found some rust, now what!?

[5:04]

Hey guys,

When I bought my car it had very minimal rust on, and after working on it many times while on a lift it was clean underneath. However there was a spot bubbling that I knew was cancer waiting to be unraveled. I'm getting ready to repaint the car and since I'll be pulling parts off of the car this week I decided to see what the damage was under that bubble. I chipped away the paint that was over it and this is what was found. This is the first car I've ever dealt with that has a rust issue so I'm wondering what the next plan of action is. I'm fortunate enough to have some friends who do body work as a profession along with a coworker who is a pretty damn good welder. I guess the question is what do I do now and what are my options based on where it is located.



[EDIT] also I wasn't sure whether to put this here or in the body section of the forum. If the mods feel it's wrong please feel free to move it [/EDIT]

[dhagood]

you don't say what year car you're talking about. if it's fully galvanized, it's possible that the visible rust spot is the only problem. i'd check carefully (remove front fenders, examine the bumper shocks, take all the glass out, etc) for other rust spots in the usual locations and if i didn't find any i'd get that spot fixed and then have the car painted.

if your car is not fully galvanized, i would be sure that there was additional rust areas and i would aggressively go looking for them. by aggressively, i mean i would do everything noted above plus i would try to drill at least one hole in every body cavity such that i could get a lighted pinhole camera in there to look around.

either method is expensive, time-consuming, and a serious pain in the a$$. welcome to a 25+ year old car

[Porboynz]

Well if your friend is a body repair pro then that little hole will be easily sorted. The bigger question is the rust you can't see. If its a later model galvanised car then maybe its an isolated rust spot caused by damage to the underseal in the rear wheel well from an unlucky rock flying off the rear wheel. If its a pre galv car then I would bet there will be more rust to sort, much more.

[Porboynz]

Snap

[TR]

Sob into your hanky , then man up and get your wallet out!

[DanielDudley]

If it is a later car, places tp look would be under the battery, under the rubber door sills, and in the front of the rear wheel arches. take off the sill covers and look there as well.

Repair is by welding in new steel.

[wayner]

Scroll down on this thread

My '73 Hot Rod is Home!

[5:04]

once again thank you guys for speedy and informing responses.

I knew I forgot something, but it is a 76 so it is galvanized. The obvious places show no rust although there is some surface rust in the frunk that I'll be taking care of this weekend. Also I haven't pulled the fenders and I haven't had a chance to check the rockers although I suspect that the rear window seal has gone bad. since I see traces of rust on the left drain tube. Does anyone know how much it costs to replace the rear window seal?

I showed the picture to a friend who is a welder and he said it'd be an easy fix so my heart attack from last night when a small paint bubble turned into a big hole has calmed.

Wayner - beautiful car, although you scared the crap out of me with that picture of what was hidden since my car has no carpet except in that spot! That makes it official I'll be finishing my interior refinishing project just so I can make sure that I don't have that problem!

[wayner]

Luckily my own little rust bubble wasn't hiding anything as big as the parcel tray damage on that car, but parcel trays aren't that difficult compared to some other hidden spots.

Plan at least to have to clean up the window track. That leak ( and rust under the window seal) is why you have that bubble)

[Bob Kontak]

Where specifically is this spot? Is it where my finger is pointing in this pic? If so I have some data for you. Had the same rust spot and fixed it. Looks like the engine lid though in your pic.

[5:04]

It is at the right rear. Any info is appreciated though I don't know what I'll find when I pull everything off this weekend. I'm going on a search and destroy mission for whatever rust there is before I go through the trouble of painting the car.

[Bob Kontak]

Please, a little more specificity. Where exactly is the spot? I want to find out if you can get access from behind.

[5:04]

Here's a picture showing where the rust would be.

[dshepp806]

Not seeing the "circles"?

Doyle

[Fishcop]

Do you have a sunroof? The rust area in the rear scuttle you have is above where the drain exits.

PS '76 shells used galvanised floors, but many other panels weren't galvanised (it was a transition period).

[5:04]

I do have a sunroof, and now I'm getting a little scared!

[Fishcop]

I had similar rust, it's a relatively easy fix, but there is a double layer to work through. Apparently the tube running from the sunroof drain could dislodge in that bottom corner and leak water. That area is already susceptible to rust from a failed rear windscreen seal.

[Bob Kontak]

I will defer to Fishcop and others as I have a targa and it's different back there on mine. Fishcop, a double layer to work through means he has to remove something?

[Fishcop]

I had a closer look at the photo and realise it's the very upper part of the rear quarter just next to the pinch weld where the rear scuttle begins... That's better news It's a single layer but really hard to get to from the inside (where I like to do the repair), but a good repair can be made from the outside.

Rust in this area probably caused by years of road grime getting flung off the wheels.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by Fishcop

PS '76 shells used galvanised floors, but many other panels weren't galvanised (it was a transition period).

By the '76 MY, only the roof panel wasn't galvanised, IIRC. The roof was galvanised for the next MY (which they actually built in '76). So you'd expect that '76 MY cars built late in the cycle could likely get the newer parts.

As to exactly where the "roof panel" actually stops, I have no idea - but some period factory pictures showing body assembly might give some useful clues.