Interior Rust shots finally
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Interior Rust shots finally
Now that I've got the camera back I can post the pics of my rust problem. I've pulled the dash and the carpet. The seatbelt well drivers side is badly rusted and the floor in front of it. But there is NO evidence of it coming from anywhere in the w/s or dash area. Window seal maybe?
Right side is rusty too and I am posting a pic where you can see rust in the dash pad area. I don't want my new carpet to get wet when I wash the car, so hope somebody can allow me a suggestion or two?
Right side is rusty too and I am posting a pic where you can see rust in the dash pad area. I don't want my new carpet to get wet when I wash the car, so hope somebody can allow me a suggestion or two?
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Plano TX
I recently fixed this leak on my 71. There were 2 sources of water entering on mine. The first was the bottom corner of the windshield frame, underneath the fiberglass. I had repaired this part of the birdcage years ago when I had the windshield out. Since I didn't want to remove the front clip I couldn't weld the bottom edge of the patch panel. This is where water entered. The bottom portion of the cage that is visible in your picture was fairly rusted so I cut this section out and it gave me access to the upper portion of the birdcage where my original patchpanel was (but from the bottom side). Now I could easily seal the lower edge of the patch panel with some sealer. That fixed leak #1.
Leak #2 was where several fiberglass panels are bonded together in the cowl, just below the pass side wiper arm mount. Factory sealer was dried and cracked and let water in. Some new sealer took care of it.
Good luck.
Leak #2 was where several fiberglass panels are bonded together in the cowl, just below the pass side wiper arm mount. Factory sealer was dried and cracked and let water in. Some new sealer took care of it.
Good luck.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2002
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Originally Posted by SanDiegoPaul
Now that I've got the camera back I can post the pics of my rust problem. I've pulled the dash and the carpet. The seatbelt well drivers side is badly rusted and the floor in front of it. But there is NO evidence of it coming from anywhere in the w/s or dash area. Window seal maybe?
I really don't think you need a big leak to accumulate enough water to do that. In my experience, those plugs in the center let more water in than they'll ever let out. And then once it soaks into that jute backing, it's hard as hell for that water to get back out. My car sat in a 100+ degree Florida garage for about half a year before I got around to pulling up the carpets. The car had been driven maybe twice (not in the rain) in the meantime. And there was still enough water in the jute for me to be able to wring it out.
My theory is even if you don't have a "leak" per se, enough water can sneak in around that plug, from around the door seals, from wet shoes, etc. to eventually saturate the jute over the decades. So rather than begin a witch hunt for a leak, I just waterproofed my floorpans. I ground off all the rust, hit the pans with rust convertor, and then put 2 coats of rubberized undercoating on them. I also made sure to seal down the plugs with the undercoating. As I've told others, if they rust again, it won't be from the inside.
I figure ...
1. I ain't putting that damn jute back in. I'll use some manner of non-absorbent padding if at all.
2. I don't drive in the rain.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
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From: Orange Park Florida
You are correct of course about the jute and rain/water, and of course that applies to ANY rubber matting or anything else that traps water next to steel.....
like in vans, those black rubber mats cause the rust problems on floorboards to total the van in about 5-6 years or less, depending on useage....
GENE
like in vans, those black rubber mats cause the rust problems on floorboards to total the van in about 5-6 years or less, depending on useage....
GENE
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Talcum? Huh?
Originally Posted by Ed T
you ought to try & isolate the area(s) of water intrusion before you go further. Try squirting/spreading talcum powder at all the suspected interior leak points ,put on the t tops & roll up the windows and spray the car down with a garden hose.
Thanks much for the help.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 7,098
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From: Las Vegas - Just stop perpetuating myths please.
Don't look all that bad in the pix. Looks like mostly surface rust and no through holes. Just typical C3 repair work that can turn into a frame-off fast. I'm goning on 3 yrs down time for a top end + motor mounts. But who's counting? 
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From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Originally Posted by cardo0
Don't look all that bad in the pix. Looks like mostly surface rust and no through holes. Just typical C3 repair work that can turn into a frame-off fast. I'm goning on 3 yrs down time for a top end + motor mounts. But who's counting?
I'm rounding up the interior parts I can lay hands on now and trying to get her together this weekend. Man that dash is a Major PITA!
Thread Starter
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From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Originally Posted by Twin_Turbo
Looks like the ideal surface for POR, your car prepped itself 
Team Owner
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From: Smile, it's just the internet.
Did something change later on? My pans are glass. All that rust is from somwhere else! There is a lot of steel missing from your birdcage, dude.
Take a wire brush or DA to the rust and I bet you find glass under it.
Take a wire brush or DA to the rust and I bet you find glass under it.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 4,101
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From: NorCal
Originally Posted by CGGorman
Did something change later on? My pans are glass. All that rust is from somwhere else! There is a lot of steel missing from your birdcage, dude.
Take a wire brush or DA to the rust and I bet you find glass under it.
Take a wire brush or DA to the rust and I bet you find glass under it.
Hans
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From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Originally Posted by 80Xflags
Yes, it looks like a job for POR 15. At least your floors didn't have holes in them 
Pro
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Okemos MI
I have seen worse, look at my 76 before 
Then I discovered POR-15 and the Floor pan & trunk resto kit, with its amazing epoxy putty.
add on the Power Mesh reinforcing Fabric and top off with Por-15 black and...
Then I discovered POR-15 and the Floor pan & trunk resto kit, with its amazing epoxy putty.
add on the Power Mesh reinforcing Fabric and top off with Por-15 black and...