Help me I'm desparate! I need to get rid of this rust

[Cammed90Notch]

Hello,
I need to get rid of this rust. In the pic, you'll see that the panel seems to be attached to the lower door opening as wel. What's the best way to replace this? I want this rust gone, and I don't mind doing a little work, as I've been working quite hard on the car for the past few weeks anyway (if not months). The rust in several places is "poke your finger through bad" so what do ya'll think? I have a MIG welder w/ flux-core but I am going to get C02/argon sometime soon. So should I fab up a piece and weld it in there? HELP!

 

[Cammed90Notch]

oh, and one side note for anyone else for further reference! Those stinking doors are heavy! I'd say at least 50#s or so a piece!

 

[Cammed90Notch]

please help

 

[Cammed90Notch]

ttt

 

[denialdave]

Removing rust

It's a little hard to see from the picture--but I can tell you from experience that there is only one way to remove rust--cut it out and weld in new metal. Thats why they call it "body cancer"--because if you don't totally remove it , it will come back.


I would use a "muffler cutter" with a (approx) 3 inch wheel on it to cut the chunk out that is rusted. Use the rusted piece as a pattern on a piece of thin cardboard (like you get on the back of a pad of paper). Cut out your cardboard patch complete with (antenna hole)--and fit it to the car. Once you know it's right use it as a template to make your patch panel.

I would recomend steel welding with a mig.

Afterwards make sure you treat the surrounding surface rust with an acid like "Rustmort", then prime (better yet --seal) then apply some paint to the repair.

By the way--a cheap muffler cutter can be purchased for around 20 bucks at a Lowes Hardware store, or something similiar. I've been in the rust removal/ restoration business for 20 years--feel free to contact me with further questions-- [email protected]

 

[Cammed90Notch]

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What guage steel should I get? thanks SO much!

 

[Iowa91LX]

This is a tough one. Its rusted through around a corner, and its in a very bad area for future rust. Most cars have rust behind the door hinges, so your going to have to fix it all before etching and sealing.
The shop I work at no longer does rust repair and I dont miss fixing rust at all.
If it was mine and it is hard to judge by looking at the pictures, but I would make a patch panel. Cut out all the rusted material and then weld back in. Use a weld through primer, and then take all the material around it and anything with rust back down to bare metal and then etch prime it then seal and base coat.
Or if its a daily driver that sees rain and other crap on the roads then you could always use 3M rock guard over that so the paint wont chip off and no one will ever know the difference.

 

[Iowa91LX]

Well, I looked it up today in the shop. That piece is available from Ford, but it comes at a price. $216, for a coupe or hatchback, less for a vert. Its so expensive because it comes with the A pillar that goes all the way up to the leaded seam.
It booked at 7.0 hrs to replace it, so its definatly not cheap or easy to do, but thought that you may be interested in it, and if you want I can get you the Ford part #

Something to think about.......

 

[Cammed90Notch]

Thanks Iowa91LX, I'll try the patch way, but I may go for the piece from Ford, what's the part number?

and if I made it myself, what guage steel should I buy? Thanks

 

[Iowa91LX]

Thanks Iowa91LX, I'll try the patch way, but I may go for the piece from Ford, what's the part number?

and if I made it myself, what guage steel should I buy? Thanks

I dont know what guage steel that is, but what I did when i welded in my frame rails in the engine bay was cut out a rusted piece and went into a local metal shop with the small chunk and they measured it and sold me a similiar guage metal.
I looked up the Ford price from our shop, so thats high. I just looked up the piece on the internet through Ford and you can get it for $180.63

For some odd reason the website doesnt list the Ford part number, so if you are interested in it and need it just shoot me an email and I will get it from our books.

 

[denialdave]

same gauge metal as you are replacing

Use the same gauge metal as that which you plan to replace--for strength as much as for ease of welding.

Personally I like to save old doors and fenders and use them for repair metal. I'm not sure that that is a standard gauge sheet metal you have there, but from the picure it does'nt look very thick.

 

[Iowa91LX]

Whats with the green link on the work Engine? I didnt do that, is Stangnet putting links on keywords now?

 

[Cammed90Notch]

yeah, Iowa, I noticed that while I was doing a search, I guess it's a new way to get money to keep the site faster Good idea I guess, since it is better than a lot of other forum boards