UGH!!!! Rust

[Don]

Just saying, before anyone trash talks my having the Camaro undercoated and it still rusting, I had the rustproofing done SEVEN years ago and just this winter, the car developed some surface rust on a lower seam in a rust-prone area. I can live with that.

I found some rust starting on both the wife`s Escape (rear hatch bottom seam) and the Camaro (driver`s door bottom seam).

The weather is far to cold and crappy to fix the issues now, so I`m researching fixes.

So far, the plan is to clean off the rustproofing (on the Camaro), then wire brush the area, spray OSPHO (phosphoric acid solution) and let it convert the remaining rust and cure for 24 hours. Then take POR-15 and paint over the OSPHO-converted rust. On the Camaro, I won`t have to use any touch up paint since the car is already black. On the wife-mobile, there is no undercoating to take care of, so it`s just wire brush, treat then POR-15...I already bought a small spray can of touch up paint for match her car (so she doesn`t have to look at the repair...even though SHE would never see it...she hasn`t seen the rust yet either.

So that`s my plan...does any one have any better ideas or products? I`m going hog wild on You Tube looking at rust converters and "Paint over Rust" products. I already have OSPHO from when my wife`s Jeep rotted out and we welded some floor panels in, and I can get POR-15 from Summit Racing down the street, but I am open to suggestions and ideas.

[Setec Astronomy]

OMG--you`ve had that car SEVEN years already?!?!?!?!? Time is going by waaaay too fast.

[Ron Ketcham]

Undercoating is often confused with true rust preventative/proofing !!! Get educated by visiting Valugard,net and reading true information, read tech bulletins by several OEM`s, notice the products, unlike what misinformation is spread around but products that are tested and approved by SAE, ASTM and exceed Military specifications, by the company that also have provided OEM`s with the products private labeled for them, overall, 9 ORM`s require them,

[Don]

Undercoating is often confused with true rust preventative/proofing !!! Get educated by visiting Valugard,net and reading true information, read tech bulletins by several OEM`s, notice the products, unlike what misinformation is spread around but products that are tested and approved by SAE, ASTM and exceed Military specifications, by the company that also have provided OEM`s with the products private labeled for them, overall, 9 ORM`s require them,

I had it done 7 years ago at a shop I used to work for. I`m not sure what they were using at the time they did my Camaro, but it was a very sticky, gooey grease/tar-like substance that was sprayed on hot. Like I mentioned too, the car only now started to show some minor rust in a high-rust area, so as far as I`m concerned, it was a good investment.

[Don]

OMG--you`ve had that car SEVEN years already?!?!?!?!? Time is going by waaaay too fast.

Tell me about it, this is the longest by far that I have owned a specific vehicle.

[Lonnie]

Don:
And to think that the Camaro journey ALL began with a totaled-out Suzuki, morphed to an almost-purchase of Subaru Legacy GT, and then by the grace of God (some may call it "good luck` or "karma"; I prefer the grace of God) you come across this now-rusting Camaro.
Reference thread: RIP Red Rocket.

Hey, it`s been a good "test-vehicle" for your detailing exploits and we Autopians are the benefactors of your posts about those exploits and trial-and-error "experiments"!!


Seven years of ownership is not that long of a time period anymore for daily drivers. I owned (past tense, emphasized!) a "new" factory executive-driven with 9,000 miles on it 2003 Subaru Outback for 15 years and put on 186,000 miles. Yes, I put the much-maligned head gaskets on mine at 110,000 and it needed them AGAIN when I sold (gave) the car to my younger sister. Despite this expensive Achilles heel for a Subaru, (Remember late 1970`s Subaru`s advertising tagline/slogan before this:" Inexpensive and built to stay that way!" What Happened?!) overall it was a great vehicle for me, and the AWD system saved my tail once on a black-ice curved overpass.

[Setec Astronomy]

If I wasn`t clear, I was despondent over how time is slipping away from me, if you had asked me when Don got that black Camaro I would have said "...about 3 years ago", not that 7 years is a long time to have a car...my personal "accumulation" has an average age of over 12, and if I count my extended entourage the average age (by model year) is 13.

[Don]

If I wasn`t clear, I was despondent over how time is slipping away from me, if you had asked me when Don got that black Camaro I would have said "...about 3 years ago", not that 7 years is a long time to have a car...my personal "accumulation" has an average age of over 12, and if I count my extended entourage the average age (by model year) is 13.

Don`t feel bad, I can remember starting my job and thinking 31 years is a LONG time (they changed the mandatory time from 30 to 31 right after I started) and now I only have like 14 months (but who`s counting) left before I retire...WHERE DOES THE TIME GO????

[Don]

Don:
And to think that the Camaro journey ALL began with a totaled-out Suzuki, morphed to an almost-purchase of Subaru Legacy GT, and then by the grace of God (some may call it "good luck` or "karma"; I prefer the grace of God) you come across this now-rusting Camaro.
Reference thread: RIP Red Rocket.

Hey, it`s been a good "test-vehicle" for your detailing exploits and we Autopians are the benefactors of your posts about those exploits and trial-and-error "experiments"!!


Seven years of ownership is not that long of a time period anymore for daily drivers. I owned (past tense, emphasized!) a "new" factory executive-driven with 9,000 miles on it 2003 Subaru Outback for 15 years and put on 186,000 miles. Yes, I put the much-maligned head gaskets on mine at 110,000 and it needed them AGAIN when I sold (gave) the car to my younger sister. Despite this expensive Achilles heel for a Subaru, (Remember late 1970`s Subaru`s advertising tagline/slogan before this:" Inexpensive and built to stay that way!" What Happened?!) overall it was a great vehicle for me, and the AWD system saved my tail once on a black-ice curved overpass.

It bothers me (but at the same time it doesn`t) that I`ve found a small patch of rust, after all this is a North East Ohio car that`s driven all year round in ALL weather....sun, rain, snow, salt, slush etc and for it to go 7 years before developing some rust is live-able. Between now and better weather, I`ll be researching rust repair and when good weather comes, I`ll fix/hide/delay the advancement of more rust. After all, it ONLY has 154,000 mile on it, it runs like it`s brand new, and most importantly, I still LOVE the car.

[Ron Ketcham]

My two are daily drivers, My two are a 77 and 95 T-Bird, no garage and NO corrosion. driven year around here in Iowa, the 77 was not treated when new, however it was not driven daily due to being tied up in probate until I bought it, First thing I did was fog the ASTM rust preventative. have had now for 11 years, the 95 came from Arizona and first week I treated it as well, now going on 4 years, no issue with rust,

[Accumulator]

Ketch- I haven`t been in touch for ages But I`m glad to see you still have the T-Birds!

Don- In case you didn`t see my previous posts on this subject...

Do everything you can to grind out the visible rust. I use tiny diamond burrs on a rotary tool. THEN treat with the acidic stuff (FWIW, I like Rust Bullet`s Metal Blast...think that`s the name, my last fix has lasted so long I haven`t looked at the bottle for a decade ).

Use something other than POR15, there are better choices these days. My fave is KBS Coatings` RustSeal, which I find utterly superior.

The stuff Ketch mentioned is *GREAT*, but *IME* (think, "chance of user-error", not-Accumulator Proof, etc.) really needs to be applied with an undercoating gun at the correct (high) pressure unless you`re a lot better at stuff than Yours Truly. IF you`re using an aerosol product, I`d go with KBS`s Cavity Coater or *maybe* Eastwood`s Frame Coater (yeah, I know we`re talking other areas) as they worked perfectly for me whereas the aerosol version of the ValuGard stuff didn`t. (Again, that`s almost certainly user-error, but I`ve done this stuff since being schooled in rustproofing by a pro the `70s and I`m no dummy ).

And you and I are still on the exact same page about what`s "old" vs. what`s "merely getting broken-in"

[Don]

Don- In case you didn`t see my previous posts on this subject...

Do everything you can to grind out the visible rust. I use tiny diamond burrs on a rotary tool. THEN treat with the acidic stuff (FWIW, I like Rust Bullet`s Metal Blast...think that`s the name, my last fix has lasted so long I haven`t looked at the bottle for a decade ).

Use something other than POR15, there are better choices these days. My fave is KBS Coatings` RustSeal, which I find utterly superior.

The stuff Ketch mentioned is *GREAT*, but *IME* (think, "chance of user-error", not-Accumulator Proof, etc.) really needs to be applied with an undercoating gun at the correct (high) pressure unless you`re a lot better at stuff than Yours Truly. IF you`re using an aerosol product, I`d go with KBS`s Cavity Coater or *maybe* Eastwood`s Frame Coater (yeah, I know we`re talking other areas) as they worked perfectly for me whereas the aerosol version of the ValuGard stuff didn`t. (Again, that`s almost certainly user-error, but I`ve done this stuff since being schooled in rustproofing by a pro the `70s and I`m no dummy ).

And you and I are still on the exact same page about what`s "old" vs. what`s "merely getting broken-in"

You have me SERIOUSLY thinking of Rust Bullet/Metal Blast & KBS Rust Seal. Fortunately I have a solid month to two months before the weather is nice enough to do this outside.

[Don]

I just found out that I can get BOTH those products at Summit Racing...3 minutes from my house.

[Ron Ketcham]

Valugard has set up and trained hundreds of installers, Many are LeneX dealers, around the country, just follow directions on Valugard,net to locate one, Please understand that those little chips you see on your paint is NOT the serious peroration , expense damage that is kept from taking place, Additionally, if a company can not provide information of valid testing and approval of their product. such as SAE, ASTM or Military Spec or use and recommendation by vehicle manufacturers, that their products are not 9002 ISO standards. one is not going to assured of product quality or performance, The website has factual information and videos showing correct application processes,

[wannafbody]

This has me thinking. I`ve had my TA for 21 years. I found some surface rust on the floorboard last year. I need to double check that.