found some rust
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Pro
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 635
Likes: 1
From: cincinnati oh
found some rust
oh, crap. after putting in new engine and loving my car, i was giving it a once over and found some rust on frame in driver rear wheel well. spent all day treating that area, both inside and out. my wife thought i had lost my mind, but had shop vac out and using the slotted hole under driver side rear vacuumed out an old mouse nest there. i am so pissed, rust does not go thru frame, but it is there and i have treated it with rust coating spray. note, dont get this crap on your hands. gonna take me a week to get this off. i hope i get another season out of car. to say i am upset, is an extreme understatement. is driving the car a mistake for now? i dont know. check your rides guys. i had gone over every inch of this car and missed this one area. can you say crap.....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,050
Likes: 2
From: Orange Ct
I found the same thing on my car 20 years ago. I keep an eye on it and treat with rust preventive. Unless you plan on a 540 BB and wheels up drag action I wouldn't worry to much. I'm going to let the next owner take care of it when I take the dirt nap.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,576
Likes: 32
From: Sarasota Florida
Originally Posted by drewdog66vette
oh, crap. after putting in new engine and loving my car, i was giving it a once over and found some rust on frame in driver rear wheel well. spent all day treating that area, both inside and out. my wife thought i had lost my mind, but had shop vac out and using the slotted hole under driver side rear vacuumed out an old mouse nest there. i am so pissed, rust does not go thru frame, but it is there and i have treated it with rust coating spray. note, dont get this crap on your hands. gonna take me a week to get this off. i hope i get another season out of car. to say i am upset, is an extreme understatement. is driving the car a mistake for now? i dont know. check your rides guys. i had gone over every inch of this car and missed this one area. can you say crap.....
I sold the car in the late 1999...I moved to Florida bought a 1963 Corvette lived most of its life in Texas...I was pleasantly surprised taking off bolts to the battery tray and not even busting one off...
What a difference compared to my Rusty 68 Corvette.........Keep the faith use plenty of pentrating fluid good luck..
Last edited by Blk63Vette; Apr 9, 2006 at 09:42 PM.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 635
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From: cincinnati oh
only that one spot
yea, that is the funny thing. rest of car is really clean. only that one spot. dont know what made me put my finger in that hole, but i did and i did not like what i felt. did i mention it is hard to look in that hole? did i mention my finger barely fits in the hole and once in there awhile, swells? making removal a bit iffy. it will be ok, i am just pissed. the rest of the frame and areas are clean as a whistle, just the driver side back inside frame. gonna keep eye on it and loads of rust preventer.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,105
Likes: 96
From: Sunrise FL
Frame rust is common for 63-82 cars, esp at the rear kickup as you found. My 66 has it so bad that the doors were pinched at the top where they close (at the rear). Had to weld some brackets just as a temporary fix so the doors align and I can drive the car!!!
I agree with the 540 BB comment, just neutralize as much as you can get to and keep an eye on it! Then go out and enjoy!!
I agree with the 540 BB comment, just neutralize as much as you can get to and keep an eye on it! Then go out and enjoy!!
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 635
Likes: 1
From: cincinnati oh
can you post picks of bracket
what and where. if you have any pics, i would like to keep that in mind. i was thinking something like that if it got bad. doors are fine and i have no holes. but just knowing it is there bothers me. i mean, i am afraid to dog my ride now. and i just put in a 425hp engine.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,653
Likes: 3,663
From: Central Arkansas
It appears you have a Coupe. With the measures you took I wouldn't worry too much. Even if you get some small rust holing on the bottom of the frame member, as long as the sides of the frame are solid you won't loose much strength at this point. A convertible is more of a cause for concern if it breaks through and rots out the bottom because it doesn't have the birdcage roof structure for rigidity. There is also a bulkhead just behind the slotted hole in the frame so you may not have got the rustproofing all the way back to the rear of the frame. Make sure the little drain hole at the bottom of the end plate is open and blow and clean that area out as well as you can. Then try to spray a good non-evaporating lubricant in there every 6 months or so. Put some newspapers under it to catch the drips when parked. Also, clean out the pocket the trailing arms bolt into and make sure the drain at the bottom is open there too. If a little rusty, spray some rust encapsulant in there also. Drive it and enjoy.
Dan
Dan
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,105
Likes: 96
From: Sunrise FL
I evaluated the "pinched" doors like this. Put a floor jack under the frame just in front of the rear rust area, about midway up to the tranny crossmember. Slowly jack up and watch the top door gap. This will cause the back end to droop, and the door gap to widen (hopefully just a little).
I had to fab some "L" shaped braces under the side frame and up into the wheel well---as a temp fix because there was not much good metal left. Welded 'em in with the rear drooping and the gap closed some but at least the doors work!!!
I had to fab some "L" shaped braces under the side frame and up into the wheel well---as a temp fix because there was not much good metal left. Welded 'em in with the rear drooping and the gap closed some but at least the doors work!!!
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Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 635
Likes: 1
From: cincinnati oh
inside rail behind slotted hole
paul, cant take pics. rust is inside the rail behind the slotted hole drivers side. i put my finger in there and pulled out old mouse nest and some rust pieces. cant take pics inside the hole. but i cleaned it out and sprayed it down really well. just upset, especially after all i have done to car.