Rust Repair 101 By Club ECM

[Big Joe]

I've been noticing this spot on my car for the last year or so now. At first I was just covering it up with touch up paint, but I always knew that was a temporary fix. This weekend me and a few of my buddies from Club ECM went to town on my car. Added a few goodies and did some wiring but the biggest project of the weekend was cutting out the rusty panel. So here are some step by step pics.

The bad area.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01250.jpg

After a few minuets I realized it was more then just surface rust.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01251.jpg

John had some extra metal he cut off his S10. After some shaping it had the right curves. John traced the outline of the patch panel onto my car.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01270.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01271.jpg

Then I want to town with a cutting wheel.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01276.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01280.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01281.jpg

Welded the new patch panel into place.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01282.jpg

Grind Smooth.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01287.jpg

Add Body Filler.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01290.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01292.jpg

Mask off the area.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01298.jpg

Primer.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01301.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01300.jpg

Paint.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01302.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01304.jpg

Add some clear coat.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01306.jpg

Remove tape.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01310.jpg

All thats left is to wet sand, witch I didnt get to yet. It started raining really bad and It got late so I have to finish tomorrow. Once I wet sand that line you see in the picture will go away. Then Ill buff the area out to get the paint to match.

Heres some pictures of the rain we got.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01307.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/ECM/Mod%20Day%20May%2007/DSC01308.jpg

The part of the car we were working on was covered by a canopy.

[sk8rjess]

nice little project lol.

my old s10 had alot of rust. i wish i knew how to fix it then.

[nice96gt]

That would have been the perfect time for a "wet" sand Joe! :P

Looks good so far buddy!

[TA^Guy]

Good photos Joe, and yes the rain sucked balls.

Once it's wet sanded and buffed I think it will look pretty good until the rest of the car is ready for paint.

[Bouchie11982]

wow awesome job jow.....now you can fill in the dent in my car :D

[coupe]

There is always more rust than people think :lol:

Since all you have left is wetsanding and buffing i will take over from there :D

[ManktheTank19]

Really nice :)

I have rust in the same spot - when You coming to do mine :D

[DontPassTheFence]

if you do repaint, you BETTER keep it Big Joe Blue :D

Or I am gonna have to come down to tha YONKERZ to find yo ass XD (ill be up in Big Flats again this august sometime, its about 1hr from rochester :D

[DontPassTheFence]

srry bout the dbl post, but I noticed the outside edge of your tire wearing more than the rest of it, better dial in a bit of negative camber to even out your wear (maybe -.5deg should do the trick)

['96GAGT]

Not a bad deal, if I were to go at it that's probably how I would have done it.

[exiter]

sweeeet
nicely done :D

[Shadow-D]

Looks as good here as it did in the rain :)

[Big Joe]

Originally posted by ManktheTank19
Really nice :)

I have rust in the same spot - when You coming to do mine :D

Its strange cause most of the people I know who owned a 92-95 tell me they have/had rust in the same exact spot. There must have been some type of flaw with the sealer they used or maybe they just didn't apply enough in that one spot.


Originally posted by DontPassTheFence
srry bout the dbl post, but I noticed the outside edge of your tire wearing more than the rest of it, better dial in a bit of negative camber to even out your wear (maybe -.5deg should do the trick)

That tire was actually up front for two years thats why its worn like that. This year I stuck it in the back, since there directional tires I cant really rotate them.

[urweak]

looks good. what are all the tools you used for this project?

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by urweak
looks good. what are all the tools you used for this project?
Used a reciprocating saw, bench vice, a ball pen hammer and a pair of large pliers to bend and shape the filler panel.

Not sure what Joe used to grind down the rust because I was at work when he did that but I think he used a grindng stone on his dremel.

Then used a cut off disk on a air grinder to cut the sheet metal. Joe then cleaned the area with a wire brush and coated it with 3-4 coats of navel jelly to neutralize and protect the area.

Used a angle grinder to get the hole and filler panel to match prefectly and then used a MIG welder to make small tacks around the area. Since the area was so small I only did maybe 3-4 tacks at a time and cooled it with compressed air to reduce the chance of panel warpage. Many people use a cool damp rag but I'd rather not put mositure on bare metal if I can avoid it.

We then used a angle grinder to grinder down the welds. Also using the air to cool it from time to time. Becareful, it's as easy or easier to wrap a panel using a grinder than it is a welder.

For primer we used some Rustolium to protect the area, lightly sanded it with 1000grit paper and then Joe sprayed on a dry coat of Paint he had purchased to match his factory paint. Not cheep, but looked great. He then applied the wet coat, followed by two coats of clear after the color coats dried.

As he said still needs to be wet sanded and buffed. I think when the tape was back taped it started to roll in after a bit and that is why you see a little primer around the edges. That should come right out once it's wetsanded and buffed.

[ga5speed02]

Originally posted by TA^Guy
Used a reciprocating saw, bench vice, a ball pen hammer and a pair of large pliers to bend and shape the filler panel.



you mean 2 pairs of large pliers :D ;)

[TA^Guy]

Yes two pairs, but then again they were also channel locks and not pliers... lol

[coupe]

You guys are gonna have a nerve racking buffin session after wetsanding being on the edge of the fender like that. Hope you got some wool pads!

[ga5speed02]

technicalities :lol:

[Big Joe]

Theres no you guys, the cars at my house now. Its just me.

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by coupe
You guys are gonna have a nerve racking buffin session after wetsanding being on the edge of the fender like that. Hope you got some wool pads!
Already told him to stay away from the edge, infact I suggested he tape off the edge just incase.

[Big Joe]

yeah, dam edge. I dont think its going to be a big deal cause the paint isnt even wet sanded or buffed yet and its already a dam close match so this should be hard at all.

[coupe]

Edge suck and are nerve racking :lol:
I always tape edges that i need to get close to, ive had some close calls.

[99GrandAMSE]

Very cool Joe ... it is gonna look great!!

[Big Joe]

Originally posted by 99grandamse
Very cool Joe ... it is gonna look great!!

:slap: It already looks great :lol:

[99GrandAMSE]

... meh

[TA^Guy]

Coupe any inexpensive products you can suggest to do this?

How about any tips?

[Big Joe]

Yeah still not 100% sure what to buff it with. I mean I have a 2 step polish I usually use but for some reason I feel theres something more specific I should be using.

[tenspeed]

I would hit it with polishing compound the a good paste wax. You could take it to a detailing place and have a pro do it.

Coupe will have a couple dozen steps.

[Matt M]

I use 3M Perfect-It III Rubbing Compound. It's a single stage buffing compound, that's what I used on my hood project and the shine looked great on that!

[Big Joe]

Originally posted by tenspeed
You could take it to a detailing place and have a pro do it.

Coupe will have a couple dozen steps.


No need to take it to a pro, I know what I'm doing with a buffer. Also not worried about what steps to take, I just need a suggestion on a product to use.

[Big Joe]

Originally posted by Matt M
I use 3M Perfect-It III Rubbing Compound. It's a single stage buffing compound, that's what I used on my hood project and the shine looked great on that!

Yeah thanks, thats more of the answer I was looking for, Ill look into that stuff.

[coupe]

The 3M perfect-it III would work great. You can also use meguairs #84 or #85, extremely aggresive stuff though, alot of options out there though. Its going to depend on what grit sand paper you use also. If your just using a PC i would go no lower than 3000 grit.

If i was using a PC this is what i would attempt.
3000 unigrit
4" cutting pad
Megs #84 or #85 or 3M or Optimum Hyper compound or SSR3 ect
Follow up with 4" polishing pad with an intermediate polish like megs #83, SSR2-2.5, Optimum compound ect
Then follow up that with a 4" finishing pad with a light abbrasive polish like SSR1, Optimum polish, megs #82 or #80 ect.

A PC really dosent have the grunt to remove sanding marks so it may take quite a few passes for each step. It can be done just might take awhile.

[TA^Guy]

Joe, I have a 7" polisher if you need to barrow it. RJ has the same one and loves it.

[Big Joe]

ill see. :D Borrowing something from you isn't as easy as just driving up to your house to get it then driving home.

[TA^Guy]

Harbor Freight, $18 or whatever they are on sale.

They are Variable speed but the nice thing is it's not trigger sensitive. So you can set the speed and then pull the trigger, no worries about getting trigger happy.

[Big Joe]

ok cool, bring it on down to me. :D

[Big Joe]

Just wanted to update the progress on this. Its pretty much done. I might go back and do a little more wet sanding when I get the time but this will definitely do for the time being. The color is a bit off but hey for a job that probably cost me about 30 bucks and sprayed with a rattle can I think the results are pretty dam good.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/Car/Rust%20Repair/DSC01758.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/BigJoe5313/Car/Rust%20Repair/DSC01759.jpg

[Nighthawk243]

A good buffing might work that out a bit more.

[GarciaNY]

looks good enough

[Blackhawk]

Looks good, and it probably won't be noticed at shows. Just park that side facing the sun, tell any people asking about it that it's so clean that the sun is making that glare.

[Big Joe]

I'm not too concerned with what it looks like at this point in time. I never really went to car shows to win anything, although it did happen. I always went more to check out the other cars and see what they have going on. For at least the next year (probably longer) I'm considering the car a work in progress or "under construction" as many would say. Eventually the car will get repainted. So this is just a temporary thing.

[ga5speed02]

well it looks better than your face, thats for sure :P

[c_huck45]

looks really good for just an inexpensive home job. Might have to try that this weekend since mine is also rusting in the same spot. Damn 92-95's

[92GaEnthusiast]

This is a really old picture, but i've got a question. From what it looks like, you rusted the panel on the inside of the old panel, than filled in the remaining space with body filler? When you weld, is this how you are supposed to do it, or do you put both pieces of metal side by side (as opposed to one overlapping the other), and weld them together at the joint? (Think of it like putting two pieces of paper side by side, and putting tape on them to hold them together), or does one piece overlap the other one? Not exactly sure how it needs to be done, but to me from the pic it looks like you put the new piece of metal behind the quarter panel and welded it that way.

[TA^Guy]

The panel is butt welded. Meaning it's flush with the welded body panel. In picture 7 you are seeing the protected inner fender, not the panel we welded in.

[Big Joe]

This is a really old picture, but i've got a question. From what it looks like, you rusted the panel on the inside of the old panel, than filled in the remaining space with body filler? When you weld, is this how you are supposed to do it, or do you put both pieces of metal side by side (as opposed to one overlapping the other), and weld them together at the joint? (Think of it like putting two pieces of paper side by side, and putting tape on them to hold them together), or does one piece overlap the other one? Not exactly sure how it needs to be done, but to me from the pic it looks like you put the new piece of metal behind the quarter panel and welded it that way.

sorry, I had a hard time trying to follow what you were saying. But Listen to Ta^Guy he seems to have a better idea of what your asking.

[92GaEnthusiast]

ah, I see. Thanks alot for clearing that up! Butt welding was what I was talking about, but couldn't think of the name. Where if put two pieces of paper together so their sides are touching and tape them together. (As an example)

[TA^Guy]

Correct.

[92GaEnthusiast]

Thanks for the tips! You happen to know where to rent a MIG welder at by any chance? Everyone i've tried contacting has them to buy, but not to borrow. Looking at doing this this weekend. I got a bunch of scrap sheet metal from the junkyard, so now all I have to do is find a welder.

[Blackhawk]

Any buddies with one? I don't know any places that rent them out other than possibly some hardware stores, especially small local ones that rent equipment. You could try finding a shop that would let you use theirs if they're not busy, it wont take long if you're only welding that little bit.

[tenspeed]

You happen to know where to rent a MIG welder at by any chance?

Maybe a repair shop / body shop would let you use their equipment for a few bucks.

[92GaEnthusiast]

tried asking the body shops around here, they are all saying the same thing 'for insurance reasons, we cannot allow you to use our equipment'. I figured that would be the case. I may just end up going in 50/50 with my dad and getting one. He's been looking at them to, and even though we really won't have much more use for one, it wouldn't be a bad investment, they just cost so damn much. The ones we were looking at were like 450, for a really small mig welder, than the face shield was like 80, and the gloves were another 30. It's a rip off for something so small, I tell ya.

[Ralph]

check and see if there is a harbor freight around you

[92GaEnthusiast]

There is one about 45 minutes away from me. Cheapest one I found was 200 for a 50 watt flux welder. Everything else is 359-500. Edit that, I found a reconditioned 90amp MIG welder for 109. Going to talk to my dad here and find out if he wants to go in half and half with it. It plugs in, so I don't have to worry about gas and all that stuff.

[g4mbl3]

hey guys, i have rust bubbles under my fuel door. is there any way some time we could get together and ill pay you to fix it? i am guessing its not gone through yet, so im guessing it only needs sanded down or w/e, then fill in and re-paint. jw but what does the wetsanding do? and thanks! its just been on my mind ever since i noticed it and it seems to be getting worse :((

[Blackhawk]

Get a fuel door bib, they have one on PFYC. It'll keep gas from touching your paint when you remove the fuel nozzle.

[Nighthawk243]

tried asking the body shops around here, they are all saying the same thing 'for insurance reasons, we cannot allow you to use our equipment'. I figured that would be the case. .

Yep. If you don't have a guy on the inside you'll get that answer. In addition to the insurance/liability reasons, there is also the issue with the fact that they want you to let them do the work so they can charge you their labor rates. :lol:

[Big Joe]

hey guys, i have rust bubbles under my fuel door. is there any way some time we could get together and ill pay you to fix it? i am guessing its not gone through yet, so im guessing it only needs sanded down or w/e, then fill in and re-paint. jw but what does the wetsanding do? and thanks! its just been on my mind ever since i noticed it and it seems to be getting worse :((

if it hasn't gone through yet just sand and prime it. I wouldn't paint anything yourself. Only reason I did it was because I plan on getting the car painted in the future.

[tenspeed]

tried asking the body shops around here, they are all saying the same thing 'for insurance reasons, we cannot allow you to use our equipment'.

You might find a regular garage that will let you use their stinger for a few minutes if you give the guy $20 "for lunch". You could also try a small motorcycle shop.

[g4mbl3]

if it hasn't gone through yet just sand and prime it. I wouldn't paint anything yourself. Only reason I did it was because I plan on getting the car painted in the future.
one of my good buddys paints cars and will do anything i bring him as long as its not a whole car, for free. if its a car, he will give me his discount which is like %80 so yea i really dont have to worry at all about paint. but you said just sand and prime, then ill let him mask and paint? sounds good, and thanks

[TA^Guy]

Make sure you use a decent primer too, like an epoxy primer to seal out moisture.