Question from Joe:
I have a 2' section where the paint had pealed off yers ago and the surface is rusty not flaky but kinda sandy looking.. whats the best way to remove it and keep it from continuing. I saw the rust encapsulator stuff at Eastwood. Anyone have a great product to try and a proceedure ???
Replies:
From Dave:
If you are not painting the car & or rusted area straight away, you can clean the surface rust of . Then apply common lithium grease. The grease will crystallize the rust preventing it from getting worse. ( It can be wiped off after a couple of weeks.)
From Kenyon:
Wire rope wheel on a 10,000 rpm grinder, revealing 1" of bare metal all the way around the rusted area
Orbital sander with 80 grit to smooth the metal and feather the edges of the paint. Paint should be feathered into a 1" or more wide band blended up to the topcoat
double anally retentive? - use naval jelly by letting it sit for awhile and scrubbing with a metal bristle toothbrush thing. It works best if applied thick and left "wet" Repeat as needed. Naval Jelly eats paint.
Use SEM Rust Mort (not rust seal)
Use Rust Encapsulator - spray or brush. Use a bunch and sand smooth- leaving it thick.
Primer
Paint
Buff
Hope
Question from Eric (1964 - 66):
It seems that I once heard why these panels tend to rust, but now I've forgotten and I'm curious if anyone knows of a preventative measure for the '64-66 cars.
Replies:
From Rich:
I have a '66 Crown 4 dr, and my deck panel has some light rust on the underside of the panel. Don't know why, but I would think because of water leakage. Por-15 would be my choice to help the problem.
From Chris:
On the several 1964-66 Impeirals I've owned, to prevent water from getting trapped under this panel I tape off the edges between the side of the back panel and the body or the car. Then I inject as much black silicone rubber as I can get into that seam. I smooth out the rubber into a clean line, and when the tape was peeled back it leaves a perfectly smooth, thin line of black down in the crease that looks like a factory gasket. Do a similar seal beneath the back window and it will ensure that no water gets underneath that panel to cause future rust.
When I painted one of my cars, I removed the panel put a heavy coat of POR15 rustproofing on the back of the panel and also onto the section of body covered by the panel.
These measures should prevent rust pretty effectively.
From Paul:
An engineer that I met claimed that this corrosion wasn't related to water damage, but to electrolysis. He had determined that the change in the trunk light switch from the mercury style to the pressure switch in the corner with the '64 model created an aberration, or improper ground.
Whether the rust is due to weather or electrolysis, it seems that most of these cars have this problem. Even if you don't see it from the outside, taking the panel out usually will reveal significant deterioration underneath it.
I don't know of any way to figure out if this engineer was right, but it is an interesting thought.
Question from Andrei (1974):
Tonight I tried remove rust from cover on brake fluid reservoir. I did it so good that finally I decided not to paint (originally it was painted black) it but polish. Can someone recommend me the best way to prevent polished metal from rust?
Replies:
From Steve:
Try painting it with a "clear-coat". Some Clears will not stick directly to bare metal, but only to a painted surface or a surface that has been prepped accordingly. I know this paint is available in Home Depot. Make sure the surface is clean and untouched before painting.
From Dick:
The Eastwood company has a line of products that you should learn about. They can make this item look like brand new.
