, shiny fresh metal almost instantly.

Just note its acid, it burns and do no breath the fumes, and the stuff makes fumes just opening the bottle, let alone when it hits metal.

But it does an awesome job of takin it out.

More you can kill now, the longer before it comes back.

 

That's a good price. Patch panels to fix doors can cost half that price or more. See if you can remove the interior panels and look inside the door.

Might also want to grab one of those cheap magnets that come with the new yellow page phone books and put it on the door bottoms and see if it sticks. Those magnets are weak, and won't stick to anything with filler in it.

 

With all of the new-tech products on the market, I'd skip messin' around with muriatic acid. It's really nasty stuff. It eats rust like crazy, but it also eats steel. If any gets left behind, like in the seams of a door-panel, it'll do as much harm as the rust. It drives painters crazy, and it'll make Bondo peel like the car had leprosy. I'd stick with products that dry to a "neutral" state.

As for shopping for body-panels (doors, and such), if you find a long-distance deal, check with Greyhound (the bus guys) for freight prices. They can ship doors and fenders for about half of UPS or FedEx. Just be prepared to be patient, as freight travels "space available". I think their limit is like 100-150 lbs or so.

 

What do you think is in there???

It just watered down to be less strong, which you can do yourself.


I perfer the plain jug as you get more, go to a body shop n buy some
metal prep and its gonna be 2/3s water your paying for.

Where I learned it, from a body shop, to save money they said go get bear concrete etch n rust remover, which is just that, watered down acid, I then discovered you could just get a jug of plain acid for even less.

 

Anybody seen this product before? This sticker is in the window and according to the previous owner, his father, the original owner had this done.



It seems in some places there's evidence of a coating but in others it has been eaten through or just not strong enough to prevent the rust. Then again, maybe the coating has slowed down as much as possible what happens to a car from Michigan.
If I want to POR the frame, do I have to get what's left of that coating off?
Driver Side



Passenger Side



The rear and bumper area is the worst.





The doors are really shot so although I'll prob POR them, I'm still going to pick up clean ones when I get the chance. I'll use the opportunity to learn as much as I can can for future reference.

 

You know why its called POR, cause after you get done buying it you'll be POR.


http://www.magnetpaints.com/

 

Moliva...I've got good news, and bad news. The good news is that if you've got the youth and ambition, you can get this car to look half-way presentable. The bad news is that the quality of your pictures reveals some serious chassis deficiencies. If this car was of historical (or sentimental) significance, it could be saved, but it's time to start runnin' some numbers here.

The pictures show some serious metal-loss (~30-50%) at the bumper-struts, and this is all that is between your family and the cold, cruel world. If the body was other-wise sound, you could consider dropping it on a donor frame, but we're talking some serious effort. Rather than nickel-diming yourself to death trying resurrect the dead, you might be well-ahead consigning this car to its fate, and saving your money to buy a better candidate in the not-too-distant future.

Even with a full frame-off strip-and-dip, the visible losses on the frame only anticipate further concealed damage. This car's only a coupla' pot-holes from major frame fractures, and we're not talkin' GT500 Shelby here. To be a bit brutal, you could spend the price of a new wagon, and still have only coin-toss odds of catching all of the rust on this car.

If the majority of the interior is in good condition, you could probably find a matching (otherwise solid) car with beat seat-covers for far-less than you'd pay just for sand-paper and chemicals. Even if you give your hobby-time credit for minimum-wage, you can anticipate several hundred hours here. I'm sorry for the "cruel to be kind" assessment here, but sometimes it pays to take two-steps back, and add things up before we get in too deep...Cheers...

Edit...Regarding the Tuff-Kote Dinol "RUSTPROOFED", I guess they lied, huh...

 

Stang has good points. The money it will take to TRY and get rid of the serious rust would be better spent for a rust free car. Not to mention all the long hours of hard work. Michigan has taken its toll on that one. That's my

 

Even before I saw the under the car pics I had serious douts but did'nt want to say anything. It's your wagon and you clearly like it and so many posts followed giving advise, good advice on rust removal things got cloudy for the big picture.

Stang did what some times is the hardest thing to do, being upfront and honest with a friend, fellow member. I know and can tell you love your wagon but the old girl is pritty far gone IMO to be repaired at a justafiable cost. I went through the same "what to do" with my last Fox wagon, not rusted but smashed from being stolen. Yes my wagon was repairable but it was'nt worth the cost and I only came to that realization after I had bout some parts for repair. Some times ya just have to let them go.

I'd keep your wagon, drive it this winter and enjoy. If anything just buy a couple rattle cans of as close to colour match paint and cover the rust where you grinded as best you can. Look for a wagon that yours could be a doner for. You never know when you just mite find a non rusted one thats in need of TLC, you have all the trim, moudings, glass, interiour, etc, etc.

 

That's only valid if its just a car to him.

Which it must not be if he cares enough to try and slow down what rust it has.

 

I appreciate the reply. I never planned on sinking big bucks into it or doing a pristine restoration of it. I've always got my eye out for another wagon to become "the one." This has just fulfilled that "need to have" I tend to get sometimes and fulfill the duties my pickup used to at times. I wanted to fix what I could, learn in the process, and have a hopefully decent looking ride. What I paid for the car wasn't much and it's already paid itself off in other useful ways. As Fat Tedy mentioned in his post, keep it and ride it is my plan. I will probably take the time to use the POR because it's not like it's something that'll be completely useless and it's a way learn in the process.

I definitely don't want to compromise safety. The car isn't a daily driver and isn't even registered right now. I'm open to all honest opinions so feel free to give them.

 

Well...It sounds like you have a healthy attitude about things. You'll have a chance to find-out what works (and what doesn't) for rust repair, and probably discover a few new tricks of your own. At least you won't have to worry about "hop-in-the-schlop" driving this winter.. ..

As for anyone concerned that I might be a "just a car" kinda' guy, I've mentioned my dad's Caprice Classic wagon that I brought down to Florida from Tulsa in other threads. I got into a minor smack-'em-up that took-out the front grill-cap, and there was a years-old bondo repair on the tail-gate that was starting to lift on one edge. I put it in short-term storage, meaning to tweak it back to full-cherry, with a fresh paint-job.

While in storage, some SOB decided to use it for target practice with a F'g pick-axe. They took-out every piece of glass, and there wasn't a single piece of tin that didn't at least a coupla' inch-square holes in it. Absolutely just broke my heart, but the decision had to made...Time to "put 'er down".. ..

I can't exactly put the details in writing, but I do know who did it and, yes Virginia, there was PAY-BACK (in spades).. ..