kutukutu1

iTrader: (5)

Hey huys, my 84 rx7 is in very good condictions except in the drain rails of the rear glass, where the metal has becomed wholes, any advice on what should i put on it so i can stop the deterioration, dont have money to take it to a body shop for paint and fixing and i want it to hold up until i can fix it. thanks guys

Vashner

What I did was take out as much rust and prep the surface then I put a coat of Hammerite Rust Cap followed by 2 coats of POR 15. I then took Gorilla Tape and sealed the back up. Because my back seal area was totally gone from rust (you could stuck your hand down there from outside).

That's just a cheap fix I did on mine. Can you post a pic of your condition? If it's salvagable you want the drain holes and tubes to work. That's why mine rusted out (previous owner) didn't unclog the back drains.

edit add: BTW On the POR 15 buy the pack of little can's. It's MUCH easier to save some for later that way.

I normally had to throw away the little can because this stuff is like serious glueage.

speedracer_not

Immediately duct tape or the metal aircraft kind of tape to prevent the water from leaking in and doing >>>>real damage<<<<

If it ever stops raining in sunny florida, por-15, then bondo it with fiberglass or metal screen reinforcement. This is a great area to practice on since it won't show, and you can always redo it.

Bondo is $8 a quart at walmart. Just takes practice, soon you will be an expert.

Another tip, stay up wind from the bondo!

And when you are done, always check the drain holes. Use a clothes hanger, tie wrap, or thick piece of wire to un plug the holes.

Only go to a body shop if you are a real candy ***. Instead spend the $$$ on some hot chick.

kutukutu1

iTrader: (5)

DOes the hammerite Rust cap work for places with wholes already or do i have to fiberglass and then bondo it. The drain hose is unclogged i did it yesturday again. ill try that. thanks guys

speedracer_not

by fiber glass, I meant that you use the actual fiber glass fabric to reinforce the bondo, not the resin and catalyst. The metal screening material would work better.

How large are these holes? Under one inch, and I would just use bondo. Also depends on where these holes are.

Bondo instructions say to use on bare steel. But I've used it on por-15 treated rusty metal with good results.

elpena

iTrader: (4)

i wouldnt put fiberglass or bodyfiller since the rust will keep spreading. later on it will just fall off and look like the inside of a bee hives nest. What u have to do to get rid of it completely. Meaning stop it add prevent it from ozidizing to the air. sanding it is not gonna stop it since the zinc protection haas been eaten away and worse is you sanded if off. My best advise is too use por-15 if u want it cheap or u can actualy go to a body shop store and ask for a a metal cleaner/acid etch and a scortch brite, maybe some 80 grit paper. Sand off all the visible rust but without digging into the metal and about 2-4 inches around the area(even if its not rusting). This will help nutrilize the rust from spreading since u can never be too sure. Use the metal acid etch. Dilute it apporatly and wear special rubber gloves and use ur scotch brite to scuff up the area while spraying the material on the area. Making sure to get it good. Then u will have to wash it off and rinse it good. Carefull with on your paint. So u need to wash it good. I would was the area with a car soap to make sure since this stuff will BURN. So do not get it on ur hands! After that u will know the rust is nutrilized and protected becuase where the rust was, it will turn a bronze gold-like color. This is the zince coating u need. It will protect the metal for a very long time against moisture and just about everything. After that whenever u are ready to weld in some new metal and do all the body work..etc. YOu sand it down and use the metal cleaner to prep it for primer or just clean it up. If u do not sand off the acid it will ruin ur entire paint job. Bodyfiller, primer or anything will not last and it will burn through. Hope that helps.

as for the holes my advice would be to tape them off but that only last so long. What u could do is get some kind of tubing and make a new draiin hole but bigger and use silicone around it to keep it there and hope it redirects water to somewhere better. I would just get it fixed it quick or just let it rust then do it all right at one time.

kutukutu1

iTrader: (5)

I was thinkling of cutting of the rusted part cleaning and sanding it well, using the por 15 and sanding again, then by the bottom of the hole, put fiberglass, with epoxy resing, wait for it to dry and then bondo on top, then paint it a little so it wont look that crappy. So basically like asandwich, from bottom to top fiberglass with epoxy resin, metal from the car and then bondo on top. what do you guys think?

elpena

iTrader: (4)

that can work but u can save ur time by just treating the rust with an aicd etch then welding on it then u can use a metal reinforced body filler called metal to metal. Tough as hell, water/corrosion resistant and easier to work with than fiber glass. As forthe bottom u can use it also to cover up the hole or u can just put a zince coating around it to keep it from rusting any more.

grandgarson

I'd say you have the right idea. Fiberglass works great for body repairs, and in my opinion bondo should only be used on very small dings or for smoothing out small imperfections in fiberglass work. I don't understand why so many people think that it's a good idea to work with bondo and some type of reenforcement. Sure it's a little bit easier to work with, but just like anything, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right, and bondo just doesn't last when you use it for anything other than finishing work.

Other than that, it sounds like you've already gotten the best advise, and that is you need to make sure all the rust is gone before you do anything else.

As for how to go about the fiberglass work, one way that I've found that works great and makes things a little easier when it comes to getting to a finished surface is to start by applying the fiberglass to the side that won't show first. Take some masking tape and put it over the holes on the side that will show, then put a couple of layers of fiberglass on. Then just peal the masking tape back off. This will give you some nice strength, and leave an almost perfect surface on the other side. Then if it only needs a little bit of smoothing out on the other side you can use bondo, or in some spots you may need to cut a small piece of mat and do some touch up fiberglass work before smoothing it out with body filler. This is how I've filled in holes on cars when I've removed emblems or trim that was mounted through the body panels, and it's worked great for me.

You may notice that when you peal the masking tape off that the surface of the fiberglass feels a little tacky. Don't worry, that's normal and if you sand it lightly you'll see that it is cured correctly (as long as you mixed the resin correctly). My guess is that it's some of the adhesive from the tape bonding with the resin.

kutukutu1

iTrader: (5)

Great advice man thanks