Under the paint over the driver side front wheel well on my Grand Marquis. What would all of you do to keep it from spreading?
Just Found a Tiny Bit of Rust
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The main deal is preventing moisture from collecting. If the rust is in the fender well gob it with grease to cut off the air. You may want to wash the collected road grime off the body behind the plastic inner fender and treat that with something too.
You might try a decontamination spray which will turn purple as it works. Wash,then clay bar.Wash, Polish then Wax.If moisture is getting in from underneath the sun will pull it to the surface.
When you go deeper there is a good chance there is a hole under there that is 5x bigger than you would think along with a weakened thin spots in areas nearby.
If the car is a keeper its usually best to just replace a fender or skin a door, rear quarters you is where you take the time and fix it right if it isn't too bad.
If its antique with no parts available that is another story, remove the part, blast it, grind it (or have it dipped), weld it, epoxy primer, rust proofing and all the rest before painting it.
It is time consuming, can be difficult depending if it comes back from dipping looking like Swiss cheese and requires a lot of skill to do it right. Done right it will last longer than the original
If the car is a keeper its usually best to just replace a fender or skin a door, rear quarters you is where you take the time and fix it right if it isn't too bad.
If its antique with no parts available that is another story, remove the part, blast it, grind it (or have it dipped), weld it, epoxy primer, rust proofing and all the rest before painting it.
It is time consuming, can be difficult depending if it comes back from dipping looking like Swiss cheese and requires a lot of skill to do it right. Done right it will last longer than the original
Originally Posted by Trav
When you go deeper there is a good chance there is a hole under there that is 5x bigger than you would think along with a weakened thin spots in areas nearby.
If the car is a keeper its usually best to just replace a fender or skin a door, rear quarters you is where you take the time and fix it right if it isn't too bad.
If its antique with no parts available that is another story, remove the part, blast it, grind it (or have it dipped), weld it, epoxy primer, rust proofing and all the rest before painting it.
It is time consuming, can be difficult depending if it comes back from dipping looking like Swiss cheese and requires a lot of skill to do it right. Done right it will last longer than the original
Yeah you're absolutely right, the problem is you can't beat rust...you can slow it down, you can prevent it for a little while, you can hide it for a bit...but you aren't going to win.
I know of some body shops that won't even touch rust work anymore, too many come backs, too many customers asking a year later, "I thought it was fixed"?
The best news about this car is that it's the front fender, easily replaceable. What I'd do is try the little repairs - if you don't really care too much about how it'll look - and then when that wears away I'd just replace the fender. Done. Easy. Not too much money. Because you can't beat rust.
When you go deeper there is a good chance there is a hole under there that is 5x bigger than you would think along with a weakened thin spots in areas nearby.
If the car is a keeper its usually best to just replace a fender or skin a door, rear quarters you is where you take the time and fix it right if it isn't too bad.
If its antique with no parts available that is another story, remove the part, blast it, grind it (or have it dipped), weld it, epoxy primer, rust proofing and all the rest before painting it.
It is time consuming, can be difficult depending if it comes back from dipping looking like Swiss cheese and requires a lot of skill to do it right. Done right it will last longer than the original
Yeah you're absolutely right, the problem is you can't beat rust...you can slow it down, you can prevent it for a little while, you can hide it for a bit...but you aren't going to win.
I know of some body shops that won't even touch rust work anymore, too many come backs, too many customers asking a year later, "I thought it was fixed"?
The best news about this car is that it's the front fender, easily replaceable. What I'd do is try the little repairs - if you don't really care too much about how it'll look - and then when that wears away I'd just replace the fender. Done. Easy. Not too much money. Because you can't beat rust.
Originally Posted by talest
Originally Posted by John_K
Under the paint over the driver side front wheel well on my Grand Marquis. What would all of you do to keep it from spreading?
Got a picture?
Now that would be too obvious.
Absent a photo, I suggest a new fender .
Originally Posted by John_K
Under the paint over the driver side front wheel well on my Grand Marquis. What would all of you do to keep it from spreading?
Got a picture?
Now that would be too obvious.
Rust is extremely difficult to stop.
Short of grinding, cutting or media (sand/glassbead/soda) blasting it away, then properly treating the bare metal, it's not likely you will stop it.
However, you can encapsulate light rust with products intended to stop moisture ingress. Cosmoline and/or Par-al-Ketone (pretty much the same thing) or more modern products like LPS 3 or Corrosion X's heavy duty sister product "Max Wax" are oil based products, thick and designed to remain in place, that can help for a time, when properly used.
Just know that simply spraying something on the outside will do exactly nothing.
Short of grinding, cutting or media (sand/glassbead/soda) blasting it away, then properly treating the bare metal, it's not likely you will stop it.
However, you can encapsulate light rust with products intended to stop moisture ingress. Cosmoline and/or Par-al-Ketone (pretty much the same thing) or more modern products like LPS 3 or Corrosion X's heavy duty sister product "Max Wax" are oil based products, thick and designed to remain in place, that can help for a time, when properly used.
Just know that simply spraying something on the outside will do exactly nothing.
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AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
Lots of good rust stopping ideas offered.
Really curious what the OP plans to do with a 500 quart stash and average annual mileage of his 2 cars of 15,500?!
Really curious what the OP plans to do with a 500 quart stash and average annual mileage of his 2 cars of 15,500?!
Show us a picture.
Id remove the paint to see how bad it is. Sand it, and fix it and respray as needed.
Id remove the paint to see how bad it is. Sand it, and fix it and respray as needed.
The low cost solution is get under the fender with a garden hose and clean the area of build up dirt. Let dry. Spray the area with an oil based under body treatment such as Krowne. Re-apply a couple of times per year. It won't stop it but it may slow it down.
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Kestas
Staff member
I would get it rustproofed to slow down further spread.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
And being a 10 year old car in Ohio, might want to look it all over real close, especially down low.
Originally Posted by Railrust
Yeah you're absolutely right, the problem is you can't beat rust...you can slow it down, you can prevent it for a little while, you can hide it for a bit...but you aren't going to win.
I know of some body shops that won't even touch rust work anymore, too many come backs, too many customers asking a year later, "I thought it was fixed"?
The best news about this car is that it's the front fender, easily replaceable. What I'd do is try the little repairs - if you don't really care too much about how it'll look - and then when that wears away I'd just replace the fender. Done. Easy. Not too much money. Because you can't beat rust.
You can beat it even as a DIY. Just because you cannot, doesn't meant it is impossible. Rust isn't magical, it's rust.
Yeah you're absolutely right, the problem is you can't beat rust...you can slow it down, you can prevent it for a little while, you can hide it for a bit...but you aren't going to win.
I know of some body shops that won't even touch rust work anymore, too many come backs, too many customers asking a year later, "I thought it was fixed"?
The best news about this car is that it's the front fender, easily replaceable. What I'd do is try the little repairs - if you don't really care too much about how it'll look - and then when that wears away I'd just replace the fender. Done. Easy. Not too much money. Because you can't beat rust.
You can beat it even as a DIY. Just because you cannot, doesn't meant it is impossible. Rust isn't magical, it's rust.
Originally Posted by maxdustington
You can beat it even as a DIY. Just because you cannot, doesn't meant it is impossible. Rust isn't magical, it's rust.
Comprehensive treatment is needed for anything more than minor surface rust.
As mentioned above, once a spot surfaces on a fender, it's likely to be far more extensive and have originated underneath.
We don't have pictures to judge the OP's situation. Fixing that may in fact be a DIY project, for someone capable. Or the cancer may have spread between welded layers of metal. At which point, professional grade skill is required.
OP, how about some pictures?
You can beat it even as a DIY. Just because you cannot, doesn't meant it is impossible. Rust isn't magical, it's rust.
Comprehensive treatment is needed for anything more than minor surface rust.
As mentioned above, once a spot surfaces on a fender, it's likely to be far more extensive and have originated underneath.
We don't have pictures to judge the OP's situation. Fixing that may in fact be a DIY project, for someone capable. Or the cancer may have spread between welded layers of metal. At which point, professional grade skill is required.
OP, how about some pictures?
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It is also good to know that a weld repair of sheetmetal is also prone to rust without extensive treatment. Even professionals regularly fail to get the longevity of a new vehicle, despite great effort. As nearly anyone who lives in the rust-belt knows.
Originally Posted by Cujet
Comprehensive treatment is needed for anything more than minor surface rust.
As mentioned above, once a spot surfaces on a fender, it's likely to be far more extensive and have originated underneath.
We don't have pictures to judge the OP's situation. Fixing that may in fact be a DIY project, for someone capable. Or the cancer may have spread between welded layers of metal. At which point, professional grade skill is required.
OP, how about some pictures?
It's a small rust spot on the underside of the fender lip caused by rock chips, like almost every rustbelt car that gets driven in the winter. Sandblasting and acid will stop it from coming back. Just because Uncle Jim Bob wire wheeled and painted over rust and it came back doesn't mean every small rust spot is a death sentence.
If you're a DIYer you can go over the spot multiple times and take the time to ensure the rust is completely gone. That's far too laborious for a professional unless the car is super rare. Cars that have sat in forests for decades are restored to factory condition all the time.
Comprehensive treatment is needed for anything more than minor surface rust.
As mentioned above, once a spot surfaces on a fender, it's likely to be far more extensive and have originated underneath.
We don't have pictures to judge the OP's situation. Fixing that may in fact be a DIY project, for someone capable. Or the cancer may have spread between welded layers of metal. At which point, professional grade skill is required.
OP, how about some pictures?
It's a small rust spot on the underside of the fender lip caused by rock chips, like almost every rustbelt car that gets driven in the winter. Sandblasting and acid will stop it from coming back. Just because Uncle Jim Bob wire wheeled and painted over rust and it came back doesn't mean every small rust spot is a death sentence.
If you're a DIYer you can go over the spot multiple times and take the time to ensure the rust is completely gone. That's far too laborious for a professional unless the car is super rare. Cars that have sat in forests for decades are restored to factory condition all the time.
How long do you plan to keep it? Do you want it to look amazing or just care that it drives? I had an 80s Pathfinder I ran with replaced & spray painted fenders I bought from the supply store that sells to body shops. I just wanted to keep it because 4wd was important at the time and I knew the engine and transmission were good. But rust was killing it. It later died after the frame got so rusty the shock mounts couldn't be safely rewelded to support the car. So there are options it's just a matter of what you want to spend and how much you care.
I have heard of a product called , I think , rust remedy . Anyone know more about it ?
Kestas
Staff member
A lot depends on how much resources you want to put into fixing rust. You can sandblast, prime, and repaint, but then the area has no more protection than a car from the 50s or 60s. The fix doesn't have the factory corrosion protection from layers of zinc, phosphate, and Ecoat.
I have a fair bit of experience with corrosion, having battled with it for the past 45 years. The only thing I found effective is prevention in the form of a good rustproofing that is refreshed every two to three years. Anything else is a fools errand, unless you retire the car from salt duty. Any fix will look good for about a year, then it'll come back, worse than before. Chasing this rust gets old quickly. So does reapplication of rustproofing for the fifth time and beyond.
I deal with it by having two cars. One is an expensive German convertible I drive summers. The other is a plain jane sedan to take the brunt of salt. I sometimes question if that is worthwhile. At the end of the game I'll have a high mileage cars with over 20 years on it that looks really good. How much more money do you think I'll get for it otherwise? Probably not much.
So you have to ask yourself, is the car worth putting a lot of resources to keep it rust free and to continue driving it winters?
I have a fair bit of experience with corrosion, having battled with it for the past 45 years. The only thing I found effective is prevention in the form of a good rustproofing that is refreshed every two to three years. Anything else is a fools errand, unless you retire the car from salt duty. Any fix will look good for about a year, then it'll come back, worse than before. Chasing this rust gets old quickly. So does reapplication of rustproofing for the fifth time and beyond.
I deal with it by having two cars. One is an expensive German convertible I drive summers. The other is a plain jane sedan to take the brunt of salt. I sometimes question if that is worthwhile. At the end of the game I'll have a high mileage cars with over 20 years on it that looks really good. How much more money do you think I'll get for it otherwise? Probably not much.
So you have to ask yourself, is the car worth putting a lot of resources to keep it rust free and to continue driving it winters?
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