door rust
06-08-11, 09:48 AM
#1
door rust
I know a lot of these cars rust inside the doors. Im getting an 82 gsl and the guy just sent me pics of the door.
Is this worth/hard to fix? You cant see any rust from the outside of the car, just on the inside. Or would it be better to buy a new door? How would you even fix it?
Is this worth/hard to fix? You cant see any rust from the outside of the car, just on the inside. Or would it be better to buy a new door? How would you even fix it?
06-09-11, 03:11 AM
#2
Assuming you're already committed to the car - then I would try to swap out the door from a donor car. With this much rust showing there, the exterior/bottoms are well on their way to disappearing 
If you have the time and skills to cut and weld then have at it but this would NOT be for the faint-of-heart. I think you'll find so much metal will need to be replaced that it would be a hole you'll never crawl out of.
Any door you DO get - well, POR15 is your friend in the rust-protection/sealing Dept.
Seriously - have a hard look:
-behind the rear wheels
-under the interior rear storage boxes
-rear lip of back hatch
-rear suspension mount points (requires rear wheel removal)
If those areas are _anything_ like the door, you will be in for a LOT of heartache. ALL these cars have rust, the trick is to get one with the least...
That maybe too much to hope for where you live?
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
If you have the time and skills to cut and weld then have at it but this would NOT be for the faint-of-heart. I think you'll find so much metal will need to be replaced that it would be a hole you'll never crawl out of.
Any door you DO get - well, POR15 is your friend in the rust-protection/sealing Dept.
Seriously - have a hard look:
-behind the rear wheels
-under the interior rear storage boxes
-rear lip of back hatch
-rear suspension mount points (requires rear wheel removal)
If those areas are _anything_ like the door, you will be in for a LOT of heartache. ALL these cars have rust, the trick is to get one with the least...
That maybe too much to hope for where you live?
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
06-09-11, 06:23 AM
#3
i had him send me pictures of all visivble rust, the rear quarts are starting to bubble, but arent horrible. i have a parts car with pretty good quarters on it but the doors are worse than that. My 83 GS im building in the garage had rust under the bins, wheel wells, up front behind the pedals and on the drivers floor. I fixed all of that with new metal and por15. He told me that he just had the car restored 5 years ago, and the rust on the doors isnt visible with the door closed. Im hoping because of that the wheel wells arent bad. I believe he also said his mechanic already fixed something under there. Hes the origional owner from 82 and has been taking it to the same guy since. Thanks for you reply Stu! oh, and im paying $500 for the car, running and driving no reverse. Even if it has rust Im getting a hell of a deal! ill post pics up as soon as I pic her up 
06-10-11, 11:20 PM
#5
POR-15 is great and all, I have used a lot of it and recommended it, but..
Rust bullet is much better. Mainly for 2 very good reasons.
1:It is UV stable. I have a friend that painted his Jeep frame with POR-15 and no top coat, it all flaked off. I painted my truck frame with it thinking the bed would protect it from the sun. Later I needed to go with a flatbed , so I had to abrade the whole frame to prep and top coat.
2: It sticks to painted surfaces, there is usually a line where the rusted surface meets the painted surface. It comes in silver, and that made it quite handy for my silver 81
Rust bullet is much better. Mainly for 2 very good reasons.
1:It is UV stable. I have a friend that painted his Jeep frame with POR-15 and no top coat, it all flaked off. I painted my truck frame with it thinking the bed would protect it from the sun. Later I needed to go with a flatbed , so I had to abrade the whole frame to prep and top coat.
2: It sticks to painted surfaces, there is usually a line where the rusted surface meets the painted surface. It comes in silver, and that made it quite handy for my silver 81
