21 replies to this topic

[Dom]

Whats the best way of tackling rust?

e.g. on the bottom of both my doors, around the headlights and ive seen some around the windscreen :sad:

i am going to tackle this in a few months when i have some time off.

[dklawson]

I'm sure others will post differing opinions but what you're describing are areas where "replacement" is the best form of repair.

The bottom of the doors fill with water and rust out. This damages not just the bottom of the door but the door skin as well. There used to be repair panels for door bottoms and skins are definitely available. Bondo here will crack, fail, and lead to more rust due to trapped water.

The headlight area is difficult to repair due to compound curves. You could remove minor rust and bondo the area, but new wings are not that expensive.

The scuttle is something all together different. If your rust damage is bubbling up from the inside on the panel below the windscreen there is no cheap or easy fix. Even welding in new sheet metal is a fair amount of work. Bondo or other filler will be a temporary fix at best.

[siggy]

That sounds right to me

Siggy

[Dom]

The bottom of the doors fill with water and rust out. This damages not just the bottom of the door but the door skin as well. There used to be repair panels for door bottoms and skins are definitely available. Bondo here will crack, fail, and lead to more rust due to trapped water.

The headlight area is difficult to repair due to compound curves. You could remove minor rust and bondo the area, but new wings are not that expensive.

The scuttle is something all together different. If your rust damage is bubbling up from the inside on the panel below the windscreen there is no cheap or easy fix. Even welding in new sheet metal is a fair amount of work. Bondo or other filler will be a temporary fix at best.

thanks for that

the doors are in a shoddy state but for the moment have to fill them in because i dont have the funds to get a new door or two then a respray.

the headlight area has just started to emerge, is there anyway of treating it before it gets worse?

the windscreen isnt too bad theres a tiny bit of rust starting to emerge, again is there anyway of treating it before it gets worse?

[Jordie]

The headlight area's seem common for it. My haynes shows best way for emerging surface rust is to wet n dry bk to the metal and make it smooth, then primer and respray. But in the end, new wings and front panel is best fix.

U got any pics of how bad your doors are? I wouldnt use filler on doors if possible, 1 hard slam and it may drop out. If its just the door skin, i would suggest buying another and spraying it yourself. (not a hard task if ur confident)

Windscreen panel....cant do much i'm afraid, i found similar problem....wet n dry it bk to metal as much as u can and spray, looks abit tidyer compared to rust.

[Dom]

ok i have just taken some pics of it, ill upload them later when i find the uploading wire!

[Dom]

ok here they are...

drivers door

[Dom]

drivers door

[Dom]

drivers side

[Dom]

drivers door

[Dom]

drivers side headlamp

[Dom]

front

[Dom]

passenger side head lamp

[Dom]

passenger side

[Dom]

and finally passenger door