They said galvanized cars don't rust

[1973911s]

Where did my message go

[djmcmath]

Check your fenders. I recently found a few little spots there in my '86. Took me most of two weekends to get the darn things completely separated, cleaned, PORed, and reinstalled. I've heard (haven't had time to check yet) that the backseat is also a bit of an issue. Leaky rear windscreen dribbles water into the rear carpeting, which carries water into a variety of invonvenient places.

Bummer about your rust, anyway. I'm sure someone else'll have suggestions for how to fix it, and some other places to look for rust. Good luck,

Dan

[jluetjen]

Who said that galvonized cars don't rust??? Sure they do -- it just takes longer then for non-galvonized cars!

[MAS]

... bodywork/repairs doesn't help either.

Was your car originally from outside of CA? It just seems a bit unusual finding rust there, especially in the CA climate.

-MAS

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

That's a classic location for rust on cars of that age. Same thing on my '83, though not nearly as bad. I cut the rusted metal out, welded in new metal and sprayed Eastwood undercoat throughout the inside of that sill "box."

Stephan

[1973911s]

My car has been in California the whole time, it is a targa.

Michael

[Wil Ferch]

One other area where ALL galvanized cars rust...( those that we've taken apart)...

...the area on the top fender near the cowl and base of the windshield...where the welting is. If you take the fender off, you'll see rust on the inner flat "shelf".....haven't seen one galvanized car without rust there.

---Wil Ferch

[Early_S_Man]

"THEY" never said the galvanized bodies don't rust!!!

The bare galvanized body out in the weather in front of the HQ building finally rusted through after seven years ...

[RickM]

The zinc coating is a sacraficial element. When exhausted or compromised....say Hi to rust.

[djmcmath]

Wil, I'll go ahead and concur with that location -- while I didn't find a lot of rust there, there was definitely a few scattered patches. Bummer thing, rust...


Dan

[vash]

rust is equilibrium

[geof33]

Yup... My 84 has as tiny bit of surface (fixed now) at the bottoms of the windshield sill... It does happen!!!

I'll soon be digging into a Florida/Minnesota car, and I'll most likely find a little here and there.

[ubiquity0]

Yikes! Better pull the sill rubber on my car to check that area.

[Lorenzo-SC79]

Usual rusty spot




LC

[Lorenzo-SC79]

.. mean this to solve

[Lorenzo-SC79]

Occurs usually on both sides





LC


.

[Richard-Dublin]

I'm amazed that an '84 Californian car can have rust like that! We often see 30-35 year old imports from California to this side of the pond that are completely rust free. I wonder did it have a "less than careful PO"at some stage in it's history?
What chance do our 80s cars have in our climate???

[vash]

i think a large portion of those cali cars are right next to that "pond". and that pond is damn salty. you should see the older cars in the sunset district in san francisco. it is like a tetanus shot convention! or even grosser are the galvanized steel security bars those dudes install on their homes. they get nasty looking!

[Glasgow 911SC]

The heater tubes that run along the car can get pretty humid and damp, rusting from the inside out.

[john70t]

Some of the Brit vintage restorers use this stuff called "Wax-Oyl"-a mixture of kerosene and paraffin and (?) that's sprayed at high pressure in the hollows of the unibody to slow down rust.

I don't think it has any "conversion" properties (rust is no longer structuraly-sound steel anyways) but it may work. I'm still in the process of finding the right product myself.

Anything, even motor oil is better than letting the oxidation procees go unchecked.