I almost cried when I saw this (not that bad :) )

[Night Wolf]

In the other thread I talked about my day project of changing the rear drum brakes on my car...

well, while under there poking around... I noticed things... nothing important... little things like the floor boards dented and slightly bent up, some not-so-important cross members dented etc... (too much 4x4'ing )

But, I knew the car has a rust issue, it has been a NY car it's whole life, and sat for 1.5 years before I bought it... but unlike the exhaust system and brake lines which can be repalced rather easily... this.... this was what I most worried about!

Anyway, this area is right under the rear seat, so I think if I remove the seat I could see the area... as you can see there are some wire loom there too....

now.. rot-thru I hate.... atleast it isn't something like the floor boards, but still....

How can this be fixed though? I don't know how to weld, or have the gear ('ll be learning that, and many other things next year though ) but if I remove the rear seat and bring it to a welder... could they cut out the rusted area and weld some new metal in? it dosn't need to be pretty either... but about how much would they charge? I need to examine the underbody of the care more carfully to see if there are other areas too....

But is this something that could be fixed in a couple hours and cost like $50? or will it be several hundred?

I must say... when I saw this... I wanted to cry and sell the car... but I guess it really isn't *that* bad as far as rot goes... my fathers '85 Bronco... you lift the carpet and see the ground.... not to mention a couple of the mounting areas where the body is bolted to the frame is literally rotted away (going over bumps you feel the body lift off the frame.... real safe )

What would have caused this also? I mean.. it is a rather higher spot underneath, the floor pans are clean as far as major rust and stuff... it really isn't a spot that there is standing water... but it is killing me!

[Night Wolf]

While on the subject of rust... this is the single worst area of rust on the car....

It was there when I bought it, went thru last winter like this, and in the summer I saned it all down and put bondo in it... it was fine too...

until some guy decided to drive into the same quarter panel and smash it in... which disturbed it...

then today when I hit 80% of the dents out, it really killed the bondo and all the work I did fell out... something i noticed... the rotted area seems bigger then before..> i guess I didn't do a good job

this is rather extensive (to me atleast) as the whole bottom "lip" is rusted bad.... now sometime in the next couple of week, I am taking this car to the local vo-tec that I go to, and the auto body shop is going to do the body work and paint the car.... but... when they see this, I really hope it dosn't detur them.... can bondo patch this up? I am not looking for perfect classic car restoration here... but is it doable? or will this lower panel have to be cut out and something welded in? ugh... I really hope they don't tell me I am SOL....

the worst of it is *under* the car... if you look at it from the side... from a distance, it looks normal, and up close you can just see the edge on the bottom is gone, then underneath you see most of it...

On a better note... I was able to hit out most of the damaged area... only a small part on top remains and a lower part.. .but honestly, even if no further body work was done, i woudl be happy... 3 bad things happened though... becuase I used a bare hammer on the inside of the trunk, it cracke dthe paint, so it'll get that light rust in those small areas *oh well* then I also disturbed that marker light even more and the whole lens broke off, and the light burnt out 9it used to work, even after being hit) and third being the bondo... but... I must say, I am very happy how it came out... IMO it looks much better and unless I point it out, people don't see it....

[danbuc]

Just out of curiosity, where are you going to learn how to weld. I always wanted to learn myself. Thanks in advance.

[Night Wolf]

National Aviation Acadamy....

I will be going for my A&P rating (Aircraft Mechanic) and one of the many things there... is learning how to weld

then in some years when I have my own house, lot of property, nice garage... and a welder... I can do all this myself.... until then, it is mooching off freinds and paying someone

[Msilva954]

If that is your winter car I wouldnt worry to much about welding etc.....now there is a product that when brushed onto the metal surface with a paint brush it chemicaly bonds to the metal and chemically stops all rust from forming but through this process it also hardens the rust to an almost original metal state......downside....once its on there is no coming off and it takes days to weeks to get off of your skin..........if your intereseted Ill get the name.

[Night Wolf]

you know... the more I think about it... the Oldsmobile is like a trainer for me besides the car itself never stopping... I have been doing almost all types of work on this car... and it is perfect training work.... engine, body, brakes, various interrior junk, electrical... everything.... something comes up... I just fix it...

but... the one thing I really don't like is rust... and worse, rot.... I can't stand them, and seeing a car with it completly turns me away from it... so... seeing my car with it is even worse... but I'll have to chip away at it... the thing that sucks is.. the longer the time, the worse it gets.... with 126k miles... it really isn't alot of miles for the year either... it is a 1989... there are 1999 cars (and newer) with more then 126k miles... but I just gotta take it as it comes...

[Night Wolf]

Originally Posted by Msilva954

If that is your winter car I wouldnt worry to much about welding etc.....now there is a product that when brushed onto the metal surface with a paint brush it chemicaly bonds to the metal and chemically stops all rust from forming but through this process it also hardens the rust to an almost original metal state......downside....once its on there is no coming off and it takes days to weeks to get off of your skin..........if your intereseted Ill get the name.

well, it was origanally a winter car...

until last Augest when I renewed my insurance and I could afford to keep all 3 cars on the road... so now it is my daily driver, winter, bad weather, mall, work, get dirty, transport people, save on gas, knock around car... and... it is coming to FL with me to be the same car down there that it is up here (minus winter ) after 16 years of harsh NY weather... she will retire in FL.... this'll be the most rusty underbody Eighty Eight down there

but really.... the only real expensive repair I see in the future will be the transmission needing rebuild... hopefully that is a long time away though.... and if I can keep the car running good, and looking good, it is free transportation... it really is... I mean, the insurance check I am getting from it has more then covered what I paid for it... and all the work I put into it...

Is that stuff anything like the stuff in a spray can "rust eater" that "turns rust to black primer"? because that stuff is a joke...

... if this stuff you are talking about really does stop the spread of rust, and actually turns it back into metal (?) then I am very interested.... I can coat the whole car in it... just fill it in a pool and let the car soak overnight but really... that would be great if I could do that.... I would wait for a nice summer weekend that I am not working and just spend time with it... after doing all this work in the dead of winter, I'll be looking forawrd to it

[turbojimmy]

Originally Posted by Night Wolf

well, it was origanally a winter car...

Is that stuff anything like the stuff in a spray can "rust eater" that "turns rust to black primer"? because that stuff is a joke...

I think he's talking about POR 15. It's great stuff. I don't think it's in a spray can. You can put it in a sprayer I believe, but I think it comes in a small can with a brush or paint-like cans. It's not cheap, but it does stop the rust and turns existing rust into a paintable surface. Obviously it does not fill holes. I'd just use some fiberglass to cover that up. I do wish, however, that I knew how to weld. That would be cool (to quote Tim Allen "melt metal with fire").

Jim

[Msilva954]

Yep thats it...POR 15........the stuff works so great that I almost bought a New Jersey Buick Roadmaster wagon with fully chassis rust becasue I knew this would fix it.

[evilrussian]

Check out http://www.eastwood.com . They have a lot of rust prevention materials and other nice autobody stuff.

[majax]

should cost you about $1200

[Night Wolf]

you know what I realized?

that area is not a high-stress area on the car... if I get that stop-rust stuff on there... then fill it in with Bondo..... do you think that would solve the problem? or would the bondo crack/fall out or something?

[Msilva954]

is it noticable from the outside????

I was gonna say just go to homedepot and see what kind of filler they sell.

[davesdeville]

I know this is off topic but do you guys think bondo would stick metal to concrete?

[turbojimmy]

Originally Posted by davesdeville

I know this is off topic but do you guys think bondo would stick metal to concrete?

No, but Liquid Nails will. They make a flavor just for bonding stuff to concrete. "Chemical bonding" has come a long way in recent years, sometimes taking the place of traditional fasteners. When I finished my basement I used the stuff to frame out windows on my poured concrete foundation. You'd need a jackhammer to get the stuff off. I also used it to bond a 6x6 post to my garage floor to prevent my wife from driving the minivan into the family room (she'd do it, too, if I didn't have that hard stop). You can get it at Home Depot or Lowes.

Jim