Trying to remove rust inside my door

[302coupe 10]

Hi all,im trying to decide on what to do about this problem.The inside of my door is slowly rusting due to there not being any weather striiping(yes i bought some and will install it).Ive already taken off the door panels and inspected the inside.Its mostly surface rust.Whats the best course of action here?Try to sand it ,which is going to be difficult at best.And if i do ,do i just tremclad it?I would rather not buy another door and im not afraid of some hard work.thanks all

[69RavenConv 286]

Sandblasting would probably be the easiest way, followed by a coat of primer, paint or rubberized undercoating. I've never used Tremclad but I've had good results with Eastwood's Rust Inhibitor. You'll probably have to remove the window (if it's not already) to do it right. Seems like media blasting would be a lot less work than hand sanding ... just my 2 cents

[Pakrat 1,043]

If you already have an air compressor than I agree, a sand blast gun is pretty cheap actually ($10-$20) and a bag of bleached play sand is even cheaper (not recommended for big jobs BTW, use appropriate media instead) if not then you can always just wire brush off the loose surface rust and paint it with a rust converter since it's just the surface and not rotting away.

 

Tremclad I think is Canadian for Rustoleum? The rust converter will act as a primer so that would be fine, I used a rubberized paint in a spray can as it adds some sound deadening quality all in one step.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Pakrat

[69gmachine 15]

If you're willing to take the doors off, you can soak them in evaporust, http://www.evaporust.com/. It's non toxic and works amazingly well. The only down side is that it needs to soak for several hours. I wouldn't want to sand blast thin sheet metal.

[302coupe 10]

Damm,i thought you guys were on to something with the sand blasting.If i have to do it by hand its gonna be super tough.Since ill have to wriggle my hand through some of the smaller holes and im sure i wont get every spot.

[d.reese 13]

Your can simply hand wire brush or with scotch brite pads to loosen the top side of the rust. Then get some of the rust inhibater spray in cans or small bottle form at your local Walmart. Spray or brush it. It will color skin, so ware your PPE. It seals and turns to primer. At least your doing something for it! How long does sand blast and primer work? Better be epoxy primer. Heck are you going to keep the car for ever? Some thing is better than nothing. I would follow up the sealer with Dura Last truck bed liner in a spray can for insulation / and sound deadening! I do this on all the doors I found with surface rust!

[coz 108]

I sanded the loose stuff and used POR-15. Worked great - highly recommend...

 

http://www.1969stang.com/gallery/COZ-69Mach1/111_1129?full=1

[james the flame 11]

Coz said it all. I am a very firm believer in POR-15. Just knock of loose stuff and spray paint with POR-15. I use my old primer gun and have spray painted the complete underneath of several cars.Go to their website and read about it. This stuff is damn near bullet proof. You can buy it in cans as little as 4 ounces I believe. You MUST WEAR A GOOD RESPIRATOR !!! Clean your gun IMMEDIENTLY AFTER PAINTING. You will never have to worry about that door again. James Footnote, 1 gallon will cover the complete underneath and engine bay of 2 big ol' 57 chevys. costs about $120 a gallon but you can buy any size can you want. Don't try to reuse once it is open. It does not reseal well.

[Pakrat 1,043]

Damm,i thought you guys were on to something with the sand blasting.

 

We still are but there is always more than one way to skin a cat, you just have to decide for yourself who's advice works best for you. My entire car like many others was blasted on the exterior of the sheetmetal with no issues so I'm not sure why anyone would be unsure about doing it from the inside since you can always dial down the PSI to a minimum for something like this. I have used evaporust on small parts with great results but I sure wouldn't want to buy enough to fill my bathtub with and remove the whole door to let it soak then fuss with lining it all back up again. Way to much work for me for something that will never be seen.

[69gmachine 15]

Ok, so evaporust isn't really practical for this application. I just like the stuff!

 

The reason I wouldn't sand blast is because I would be afraid I wouldn't get all the sand out, and it would just soak up water and make the rust even worse, from the inside out.

 

Light sanding and POR-15 is probably the best bet.

[CaliforniaMustang 10]

quick question about por15 treatment - do yo have to scrub down to bare metal before applying it? website also recommends phosphoric acid, did you use any? looking to do the belly of my beast that has splotchy surface rust...

[69RavenConv 286]

Well, POR stands for " Paint Over Rust", so you technically don't have to get down to the bare metal. Just remove as much rust as you can, then slog on the POR-15 (or Rust Encapsulator, which I like, they're both good) to hermetically seal it ....

 

However, having said that, we all know that the better the prep work, the better the final result. So, I always try to remove as much bad stuff as I can before painting, then wash it down with acetone or paint thinner, then I apply the paint with a disposable brush. I often top it off later with a spray coat of "normal" low-tech primer or paint. But don't sweat it if you don't get every last flake of rust off, the POR-15/Rust Encapsulator stuff is good.

[foothilltom 33]

As if you needed ANOTHER opinion, POR-15 is awesome, but I've also used a product called "Rust Doctor". It brushes on like milk. So easy to apply and not nearly as toxic as POR-15. Your door will evolve into a black-hardened shell. I used it all over the interior of my coupe. FWIW, I use POR-15 on the underside.

 

Tom

[james the flame 11]

With Por-15 you do not have to purchase all the extra cleaning and prep stuff they will try to sell you. That will save you a lot of money. For your undercarriage and chassis they make it in a gloss black. It is really gloss black and looks very nice. I have done several cars with it.Even all under in the engine bay with great results. You can primer and paint over this stuff if you want but don't need to. Remember, I apply mine with a paint gun. The company claims it will fade in color if exposed to a lot of direct sunlight. On chassis and under hood doesn't matter. Also, I don't know how long before it would ever fade. I may not live that long. Once you use POR-15 you will be very pleased and will find many uses for it. Let us know how it turns out.

[coz 108]

Yep - POR-15 is my favorite base cover or paint over rust product.

 

A couple of helpful hints;

- use a foam brush to spread. A bristle brush is ok but either way they are one use only and then toss.

- it will self level so don't sweat how it looks right after painting

- it takes at least 24 hours to cure.

- can re-apply several coats if desired.

- can be painted over.

- be careful to tape off any area that you do not want it on and make sure you use gloves. It is permanent.... As the can states "the only thing that takes POR-15 off skin is time"

 

Now comes in several colors....

[302coupe 10]

Thanks alot for all the info guys.I dont have enough time this year to get into another project so all im gonna do is get it oiled at Crowns and then go ahead with the light sanding and POR-15 next year.I have to admit that this POR-15 stuff does sound pretty darn good,i hope it lives up to all the hype.Ill report with some pics next year.thanks again

Edited September 9, 2008 by 302coupe