The cancer...rust cancer...

[GofaST4life]

Well, shes got it, like many do...

Thoughts? Suggestions?

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Im thinking of completely cutting our the spare tire bay and welding in a new metal floor. As far as the side spots go. Im not sure. Maybe just sand them down, spray with a lot of rusto spray and hope for the best.

Im trying to bring this car back to life.

 

[Bud92gsx]

Cancer is horrible..If you just sanded most of it down it would get worse..

You should cut it all out and weld in new sheet metal..If you can..That's what I would do..

 

[TSITurbo95]

^ What he said. Just get rid of the tire "hump" and and weld a flat sheet of sheet metal in, and do the same for the ends. (My ends are starting to get a little rusty as well). I will be performing this surgery this weekend.

 

[crash89]

Buds right, the only way to get rid of it the right way is to cut it all out at least 2-3" past the last visible rust and weld in a new piece of metal and seal it. This is why I refuse to drive my spyder in the winter here in Wi.. Ef u rust!!!

 

[Bud92gsx]

HA ha ha crash..I have driven mine in the winter for the last 4-5 years, and the car was driven in iowa before I got it..And I only have one small peice of looks like surface rust in front of the passenger rear tire..

On the underside componets, yes there is some rust but nothing to be too concerened about..

The key to driving your car in the winter is to wash all that salt off..

 

[GofaST4life]

My biggest worry would be cutting out to much body and making it a real hassle to redo with new sheet metal.

The rust is really spread out and in areas that I cant just "cut out".

This sucks.

 

[Bud92gsx]

Well that spare tire area is horrible.I can see through the car..That needs to be replaced for sure..

Now as far as the rest is concerned..Sand it down on both sides and see if the rust goes all the way through or not..Then you will be able to make up your mind if your going to have to replace those areas as well

 

[camsmurdered2g]

I have this problem and am doing what most have said, buying sheet metal and welding a flat piece in. Not only will it get rid of the rust, but it will look a ton better and might actually make the car a tad bit lighter .

 

[dacowgod]

FWIW Andrew Kisner (FrontLine Fabrications) Sells bolt in 2g spare wheel well block off plates that are made out of aluminum that are SWEET and retain factory bolt holes and such to attach it... probably worth a shot ...

I dont see it listed on his website but probably worth emailing him : [email protected]

They are reasonably priced and way cheaper/easier/lighter than trying to weld a piece of sheet metal in yourself

 

[GofaST4life]

Awesome! I will be looking into that.

Much appreciated.

 

[greekgodchaos]

Now I am just going to say this first and foremost: I know little about taming rust other than the information everyone else is saying. But for the areas that are not eaten through with rust to such a severe degree, couldnt you just sand down most of it, wipe it down with Krud Kutters Rust Remover, then either spray it with WD-40 or some some of that paint Rustoleum makes that converts and stops the oxidation? These are just some ideas that have come to mind when I look at my car and the small (thank goodness) areas that do have some surface rust. Granted this would not work for any areas that are completely eaten through, that I can understand having to cut it out completely and weld a new sheet of metal in there. But wouldnt I be correct in assuming for surface rust that the idea above would be viable?

 

[bryanwheat]

I've found that etching primer works well to stop the rust if you grind all the existing rust and spray it. That is just for something with surface rust though. Things that are rusted thru won't benefit from it and need to be replaced.

 

[Silver99OZ]

My biggest worry would be cutting out to much body and making it a real hassle to redo with new sheet metal.

The best way to avoid this is by doing one section at a time, that will keep things simpler and that way you wont get overwhelmed. Grind back the paint and rust (please wear a good mask) until you get to clean metal. Then you can determine exactly where to cut out the cancer. Take the section of metal that you just cut out and use it as a teplate to trace onto your new sheet metal. Cut it out and weld it in, seal it up good, then primer and paint.

 

[AngelOfPassion]

This thread makes me happy I live in AZ

 

[phunny]

FWIW Andrew Kisner (FrontLine Fabrications) Sells bolt in 2g spare wheel well block off plates that are made out of aluminum that are SWEET and retain factory bolt holes and such to attach it... probably worth a shot ...

I dont see it listed on his website but probably worth emailing him : [email protected]

They are reasonably priced and way cheaper/easier/lighter than trying to weld a piece of sheet metal in yourself

^^^Exactly. I purchased one for my car and it looks awesome and uses all the stock bolt holes so all you have to do is trim like a 1/4" off the bottom of the plastic panels. They are $135 and well worth it IMHO. I'll get you a pick tomorrow if I remember :/

 

[camsmurdered2g]

^^^Exactly. I purchased one for my car and it looks awesome and uses all the stock bolt holes so all you have to do is trim like a 1/4" off the bottom of the plastic panels. They are $135 and well worth it IMHO. I'll get you a pick tomorrow if I remember :/

But if you have the tools then why not just spend $20 on a sheet and do it yourself with your own twists and character? No offense to Phunny....Just offering another option. Good luck bud

 

[Blurred Talon]

Find out how much of it is rusted. A Screwdriver and a hammer will help you find weak spots.
Then cut out the old rusty stuff and weld new metal in.

+1 for the Front Line Fab rear wheel well plate.

 

[GofaST4life]

This is all great information. With the cold winter approaching, Im going to try to do what I can.

Money is tight though.

Ive got plenty of time this weekend, so im thinking about starting my fix then.

 

[Corse]

If you have a place that does media blasting that isn't crazy expensive you can often times media blast the rust away. You'll blow through the areas where it has penetrated but it makes finding the surface rust easy, then you can cut out the surrounding area where the rust did take a bit and can weld in another sheet like others have mentioned.

Sanding alone just isn't enough though usually unless you're taking it all the way down to bare metal, and even then if it is pitted then you are only getting the surface and not what has taken hold in the pits.

Rust does suck but you can beat it. You CAN use that spraycan rustoleum primer to hold you off for the time being (it also repels water!) if you need to buy time with some places it is spreading. That stuff does a great job sealing but don't take it as a permanent solution.

 

[born2tune]

i would remove your fuel tank, cut all that rust off,add the sheet metal like everybody else said and add a 10gal fuel cell on top. done.

 

[camsmurdered2g]

i would remove your fuel tank, cut all that rust off,add the sheet metal like everybody else said and add a 10gal fuel cell on top. done.

Good idea! To throw in another idea, you could cut out the spare tire well, get sheet metal, fabricate it to cradle to fuel cell, and mount it where the stock tire well was. Very clean, custom, and hidden way.

P.S.- Could anyone post pics of the buyable bolt-in replacement. I am interested to see what it looks like. Thanks

 

[red92tsi]

You can do this to it.

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[PrimerPLus]

I got a couple of rust spots not too crazy, was wondering what I should do to stop it dead in its tracks.

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[ricktb]

dude, how much money are you into this car? Thats terrible, and you know where rust like that exists, there more to be found in every nook and cranny. Youd have to do a full restoration to make it the car you want, and 10-15 grand later you might have that. Best left to a professional, but I'd highly recommend buying a new dsm. My dsm has nowhere near that much rust. I'd take a closer look especially near the frame rails, which hold the car together, they are hard to rid the rust because they are tubular and have multiple layers of steel, you cant just replace these to easy. If you find rust in these areas forget about fixing it

 

[____Kurt____]

dude, how much money are you into this car? Thats terrible, and you know where rust like that exists, there more to be found in every nook and cranny. Youd have to do a full restoration to make it the car you want, and 10-15 grand later you might have that. Best left to a professional, but I'd highly recommend buying a new dsm. My dsm has nowhere near that much rust. I'd take a closer look especially near the frame rails, which hold the car together, they are hard to rid the rust because they are tubular and have multiple layers of steel, you cant just replace these to easy. If you find rust in these areas forget about fixing it

I hate to be a moral killer but I completely agree with rick, before you invest any time and money into fixing the rust that is visible right now, you should get under the car and pull the rest of the interior to see how bad this whole situation is. Truthfully, you are only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
PS. If you do go threw with getting rid of the rust, definitely go to sears and buy yourself a 50lb sandblaster and start blasting it away *caution, wear safety shield , gloves, and thick shirt and prepare to clean up sand everywhere.