Patching Rust Spots

okay guys-

i have a '92 with a minor rust problem. there are four rust spots on the car where the lower "cladding" meets the door panels about 1/3 of the way up. i've pulled one of the panels off and the rust is pretty considerable underneath.. it happens where the metal bolt which holds the panel onto the door meets the metal of the door.. the differing electronegativity probably counteracts the SVX's zinc (or whatever) coating and allows for rust to get started..

my question: how do i get rid of this?

here's what i think i need to do, someone please tell me if i'm on the right track:

first sand the rust off

then replace the metal with bonbo or something similar

sand the bondo down

prime the area with primer (should i use green primer?)

then paint the primed area.. is that about it?



-adam

[SHISVX]

i would hope that you put a clear coat on top too!

Kelli

[Chicane]

To eliminate rust forever, here's what to do:

1. remove all metal
2. replace with plastic.



heh

lol rob hahahaha

it'd be a really good idea in the name of acceleration, economy and longevity.. but what do you suppose the effect on safety and flex resistance would be?

-adam

[benebob]

Unibody cars esp subarus tend to rust from the inside out. By the time you see rust its definately take hold on the inside. Doors and wheel wells are particuarly problem areas due to clogging drains with leaves and crap. Keep these areas clean and you'll be better off then if you simply fix the rust when it happens. Now that you have rust Adam let me suggest you do a good check of everywhere on the car! Its bound to be somewhere else in there.

You're correct about sanding ALL of the rust off to get to shiny metal, priming, welding in metal, bondo or fiberglass (I prefer the glass b/c I'm better at it from sailboat repairs and I think it can be made to be stronger than over the counter bondo products and I don't have a welder, sand, prime, fill in the divits with a light filler sand, prime and then paint.

This process should work for the outer rust BUT you need to fix from where it is rusting- more than likely the inside. Again you'll want to sand the area real good. If you can't get in there or even after sanding it real good you still want some more protection then normal paint provides you may want to try one of these products. Por-15 (expensive but a lot of older subie owners swear by it. It isn't made to be painted over though) or Hammerite (cheaper but an old standard from 20 years ago and fairly good esp if you're doing a floor board or something like that).


After the repairs make sure you check your draining areas at least 2x a year. Late fall and mid spring are the best as thats when most of the tree crap falls and gets washed down. Another trick to keep the rust from coming back which I'm sure some here will not totally agree with is keeping the trouble spots a little oily. Gear oil works great for this as it stays on great however I've even used WD-40 in the rockers of my Brat to prevent rot. Another good area to spray is the rear strut tower. The way subaru designed 99% of their towers leaves a little opening at the top for water and stuff to get down but no drain at the bottom. This is why rust develops at the top of the rear wheel well. The front is similar as well but usually doesn't rot as quick/much. Sorry for the lenth. Hope it helps.

[svx_commuter]

I have used soem rust reformer products on other vechicles but not the SVX. That I would take to a body shop. Maybe it's similar to Por-15 or Hammerite that BeneBob reco's but it can be painted over. I would put it on a coat each day for about 3 days. It turns the rust black into FeO3 adn it does stop the rusting. It does not work on clean metal, so if you can't get all the rust out it may help.

Hey BeneBob Thanks for the rust info. I really like it.

[benebob]

Originally posted by svx_commuter

Hey BeneBob Thanks for the rust info. I really like it.

Many years of Subaru ownership forces one to come up with unique solutions to a way to common problem on the East Coast.

thanks for the help everyone--

svxcommuter- the product of which you speak sounds familiar to me.. does it go by the moniker "rust converter" sometimes? do you just paint it over rust and it goes to work? i think i have a bottle of it in my garage.......

-adam

[benebob]

Por-15 is like any of these other rust converters only it seems to last longer and do a little better. It also works best with a clean but rusty surface (makes it great for spraying into rocker panels!) Like with most painting surface preporation is 99% of the result.

[Chicane]

I used POR-15 on my 68 Charger. Pretty awesome product. What you do is grind down to bare metal, then apply this 'zinc etcher' to the metal, it basically etches the metal, removes rust, and provides a good base for hte POR15. Then paint it on. It's almost like glue, and when it dries it's almost CERAMIC.

Pretty sweet stuff.

- Rob