I have a bit of a serious problem....

[Kheimbach]

I have a 99 Eclipse gs. So a few weeks ago i took my car to my mechanic to have it inspected and he told me there was a "little" hole in the trunk that i had to get fixed. The trunk had a light bronze coating in it which i later found out was rust but i didnt really think too much of it, So i thought ok ill fix it eventually.... So the other day i was bored and decided to pull my huge sub box out of my trunk and pull back tha carpet and i found the whole bottom of my trunk was rusting out and there was a massive rust hole about the size of a cantelope. so as i stood there looking at the ground i couldnt help but wonder how am i gonna fix that. so my question is do i have to cut the whole bottom of the trunk out r does the part where the spare tire sits down in unbolt somewhere?

 

[Alan11]

Unfortunatley the trunk floor does not unbolt.. you need To cut and weld new sheet metal from another car like stated above.. I would recomend to check your strut towers, and under the side skirts.. these cars are rust buckets. Lol

 

[bryanwheat]

IF you want to keep your spare tire well than you will have to cut the part from another car and weld it into yours. Everything is spot welded together. This shouldn't stop you from failing an inspection.

 

[ktgurl87]

IF you want to keep your spare tire well than you will have to cut the part from another car and weld it into yours. Everything is spot welded together. This shouldn't stop you from failing an inspection.

This. Hubby just had to do the same thing to the gst. We luckily had a 'spare' car we had so we used its spare tire well. Cut around the edge where it starts to dip down and welded in the Jew piece. After he got it all welded and ground down, he sprayed it all with that rubberized undercoating. This was not quite a year ago I think, and so far so good.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Sounds like what i just did with the 1g had some holes, had to fix it up turned out great.

 

[Kheimbach]

Thanks for all the input everyody. And its one massive hole and the whole bottome is covered in rust and flaking away. im gonna have to cut up about 6 inches from the bottom on the sides to get it all. and yes the bottoms of the rockers are rusting all the way through any advice on this? should i cut it out and put in new sheet metal or should i cut rockers off of another car and weld them in? which would be easier?

 

[spyderdrifter]

Just cut and weld in everything new.

 

[Purple_Demon]

I did this once...easier than what you think if you dont mind the look and smell...

Sandblast/remove all rust
Get some screen/mesh(metal) and cut it to fit the hole + 3" or more past the hole.
Bolt the screen down over the hole with whatever you see fit
Lay several sheets of fiberglass(preferable one piece)

Make sure to get mesh or screen that has small holes. This keeps the resin from seeping through and protects the cloth from sagging.

Undercoat the bottom....ALOT.

Be done.



Cheap...yes
lazy...yes
effective...you bet your ass it is.

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Ill try and take a picture tomorrow of the final product. Mine wasnt rusted as bad as you say yours was, but the metal was thin and flimsy. This reinforced the trunk to the point where I can jack the car up if i use a piece of wood on the jack and put it underneath the trunk XD

That usually crushes the tire area instantly




EDIT:

NVM I just saw your picture....time for you to cut and weld broski. Its not as hard as it looks though

 

[GST with PSI]

Well whatever you do, you have to cut away ALL the rusted metal. You can't weld sheet metal, or any metal for that matter, to rusted metal properly. All the metal left needs to be clean and 100% rust free. If you do try to weld to rusty metal, your welds will be crap and the rust problem you have now will just happen all over again. Cut away all the rusted metal, make sure everything is clean, and then start your repair process. If you don't, the rust will spread again over time, and you will be back at square one.

 

[JusMX141]

Your hatch drains have been clogged for a very, very long time.

Introduce them to a rubber-tipped blow gun and 125psi.

 

[Kheimbach]

Your hatch drains have been clogged for a very, very long time.

Introduce them to a rubber-tipped blow gun and 125psi.

I'm going to cut and weld everything luckily I am a fantastic welder but where do I find the hatch drains at on this beast?

 

[boost97gst]

Youll find them on the track where the hatch closes. A small hole on each side. Just, like the other poster said, take a blow gun attachment and blow the shit out of it. That should get your water running out properly. When i got my gst booth sides had leaves and stuff clogging them and i have a decent amount of rust in the bottom.

 

[96ETT]

Also there should be rubber plugs in the trunk floor. I took one big one out for this very reason. It left an inch diameter hole right in the middle so it never held water. Once you fix it, do this.

 

[Kheimbach]

Alrighty I'm gonna start this project this weekend. Thanks for all te help everybody!

 

[2GbTalonGuy]

Also there should be rubber plugs in the trunk floor. I took one big one out for this very reason. It left an inch diameter hole right in the middle so it never held water. Once you fix it, do this.

I would not recommend doing this. This will allow water to splash up into the spare tire well. You will have some low spots in the well that it will not run out from. This will cause the problem to start all over again. The plugs are there for a reason.

 

[96ETT]

I would not recommend doing this. This will allow water to splash up into the spare tire well. You will have some low spots in the well that it will not run out from. This will cause the problem to start all over again. The plugs are there for a reason.

I have been doing it for 3 years and it works for me. Rust forms in there when the water sits there for a long time. With that plug out it seems like the water is able to evaporate. I am not saying it is the best idea, but it works for me. I also have my battery relocated to the trunk and I use the hole there to vent the fumes. Anyway you do it, a little maintenance will allow you keep that from happening. That rust pan in the picture is a product of serious neglect.

 

[2GbTalonGuy]

You having the battery back there might not be a bad idea then. But for a car without, I wouldnt leave it open. Just make sure your drains are working and you can leave them closed off.

You should see the bottom of the spare well in my girlfriends 97 Talon, It's completely gone escept for abouy 3-4" of where the tire mount is spot welded to the bottom.

 

[96ETT]

Honestly if I wasnt going to relocate the battery to the back or anything like that I would cut out the floor and weld a flat piece of metal in. Basically remove the bulge of the truck and make it all flat and clean looking. I really dont grab the talon keys when I am going to haul stuff or people anyway .

 

[2GbTalonGuy]

I just like having the spare if needed. I have a pickup truck for a DD that does all of my hauling.

 

[Leonthefaded]

I will now check my drains, and unclog them. TODAY