aw11 common rust problems?

[como]

So, I've got me an aw11.
She's never seen any real winter, and has no rust to speak of. I've painted her inside and out, but I'm curious as to where the most common rust spots are.
I'd like pictures, descriptions, and what I can do to PREVENT it from happening to mine- zero body rot, a little tiny surface rust here and there that I ground off and painted over with epoxy paint...

I was thinking a plausible fiberglass coating inside the wheel wells, but I'm not sure if that would help, or just trap the calcium chloride they spray on the roads in the winter next to the panels. Advice welcome, but please let me know where these suckers rust!

[mr3]

Rear part of the side skirts. I used a chain cover from an exersize bike to fix. This is with my cheapy harbor freight welder.


Behind the front wheels in front of the door. Pull off the side skirt.


Behind the rear wheels.



I had no clue how to do body work. I just cut the rusty metal out and made new panels. The other spot that the aw11's rust is above the windshield. Both my cars had this problem and it caused leaks. I'd have a wet butt after the rain and wet lap during the rain. There are a bunch of rust preventative things for sale. I'm not sure what works or not I just fix the cars the best I can.

[como]

Nice.
that rear quarter panel almost looks like it rusted through from the trunk! Why would it do that?

I wonder why it would rust over the windshield. There *is* a black trim piece that runs along up there, I bet it holds moisture to the metal. Maybe I'll fill that crack with some sort of goop before I put the part back on.

As for the wheel wells, I'll need help with a creative preventative measure, since theres seriously NO rust on mine... yet. But she's in maine now, so there will be.

[GrandpaGofast]

When did you get her ?
Where are the pics ?
Keep her off the roads in winter
and in a dry heated garage, if possible.
Don't take her out in the rain.

[mr3]

For some of us, these things won't see heated garages and no rain. Mine is my daily and I hope for the red one to be my driver.

[lsgheero]

Por15.... get some of that and use it on your 2. Great stuff well worth the money.

[toyotaspeed90]

these cars don't rust because of rain.....

rust on these cars is developed almost always by salt.... IE in those areas that put salt on the roads in the winter.... just because a care isn't driven in the snow doesn't mean the salt doesn't linger and get on the cars later.....

typical spots are in the wheel arches and behind the side skirts.

Places like behind the side skirts and the lower back portion of the front fender occur becuase water/moisture can get in there and stay for a while (front fender happens because of debris build up)

[como]

She'll be out in the rain, snow, sun, and everything else. Got her in May, and I'm currently doing a full "restore" in my eyes. Since all the metal is clean at this point (inside and out, under and over, including inside the wheel wells) I figure its the best time to be trying to protect the metal from rust before the first snow (due in a few weeks with my luck, yay maine), which will bring the first hose-down of calcium chloride- which for those of you who missed chemistry class, will eat a car... but she won't be seeing any garage time, outside of this project

Nothing lasts forever, with my luck I'll get t-boned by an f350 this winter- but on the off chance I dont, I'd like to prevent the rust as best I can.

[ToyotaTechGeek]

Ospho, acid etching primer, primer, paint (colour coat)/clear coat. maybe some undercoating or better yet some Herculiner on the backside...unless you are a light weenine like i am. oh! i think you could use some weld-through coating when welding the pieces in.

[como]

it's the backsides that I'm mostly concearned about, the outside is getting a full paintjob.

Besides, cars never rust through from the outside, it's always the spots that dont see the light of day.
I'm really starting to consider some fiberglass resin, but I think something a tad more flexible would be nice.
My experience with rattlecan bedliner is bad enough to keep me from ever trying it again, but that rattlecan rubber crap doesnt seem too bad. Any vouchers for how well it actually works?

[como]

PS, mr3, you should use more gas when MIG welding, or weld closer. Looks like oxygen is getting to the slag.

[mr3]

No gas on that welder. It's a cheap little blue one. I'll try to weld closer next time. Thanks for the tip.

[como]

Oh, no... if you don't have gas then welding closer won't help- the reason I said weld closer was to avoid the gas dissipating out and letting oxygen get to the slag- you really need an O2 free environment for that stuff yo work properly, otherwise it'll burn holes through in spots, and solidify up in chunks. I forgot to turn the gas on last time I was trying to use the MIG and it looked just like yours, I couldn't figure out why for a few minutes. SO much easier with the gas

[Maine_MR2]

Mine sleeps through the winter in a heated garage

Como, the front quarters tend to rust at the bottom by the rocker because leaves and junk accumulate there. It gets there from the cowl area and falls down in. You need to pull the liners and skirts and clean it out periodically. The rear fender arches are particularly prone to rusting because of the way the inner and outer fenders are spot welded together- it leaves a hairline open joint for the salt solution to get into.

[como]

So what can I do to prevent the rust?

The driverside rear on mine was split open- I must have cleaned three pounds of sand out of there. (from the desert, remember?)- I welded it shut a bit, but I'm sure it still leaks. What can I seal it up with, permanently? Fiberglass?

The front, too. As of now all of the liners are gone (pending re-installation)

Can I coat the insides of the front fenders with anything?

She's clean, and rust free- I've never seen that in a car before. I'd like to see it again come next year

[Maticuno]

Originally Posted by mr3

No gas on that welder. It's a cheap little blue one. I'll try to weld closer next time. Thanks for the tip.

I've got the same welder. A little more practice will help. Also, if you are using the flux cored wire that came with it (or you bought at Harbor Freight) burn through it and buy the Lincoln flux core wire. It makes a huge difference. You should also try messing around with the feed speed adjustment. Too slow a setting can cause the welds I see in those pictures. But too fast of a feed can cause more splatter.

[Maine_MR2]

Originally Posted by como

So what can I do to prevent the rust?

The driverside rear on mine was split open- I must have cleaned three pounds of sand out of there. (from the desert, remember?)- I welded it shut a bit, but I'm sure it still leaks. What can I seal it up with, permanently? Fiberglass?

The front, too. As of now all of the liners are gone (pending re-installation)

Can I coat the insides of the front fenders with anything?

She's clean, and rust free- I've never seen that in a car before. I'd like to see it again come next year

On my '86 (purchased new and drove it year-round in Maine for 112,000 miles) I thought about getting a wheel arch molding from a Saab and installing it over a bead of sealant along that joint along the rear arches. Unfortunately by then it had already accumulated enough salt to get the corrosion process started.

[como]

I figure my best bet is anything I can put directly on the wells to prevent the calcium chloride from touching the metal....
Paints, of sorts.

[Maine_MR2]

I still think you can paint all you want but if you don't seal that joint capillary action is going to wick salt water in there. The other thing is to wash out the fender wells frequently especially during salt season. I put my car away once they start sanding the roads and it doesn't come back out until the street sweepers have made at least a first pass.

[como]

Well, what can I seal it with, then?

I once had a shop use roofing tar to fill a hole in my trunk so I could get a sticker, so I'm not adverse to off the wall ideas, if they work.