Trunk Resto Advice?
 

I'm diving into a project I've ben putting off for a little while...the resto of the trunk of my '72. I'm looking for advice, and suggestions, for treating what seems like a nasty mess which I think I have caught just in time.

It's a little hard to describe but I'm hoping that there will be people here whom have experienced it and will know exactly what I'm talking about. In front of the tank the "floor" of the car has the beginnings of corrosion damage. It's seems to be from a prior battery leak, or explosion, incident(s). The paint and rough/thick coating feels wet, spongy and will just peel away. It is fairly isolated to just the area in the middle of the trunk towards the front. I tried to show it in the photos.

So, what are the best ways/options to treat/neutralize this area? Are there any realistic quick fix methods that will at least stop the progression of the deterioration without a major disassembly of the front of the car? I definitely don't want future metal deterioration/damage. It seems like Iv'e caught it prior to this at least. Under the coating the metal all appears rust free and solid even in the worst spots.

Please help...thanks in advance!

Pete

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Hi Pete,

I think the replacement of the front pan due to rust is pretty common for a 911 of your vintage (not sure if yours is bad enough to warrant replacement but I wouldn't be surprised).

Take it to an expert with the right tools (jig) to get the job done properly, give hime a couple of grand, and you can then pretty up the rest of the trunk.


Cheers,

Harry.

First neutralize with Baking Soda or acid neutralizer from a FLAPS. Wash thoroughly. Get under the car and check the condition of the front mounting points for the torsion bars on the front pan. Poke around these with a screwdriver to make sure there is no corrosion. You might get lucky.
A front pan replacement, done properly, costs +- 5k.

Here is some inspiration, everything from stock to super modified:
Show us your luggage compartments-trunks

I would go to harbor freight and buy an angle grinder and hook it up with the knarliest wire brush they sell.

Beat on it and see what remains and post results.

The front of the pan is suspect. Mind you, I am biased towards repairing vs replacing but the jury is still out on this one.

I would personalty use an air saw to cut it out and get someone to weld a piece back in- My preference would be a TIG as the weld 'is a beautiful thing' :)

If it's not rusted all the way through do as Bob just stated and use a product called 'Rust Mort'... It absolutely kills/stops any rusting. If you end up with some low spots use some fiberglass ''Kitty filler'... It's chopped up and is easier to fill with. It will go hard fairly quickly so use a body file to level it out. You can sand it off but the body file is quicker. You then can just block with, say 120. then switch to 400 for the finish. Primer and then paint.

Rust-Mort

Vacuum out any loose material, using a stiff brush to loosen it.
Remove the fuel tank.
Strip the paint with a citrus-based paint stripper.
Deal with any rust you find.
Treat the area with a baking soda solution, clean the metal.
Prime and paint, using some sort of schutz to duplicate the texture.

JR

Surprised no one has said this, I'd start with a putty knife or an oscillating saw used as a scraper and peel back the layers of junk, then, if you are lucky. Proceed as above, neutralize rust, some thick epoxy paint and Schutz/topcoat as desired if everything is solid, which I expect and hope it is.

If you use a weak paint stripper, and a little heat from a heat gun, this stuff will come right out. No need to get medieval on it with power tools. I'm a big fan of not doing anything too aggressive, if I can get away with it, because it just makes more work to refinish. Give it a little time to work, maybe a day.

JR

Have to agree with this after sleep and some coffee.

A die grinder with a medium wire brush would provide easier access than an angle grinder if rotating tools are necessary. Plus not so medieval.

Also, I see Harbor Freight sells a small scaler/needler. I used a large one on a door lip bottom recently and it worked very well where the metal had integrity. Where it was getting thin from rust it depressed the surrounding steel in a bit. Nifty tool.

I love this forum and community...

I really appreciate the time you took to write a, all helpful, response. Thank you!

I dug a little deeper this morning (with just a putty knife as suggested) and I'm happy about what it's looking like. Under the paint and coating the metal looks and feels all solid with no signs of rust. I dug away at the portions which seemed to be the worst, mostly because the coating came off the easiest there, and it looks solid (photo). To add a note, about 2 months ago I completely rebuilt the suspension on the whole car. The mechanic, whom I trust 100%, replaced the front A-arms, new torsion bars etc, etc...so, if there had been structural issues from underneath he/we would have noticed and addressed it.

I will lean towards JR's process, taking what others suggested (Bob-voted jury foreman), and what I find along the way, to steer this portion of the project.

I'll update, as I'm inclined to stumble some more along the way.

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The reason I suggested taking the fuel tank out is threefold:

It's not hard to do.

You'll get a chance to clean the mating areas on the tub and tank, plus put a new seal in and seal it up with wax.

It will give you a great place to sit, on a stool, in the fuel tank hole. You'll thank me for this later.

JR

Fantastic. That is a big ol' stress monkey off your back.

Good for you.

You can use wire wheels on the end of a drill, and it might be safer, right ?

Not really. It's easier to control an angle grinder. You'll never see a wire brush on a drill motor in any decent shop.

Why use that, though, when it can be removed with less agressive means, especially on later cars that have galvanized panels?

JR

My first post...
 

I am looking very hard at my lower trunk area too. (1970 911 E) Just what is the rubbery coating? Is it just paintable undercoat??? Is it the same material which is on the underside of the trunk lid? (kind of bumpy/rippley)

You mentioned battery leaks/explosion (wow). You should remove the batteries and clean and inspect the battery box while you are at it.

First things first. You really need to clean the entire trunk area.

I would remove the gas tank and power wash everything. You'll be surprised at how much nicer it will look clean.
Once clean you can start to test the integrity of the metal and then go from there.

It may seem like a big project but take it one step at a time and don't focus on the whole job, just the next task.
Make a list and work to that and most of all have fun.

Thank you again for the input, it really does help me out.

So, this is how far I got with paint stripper, the putty knife and wire brush. PITA work! The center section was really the only area that was initially degrading. I took off much more material, further to the sides, than I thought I needed to but it can't hurt (except for my skin which btw is apparently sensitive to aircraft paint stripper).

Next, the fuel tank is coming out...it has too...I paid for a new seal. After that I'll neutralize/wash as much the area as I can.

Also as suggested, Schutz has been ordered, (by mail, as it's "illegal" to sell in San Diego County??? MUST be the best stuff to use for sure!).

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Final - not show quality but a big improvement over what it looked like before. I'm confident I accomplished the most important thing and that was to stop/fix the corrosion issue before it got worse.
Secondarily, it looks much better now, and tho not concourse by any means, I'm happy with it enough that I'm shedding the carpet for good. No need to "hide" it anymore.
(Apologies to the purists for the blacked out wheel...it happens to be what's on the car right now.)
Thanks again for all of the advice/help and inspiration submitted.

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