Getting rid of some rust

[grampi]

My wife's MPV is an '03, still has relatively low mileage (75K), and it runs and drives beautifully. We bought the van new and would like to keep it for a good while yet as it's been paid off for years, and we really don't want to start another round of car payments for something newer.

The only real problem we have with the vehicle is that it's starting to rust around the rear wheel wells, and along the bottom front edges of the front doors. I really don't want to have it repaired by a body shop as that would end up costing an arm and a leg, and besides, I'm not really looking for repairs to be absolutely perfect, I just want to get rid of the rust, while at the same time, returning those areas back to their original color.

The doors would be an easy fix as the metal hasn't started to bubble yet, so that would just be a matter of a little sanding, some primer, and the final color. But the areas of rust around the rear wheel wells are starting to bubble and flake, so these areas are going to take more work to fix. I could sand them, but what could I use to as a filler that will act as a rust preventive? Is there something that's sandable and paintable that kills any existing rust and helps prevent new rust? I just don't want to go through the effort and cost of making the repairs only to have it come right back again.

 

[JHZR2]

Id go shopping at eastwood. get rust converter and rust encapsulator. These will help neutralize, convert and stop rust for a while. I'd then contact carwell and get some T40 rust preventer oil, and get that applied in those areas.

Good luck!

 

[dave123]

It would be a lot of effort and it will come back.

 

[ctrcbob]

Originally Posted By: dave123
It would be a lot of effort and it will come back.


Ditto. You could spend a lot of money to fix that rust, and within a few months, it will be back.

When I lived up in snow country, we used to say that you can fix engines, but you can't fix rust.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Id go shopping at eastwood. get rust converter and rust encapsulator. These will help neutralize, convert and stop rust for a while. I'd then contact carwell and get some T40 rust preventer oil, and get that applied in those areas.

Good luck!


Eastwood? Carwell? Who or what are these people/places? Never heard of them.

 

[grampi]

There's nothing that'll kill it?

 

[FXjohn]

you can't kill it forever but you can slow it way down. enough for the rest of the car to die. you have to clean it up, smother the rust and oil it.

 

[FXjohn]

search the forum for

rust

krown

carwell

rust check

pore 15

 

[Donald]

Start with a naval jelly under many names (Eastwood Rust Converter is one name).

Clean with acetone

Cover with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator or POR 15. You can get the POR 15 at some local auto places, not sure about the Eastwood stuff. Then paint.

Use paper cups not plastic, small brushes from the $1.00 store, do NOT pour anything back into container. Do NOT get the stuff in step 2 on the rim of the container.

But what about the other side of the metal? If you can see it and treat it, then you have a chance.

You can tame the rust a bit, but its not going to stop unless you move.

 

[mechtech2]

If the rust is killed inside and out with Naval Jelly, regular primer and paint will be all that is needed.
Partial rust removal is another story.

 

[NHGUY]

If you're seeing rust,its not just on the surface.Your door bottoms will rust out from the inside out.The bottom of the door is where the inner and outer (skin) panels are folded over and spot welded together.Water gets in the door,sits there in the unprotected gap of the seam and voila....you get rust.If only they would seal that gap flush inside with some mastic or tar of some kind,water would never get to it...and you would never need to buy another Mazda from them,and they would never get to sell you one...and they would go out of business....etc etc..

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
If you're seeing rust,its not just on the surface.Your door bottoms will rust out from the inside out.The bottom of the door is where the inner and outer (skin) panels are folded over and spot welded together.Water gets in the door,sits there in the unprotected gap of the seam and voila....you get rust.If only they would seal that gap flush inside with some mastic or tar of some kind,water would never get to it...and you would never need to buy another Mazda from them,and they would never get to sell you one...and they would go out of business....etc etc..


I don't know, I'd rather have to get rid of a vehicle because of something major wearing out (like drivetrain issues or something mechanical like that) rather than having to get rid of an otherwise perfectly good vehicle just because it's rusted out....this van would probably last another 10-15 years mechanically, but I'm afraid the body will be gone long before that.

 

[demarpaint]

I have the same problem with my Aerostar only worse. All I need is a little less than a year from it and I'll junk it. All you can do with rust is slow it down, once it takes hold all bets are off.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Id go shopping at eastwood. get rust converter and rust encapsulator. These will help neutralize, convert and stop rust for a while. I'd then contact carwell and get some T40 rust preventer oil, and get that applied in those areas.

Good luck!


Eastwood? Carwell? Who or what are these people/places? Never heard of them.



Two companies. A google search is your friend. Eastwood sells auto refinishing stuff, carwell rustproofing oils.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
If you're seeing rust,its not just on the surface.Your door bottoms will rust out from the inside out.The bottom of the door is where the inner and outer (skin) panels are folded over and spot welded together.Water gets in the door,sits there in the unprotected gap of the seam and voila....you get rust.If only they would seal that gap flush inside with some mastic or tar of some kind,water would never get to it...and you would never need to buy another Mazda from them,and they would never get to sell you one...and they would go out of business....etc etc..


Its called the pinch-seam. My Jeep has a mastic or hard caulk covering the pinch seam on the bottom of the door and going up a few inches on each side. But I have rust under the mastic. I pulled it off in 3" or 4" strips, wire brush, naval jelly and then Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. One was just Rust Encapsulator. Two of 4 door had it. I have not top coated it. Its hidden when the door is closed so no big deal.