rust

[john -]

Anyone got any tips on rust prevention on the designated surf wagon?

apart from keeping it clean or a bit of fish oil here and there

[Smokin Rock]

dorje,
rust is a major bummer and ultimately nothing keeps your car from turning into it. you can slow the process though.
wash every week and the rinsing is the most important part as leaving soap behind can attract more dirt. shoot down every nook and cranny to get mud and debris away from metal. starting points for rust are door panels at the bottom (or anywhere dust/ minerals can gather with moisture). locate the drain holes at the bottom of every door and flush out with the hose. check for leaves and other organic crap in front of windshield and all points down from there. try to imagine any area which could collect water and debris (wheelwells ect) and inspect and clean
for existing rust spots you have to repair because rust is a electronic/ magnetic process as well as chemical. the more existing rust you have, the faster all spots will rust. first clean then chip away all the rust you can then when all dry.... treat with a metal primer which contains phosporic acid. for small spots a q-tip works nicely. this changes the the rust from iron oxide (rust) to iron phosphate so you can now paint the small area. the little bottles of matching color auto paint (don't really match) or some rust resistant rattle can primer or paint if you're not too worried about appearance. also if you use ac all the time check all around the pump and condenser unit as water will condense and gather there and all points downstream. rinse and let dry completeley once a week if you use all the time. do not store your vehicle under any tree and especially any pine tree. those damn needles go everywhere and then will sit soggy for ages.
good luck,

[Bud]

And after following all that advise......................

Apply some Dupont Imron industrial paint.

Imron 5.0 VOC
For the Long Haul!
A high-gloss, extremely durable, chemical and solvent resistant air-dry enamel available in both solid and metallic colors. An ideal choice for aircraft, commercial vehicles, trucks, boats and other applications were peak performance and appearance are required.

[skansand]

rust is cancer......get a new paint job from a shop that will sand though the rust to get to good metal and not just bondo over it....i work at a bodyshop and when we get a car thats just bondoed over and not done properly we have to dig deep as the rust has surely spread deeper and across....thats what i can think of besides keeping it out of the rain when your not driving it....oh does it have a concave top?? if it does or has a convex that runns into side molds or channels that arent drained properly,, this is a major problem with rust...its why old beatles or austin rust right through the roof..we had an 67 austin taxi that eventualy had plants growing off the roofs rusted channels..

[Bud]

I had a friend who had pot sprouting in his VW from all the seeds he'd discarded on the floor.

The floor boards had rusted through.
All the mud that splashed into the car and the hot humid enviroment made for a great green house.

[JackG]

I had a friend who had pot sprouting in his VW from all the seeds he'd discarded on the floor. Shocked Cool

Seeds? Must have been the 70's!

[skansand]

[Johnny]

Dorje,

Wurth makes a product called rust guard which I've used with great success in restoring old BMW rust buckets:



This stuff is nasty though. If you get it on your hands, you have to let it wear off

[gumby]

Things to do when surf is off. Seeds Stems & Auto Detal. And yes that was the 70s. What kind o surf wagon are we talking abuot? How much time do you have ot spend on the old thing?

[kage]

Dorje, are you the guy with the old vdub?

[DarcyM]

Rust Never Sleeps

[john -]

cheers for the tips

the surf wagon is a 92 subaru L series (4 wheel drive when needed)

with living on the coast looking for longer term protection from salt and sea

we try to only use this car on beach trips with the kids and my surfing adventures...thus keep the other car away from salt spray and sand

the car is mechanically bullet proof so aim to keep the body together as long as possible


again cheers

darcy...your too cute

[Dane]

Had a Nissan Skyline one that rusted from the inside out. Still, I guess that is what happens when wet westuits live in the trunk for days on end.

[DrStrange]

Had a '67 Chey Malibu I got for $200 in San Diego in 70's. Never rained much while I had it there so no big. Went north (Clear Lake) to 4 month meditation retreat in the woods. Came out after month 3 to make sure it ran and found water filled up past differential hump on floor. 2 inch thick purple mold growing over EVERY square inch of interior except the glass! Took a whole day and two large cans of Lysol to make it even barely usable. Had to drive w/ windows open. It all came in through the vents under the front windshield and through rust wholes on trunck deck behind rear window. When I got home, I slathered Bondo all over those areas and drove it another year. Sold it for $175. It still stank of mold!

[Johnny]

One thing that I've been doing for years to prevent rust of the place where I store my wet wetsuit in the car is to always carry a big plastic bucket to put it in. My friends used to always make fun of me with my bucket, but it works and my trunk isn't all rusted out. Washing and waxing your car (esspecially the roof) once in a while helps too. My current surf mobile is 33 years old and going strong.