Rust Treatment
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Rust Treatment
I'm new here--just purchased my first, a '77 L48 that needs plenty of work. I started a thread about a misfire and the outpouring of support has been huge, including the following about how to tackle my rust issues. I figured I'd share with a proper thread vs. buried on the third page of a thread about a misfire diagnosis.
Needless to say, I'm so grateful for this forum and guys like @torkman, @doug1 and others. Great stuff below:
Originally Posted by Torkman
I have extensive experience with major rust repair. Restored over a dozen unibody cars through the last 30 years and all of them had lots of cancer. Here a a few tricks and some money saving tips:
1. All of the rust killer sprays are essentially phosphoric acid mixed with a catalyst. Buy a couple gallons of phosphoric acid ( green liquid) and spray it on all rust area. You can put PA in spray bottles...it does not hurt plastic. Just spray it on and it converts the rust to a paintable metal. Then use rustoleum rusty metal primer ( it also has PA but with a sealer catalyst). Now top coat with rustoleum color of your choice.
2. Inside frame rails, fill a garden sprayer with the PA and stick the wand in every hole you can find on the frame. Spray it in until the PA is running out of every crack. You can even add on a long length of hose if you need to get into deeper areas. Let it dry for a couple days then using the same garden sprayer, mix a quart of rustoleum flat black with a quart of paint thinner and do the same thing. This will kill the rust with the PA, and then coat the metal.
3. If you can, replace rusty bolts, washers, and nuts. Unless they are specialty bolts, you can replace them with grade 5 or 8 bolts from any hardware store. If you must reuse the bolts, put a wire wheel on your grinder and clean them that way....use heavy gloves when doing this or you will leave parts of your fingers in the wire wheel...ask me how I know.
4. There are a few good products that you can use to really kill the rust and seal area....the products that come in a cream form work best...you paint these on, the product comes out white and dries black. Use rubber gloves...this stuff stains your skin really bad. It works great...can be painted when cured.
5. Finally, POR 15 is perhaps the best product for area that you can coat, cover, or hide. Windshield frames, floors, frames, any area that does not require a nice top coat finish....it is perfect for area covered by trim, carpet, or under the car.
Whatever you do with the car, make it enjoyable. Do not stress over anything that you uncover or if something goes wrong. Just take one project on at a time, ask a lot of questions along the way, and enjoy the project. With the right attitude, working and restoring these old cars are great therapy...enjoy it.
Needless to say, I'm so grateful for this forum and guys like @torkman, @doug1 and others. Great stuff below:
Originally Posted by Torkman
I have extensive experience with major rust repair. Restored over a dozen unibody cars through the last 30 years and all of them had lots of cancer. Here a a few tricks and some money saving tips:
1. All of the rust killer sprays are essentially phosphoric acid mixed with a catalyst. Buy a couple gallons of phosphoric acid ( green liquid) and spray it on all rust area. You can put PA in spray bottles...it does not hurt plastic. Just spray it on and it converts the rust to a paintable metal. Then use rustoleum rusty metal primer ( it also has PA but with a sealer catalyst). Now top coat with rustoleum color of your choice.
2. Inside frame rails, fill a garden sprayer with the PA and stick the wand in every hole you can find on the frame. Spray it in until the PA is running out of every crack. You can even add on a long length of hose if you need to get into deeper areas. Let it dry for a couple days then using the same garden sprayer, mix a quart of rustoleum flat black with a quart of paint thinner and do the same thing. This will kill the rust with the PA, and then coat the metal.
3. If you can, replace rusty bolts, washers, and nuts. Unless they are specialty bolts, you can replace them with grade 5 or 8 bolts from any hardware store. If you must reuse the bolts, put a wire wheel on your grinder and clean them that way....use heavy gloves when doing this or you will leave parts of your fingers in the wire wheel...ask me how I know.
4. There are a few good products that you can use to really kill the rust and seal area....the products that come in a cream form work best...you paint these on, the product comes out white and dries black. Use rubber gloves...this stuff stains your skin really bad. It works great...can be painted when cured.
5. Finally, POR 15 is perhaps the best product for area that you can coat, cover, or hide. Windshield frames, floors, frames, any area that does not require a nice top coat finish....it is perfect for area covered by trim, carpet, or under the car.
Whatever you do with the car, make it enjoyable. Do not stress over anything that you uncover or if something goes wrong. Just take one project on at a time, ask a lot of questions along the way, and enjoy the project. With the right attitude, working and restoring these old cars are great therapy...enjoy it.
