Rust Questions

[figuers123]

How can you tell if a frame has been treated with Por 15. I'm looking at a 73 2.0 and the owner says that fixed the rust and then sprayed the under body with undercoating. The car is running and very drivable. There is no carpet and the outer rocker panels are off. Could a magnet be useful in is type of situation. Open to suggestions.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

POR-15 is a paint. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't know of any way to detect it specifically except looking at it. If the metal underneath is still rusty, it will continue to rust, although at a slower rate than if it were exposed.

A magnet can tell you if there's steel under the paint, and of course that would be good.

With luck, there will be photos of the work that the owner did. Ask to see them. Also ask if you can poke at the metal with a screwdriver. Body filler with nothing behind it, or weak rusty metal, will fail when poked at with moderate pressure.

--DD

[The Glademister]

Agree with Dave. Also, proper application of POR 15 is a three step process. If the area is already exposed bare rusty metal then you wipe with Marine Clean, then apply Metal Prep, wash, dry completely and then apply the POR 15. If the owner has done those processes correctly, The POR 15 will seal the treated areas and slow down the corrosion. I would request some photos to confirm he's done those procedures. If the rust goes all the way through the original sheet metal, the only fix is to cut out the area and patch with new sheet metal welded in.

[ClausGraf]

I agree with Dave, "steel under the paint" is good!

However, if you have "rust under fiberglass under riveted galvanized sheetmetal under bondo under the paint", then it's not good.