looking to do some rust repair..

[BrianF]

My 06 Trailblazer has got a case of the cancer. Under the doors and what appears to be a poorly fixed rear quarter panel. I need to do a bit of autobody to clean the thing up. My plan for the doors is to wire brush or 3m pad the edges down to metal, use some rust check paint to seal/prime it and then looking at some sort of rock guard.

The rear quarter appears to have been damaged in a collision prior to be buying the vehicle. Eventually it began to bubble out beneath the paint and it appears some bondo had been applied and it is cracked in two places. I think I will buff down the exposed rust, rust check it and color match as best as possible...

I want to keep this thing for another 3 years and dont want it to completely rot away. Through work I have seen the local shops quotes on minor repairs and will not be spending that sort of money for a vehicle that is worth next to nothing.

Looking for any advice, tips or tricks on this sort of repair.

Thanks

ps the OLM gongs me now at 20,000km, using PPPP with a Fram Ultra and the [censored] thing does not burn a drop. GM gets the odd thing right.

 

[supton]

On my Jetta, I went el cheapo, but the repairs held for 2 or so years (sold the car). Went to Home Depot, bought some aluminum flashing, and a bunch of JB Weld tubes of epoxy (although probably anything would work, really).

Now I used a Dremel, which I wouldn't do again; a "real" grinder would make more sense. Grinder or wire brush wheel. Sanded down as much as I could. Cut patch panel to size. Slathered on a layer of epoxy, put on metal, feathered epoxy over the edges--might be worthwhile to roughen up the metal surface, but feathering epoxy worked well enough.

Figured, it was rocker and fender repair, not structural. Inspection guy didn't care (although I'm sure he commented to anyone in earshot!). Got a few comments at work too, but it held just fine.

Once done, I sprayed Fluid Film everywhere I could (was not doing that prior).

*

I know there are different ways, but I couldn't fathom dealing with fiberglass (smell, chemicals, etc); and "doing it right" was way too much work (cutting, welding, etc). Made for a nice experiment IMO.

*

I did have a bunch of rock chips on the hood which had started to rust. Sanded best as I could, hit it with cheapo primer. That stuff chipped easier, but it's pretty easy to respray primer as needed.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Saskabush eh,

I'd say it's time to trade her in! The suspension (from the potholes/ice ruts) and electrical system will soon be failing shortly thereafter.

Joking aside, Saskatchewan is no place to drive something you care about. Cut your losses and move on, you fellas are floating on lakes of crude oil. Enjoy the prosperity!

 

[Donald]

cut and weld new. They sell repair pieces.

I have a couple of small rust spots on my 1999 Ram and after a few years of spraying with CarWell, they are still there but have not changed. Stopped in time.

 

[bluestream]

Weld in new metal or dont bother to waste your time. Also, if you plan to use spray cans to paint, dont bother, you need proper paint and equipment or its better to leave it alone.

I take it this vehicle was never oil sprayed?

 

[csx7006]

Originally Posted By: Lolvoguy
Saskabush eh,

I'd say it's time to trade her in! The suspension (from the potholes/ice ruts) and electrical system will soon be failing shortly thereafter.

Joking aside, Saskatchewan is no place to drive something you care about. Cut your losses and move on, you fellas are floating on lakes of crude oil. Enjoy the prosperity!

No because the NDP will inpose a tax and farm bill like Notley is doing in Alberta

 

[bluestream]

Originally Posted By: csx7006
Originally Posted By: Lolvoguy
Saskabush eh,

I'd say it's time to trade her in! The suspension (from the potholes/ice ruts) and electrical system will soon be failing shortly thereafter.

Joking aside, Saskatchewan is no place to drive something you care about. Cut your losses and move on, you fellas are floating on lakes of crude oil. Enjoy the prosperity!

No because the NDP will inpose a tax and farm bill like Notley is doing in Alberta


There wont be any NDP around, and Notley is on the way out. Only got elected because the same party was in power for 40 years...

 

[csx7006]

Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Originally Posted By: csx7006
Originally Posted By: Lolvoguy
Saskabush eh,

I'd say it's time to trade her in! The suspension (from the potholes/ice ruts) and electrical system will soon be failing shortly thereafter.

Joking aside, Saskatchewan is no place to drive something you care about. Cut your losses and move on, you fellas are floating on lakes of crude oil. Enjoy the prosperity!

No because the NDP will inpose a tax and farm bill like Notley is doing in Alberta


There wont be any NDP around, and Notley is on the way out. Only got elected because the same party was in power for 40 years...



What was needed was Wildrose party instead of the NDP and the PC's

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: Donald
cut and weld new. They sell repair pieces.

I have a couple of small rust spots on my 1999 Ram and after a few years of spraying with CarWell, they are still there but have not changed. Stopped in time.


Which CarWell product did you use?

 

[BrianF]

I was thinking of cut and welding or a new panel on the rear but am leaning against. I believe that would be the best fix but overall cost and time needed would be to great.

Surprisingly the overall vehicle is doing well considering the amount of salt on the roads and general condition of the roads I drive. My plan is to still get rid of it in 2 to 3 years. But I may have trouble parting with it and it may stick around........ hence why I want the rust stopped.

Do tell more about that CarWelll prodcut?

As for the government...... I am confident with Wall in power that we still have a hope in [censored]...... Thats untill Trudeau forces his and the will of the east on us again....

 

[csx7006]

Originally Posted By: BrianF
I am confident with Wall in power that we still have a hope in [censored]...... Thats untill Trudeau forces his and the will of the east on us again....



Well him and the NDP will close the oilsands due to the carbon tax and the farm bill 6 in AB

 

[ecotourist]

When doing an early rust repair I like to get rid of as much rust as possible by grinding off the surface rust, then going after the rust you can't see in the pits and pores. You do that with a phosphoric acid product - naval jelly works quite well as does the prep agent for POR-15. As I understand it, you're converting iron oxide to iron phosphate. If you don't do this, the rust will reappear in as little as 6 months.

When you've done the phosphoric acid treatment, you're ready to prep and paint. You may need a (shallow) fill to replace the metal you ground off. I would have this part done professionally. A rattle can really doesn't cut it.

With this sort of approach you should still have a reasonable looking repair in 2 - 3 years, you might even make 5. You will always lose to rust in the end, it just takes longer this way.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Weld in new metal or dont bother to waste your time. Also, if you plan to use spray cans to paint, dont bother, you need proper paint and equipment or its better to leave it alone.

I take it this vehicle was never oil sprayed?


Phooey.

And apparently self-contradictory, since you seem to be endorsing oil-spraying, which isn't new metal and isn't "proper paint and equipment" either.

If you don't need a structural repair (which apparently the OP does not) then you don't need new metal. Holes are natures way of improving access, ventilation and drainage.

If you don't care about cosmetics (unclear in the OP's case) you don't need proper paint and equipment.

Rust is relatively easy and cheap to treat IF you don't mind it looking worse afterwards, but most people are hung up on the cosmetics so they leave it alone, and it rots under the paint.

http://bangernomics.editboard.com/t178-treating-topsides-rust