C3 General General C3 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Rust Question

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 29, 2009 | 09:48 PM
  #1  
72and86's Avatar
72and86
Thread Starter
Drifting
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,327
Likes: 43
From: Vernon CT
Default Rust Question

I bought a Vette for $900 last fall...

The interior was pretty wet from leakage (which I still can't locate). The seats are wrecked.

How can I remove pretty bad surface rust from both seat tracks? Should I? Can I, or is it a lost cause?

Thanks.
Steve
Reply
Old Jul 29, 2009 | 10:01 PM
  #2  
markids77's Avatar
markids77
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,709
Likes: 3
From: Savannah GA
Default

Find and kill the leak first or your tracks will keep on rusting. Once you have a finger in the dam, bead blast the runners and paint them. Eastwood Aluma Blast looks nice but is probably not NCRS approved.
Reply
Old Jul 29, 2009 | 11:01 PM
  #3  
7T1vette's Avatar
7T1vette
Team Owner
15 Year Member
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Top Answer: 5
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,114
From: Crossville TN
Default

Common leak areas are the T-top seals, wiper tray cracks/caulk loss; windshield seal deterioration; birdcage rust-out; heater core leakage. Don't be surprised if you find more than one of those are causing your problems. Use a garden hose [on a dry day] to localize the water source, so that you can isolate your problem areas.
Reply
Old Jul 29, 2009 | 11:16 PM
  #4  
earthquake68's Avatar
earthquake68
Drifting
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,565
Likes: 2
From: Sparta Mo.
Default

I'm still super jealous of your purchase. (We got ours around the same time)

Anyway, my T-Top seals leak and run down the A-pillars to the floor. Having carpet in it, your water probably wicks up the carpet to the seat tracks. It's $500 for a complete new set of seals. (which is why I have old seals and no carpets.)

Happy hunting. Try sitting in the car with your beatiful girlfriend hosing down the outside of the car. Then just look for the trail coming in.
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2009 | 09:44 AM
  #5  
72and86's Avatar
72and86
Thread Starter
Drifting
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,327
Likes: 43
From: Vernon CT
Default

Originally Posted by 7T1vette
Common leak areas are the T-top seals, wiper tray cracks/caulk loss; windshield seal deterioration; birdcage rust-out; heater core leakage. Don't be surprised if you find more than one of those are causing your problems. Use a garden hose [on a dry day] to localize the water source, so that you can isolate your problem areas.
The '79 leaks on both passenger and driver side. There's a leak somewhere 6" from the windshield washer well to the fender on BOTH sides. (The garden hose test proves this.)
Its so far up I cant see where its coming from. The "flashlight at night" test didnt work...
Thanks...Steve
Reply
Old Jul 30, 2009 | 11:23 AM
  #6  
Red70vette's Avatar
Red70vette
Burning Brakes
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 872
Likes: 3
From: Cortlandt Manor New York
Default

Before you get too involved you should check other areas for rust. Remove all the interior trim and check the birdcage carefully. If you have leaks around the windshield and the wiper bay your frame or birdcage could be toast. You don't want to be replacing seals and trim pieces only to find you have major frame or birdcage repairs. If someone sold you the car for $900 they might have been aware of issues that you do not know about YET.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Rust Question





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:19 PM.

story-0
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-1
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-2
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-3
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-5
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE
story-6
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

Slideshow: 10 Important Corvette 'firsts' that every fan should know.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 17:02:16


VIEW MORE
story-7
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

Slideshow: Should you buy a 2020-2026 Corvette or wait for 2027?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 10:08:58


VIEW MORE
story-8
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor

Slideshow: 2027 Corvette lineup vs the world.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-24 16:12:42


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

Slideshow: 10 major Corvette problems from the last 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-14 16:37:05


VIEW MORE