9 replies to this topic

[mini_hobnob]

I've got a small amount of rust bubbling on the bottom of my door skins, i was wondering if there is a way of repairing it without reskining or patching it. i.e. sanding it down and repainting a section. Or is the problem more likely to be internal?

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[azzysef]

I've got a small amount of rust bubbling on the bottom of my door skins, i was wondering if there is a way of repairing it without reskining or patching it. i.e. sanding it down and repainting a section. Or is the problem more likely to be internal?

the problem could be either if the rust is bubbling try poking it with a screwdriver or something. if it goes through and the holes arent big you can just use the old method of some filler and sand it smooth then repaint it simple, if the holes get bigger though then a spot of welding is needed but otherwise a very small job indeed



Aaron

[Deathrow]

However the longer you leave it after rust as started, the more chance there is that the frame of the door will need repair work as well.

[sonikk4]

I'm afraid you will need to bite the bullet and repair it properly either by reskinning or replace the lower section.

As Deathrow has mentioned if you leave it then it will start to eat into the door structure if it hasn't already. I know its not what you want to hear but if you intend on keeping your car its better to sort it now rather than later when the damage has spread even further.

[mini_hobnob]

Hmm ok, I want to keep this one so I guess I'd better get them repaired properly. Thats the new interior out the window for the time being then lol

[danie garry]

my door had bubbling not quite as bad as that but when i sanded it down the skin wasnt pulling away and nothing was rotten. it was only slightly pitted and it took a light layer of filler(the pits were no more than a mil deep) so u could be lucky but always best to anticipate for the worst

bare foot photography?!?!?!

[AVV IT]

If you do want to do a temporary repair that will last a fair while, remove the door card from the inside of the door and look at the inside surface of the door skin. In order to have that rust bubbling through to the outside of the skin, you will probably find that the inner side of the door skin is quite corroded and that the corrosion has crept a fair few inches up the inside of the door skin.

Attack the inside surface through the apertures in the inner door with a "dremel" type flexible rotary tool, to remove as much of the corrosion as possible. Then coat the area with a chemical rust converter/killer followed by a cellulose based red oxide primer and finally a top coat of smoothrite or some such like.

Leave the inside of the door to dry out and harden fully for a good few days before coating as much of the inner door skin as possible with waxoyl. (Make sure that you ensure that you havent blocked the drain holes at the bottom of the door though!! Once the waxoyl has dried, you can then use the standard sand and fill on the outer side of the skin, before re painting the outside of the door. (remove / chemicaly treat the rust on the outside too obviously)

This is only a temporary repair and is not a comparable substitute for welding in new metal. It will however slow the rot down significantly . I did this to my doors once, when I didn't have the time or the cash to go for a reskin and it kept the rust at bay for two winters on a daily driver. Don't be tempted to just simply sand and fill the outside though, as you will just find the rust bubbling through again about two weeks after the next rainfall!

[mini_hobnob]

If you do want to do a temporary repair that will last a fair while, remove the door card from the inside of the door and look at the inside surface of the door skin. In order to have that rust bubbling through to the outside of the skin, you will probably find that the inner side of the door skin is quite corroded and that the corrosion has crept a fair few inches up the inside of the door skin.

Attack the inside surface through the apertures in the inner door with a "dremel" type flexible rotary tool, to remove as much of the corrosion as possible. Then coat the area with a chemical rust converter/killer followed by a cellulose based red oxide primer and finally a top coat of smoothrite or some such like.

Leave the inside of the door to dry out and harden fully for a good few days before coating as much of the inner door skin as possible with waxoyl. (Make sure that you ensure that you havent blocked the drain holes at the bottom of the door though!! Once the waxoyl has dried, you can then use the standard sand and fill on the outer side of the skin, before re painting the outside of the door. (remove / chemicaly treat the rust on the outside too obviously)

This is only a temporary repair and is not a comparable substitute for welding in new metal. It will however slow the rot down significantly . I did this to my doors once, when I didn't have the time or the cash to go for a reskin and it kept the rust at bay for two winters on a daily driver. Don't be tempted to just simply sand and fill the outside though, as you will just find the rust bubbling through again about two weeks after the next rainfall!

Oh ok this sounds pretty good and sounds fun lol, as funds are pretty low at the moment and i'm going to uni in september I might give this a go.

bare foot photography?!?!?!

Ohhhh yes! bare foot photography you spotted it, nothing better than driving bare foot on a sunny day lol

[AVV IT]

"sounds like FUN"???.... you have a very strange idea of fun!!.. Personally I'd say its a tedious, filthy and time consuming job that involves a lot of swearing as you scratch and cut the back of your hands to hell on the edges of the inner door apartures!!... but hey.... if you like that sort of thing??

If your gonna do it then I'd recommend this stuff as a decent chemical rust killer/stabiliser:

http://www.jenolite...._automotive.htm

they also used to do a twin pack rust killer and red oxide primer set, that contained easily enough of both to do the bottom of both doors, not sure if its still available but might be worth a look?

[jack_marshall]

9 times out of 10 the corrosion will be coming from inside the skin and therefore will need at least reskinning, likely to need a lower frame repair.

If your like me and hate doing a job twice, either leave it and live with it or do it properly!