Hey all, just found a little area of rust in my storage bin on the drivers side. I was pulling the clarion amps from the bins when I noticed it. Talk about disappointing. The other side is fine though. Thought it was going to stop me from completing my interior at first. Friend and I figured out we can do it from underneath on the hoist, so on with the interior. It is only about a 1" x 3" area, only spot on the whole rex so I consider myself lucky since it is an 84. Really glad I noticed it now versus 2 years down the road.

 

Your real lucky you found it now. With the amount of rust on my car, it probably should have been brought straight to the junkyard, but I chose to save it. But trust me on this one point, FIX IT RIGHT! If you don't fix it right now, you'll end up with bigger problems in 2 or 3 years. Its really not that hard and anyone with even the slightest bit of welding knowledge and a cutting wheel can fix a small spot like this. Hell, you could probably rivet a patch panel in there, just make sure you seal it up real good. Check my cardomain site to see just how bad my car was, if you care.

 

if the rust isn't too deep on a little spot like that you should be able to just treat it with phosphoric acid.

 

If it's not too bad you can clean it up and patch it.

Here's my bin rust repair on my 85 GSL, which held up very well.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/479957/8
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/479957/9

Ray

 

your lucky it does not look to bad. it could of been worse

 

paint some POR15 on it problem solved

 

muriatic acid works also and you can find it locally at any hardware store. i sell alot of it at work.

 

I am going to cut it out and patch new metal in. The acid trick sounds good but that seems more like a preventative kinda thing. I want it gone !!! I looked at it yesterday and it is not so bad, just depressing to find it. And you are right guys, thank goodness I found it now versus 2 years from now, than I would be a serious issue.

 

Goes all the way through in a very small area, no way too fix except cut it out.

 

^Oh well, it was worth a shot.

A few notes: Muriatic acid is fairly dangerous and unpleasant to work with, and while it will definitely etch the hell out of metal, I have my doubts about it's rust-converting properties.

POR15=Phosphoric acid in a paint base. I don't know where the "15" comes in, maybe it was the 15th formulation or name a la "7-up", or perhaps they just liked the way it sounded, like how Lotus' models have started with the letter "E" going back to the Lotus Eleven.

Phosphoric acid is for rust-conversion, not prevention.

If the rust is all the way through, phosphoric acid won't help, you will have to cut n' patch.


The things you learn working in a sportscar restoration shop...

 

where did you get that gauge cluster? that's amazing, much better than the stock black faced gauges

 

Do not fix the rust with fiberglass. Just do it right the first time, get new metal welded in!