BUILD THREAD Project Olds Cool (Recognition!!)

[Rktpwrd]

And the hits just keep on a-comin'.

Driver's side quarter in front of the wheel, underneath the rocker trim:

This is all the crap that came out from behind it... Gee, I wonder why it rusted out there?

Not to worry tho, I think I've already got it fairly well in hand. I've just got to fabricate and weld a small bump to this to clear the drain hole in the pinch weld before I weld it in:

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go and get another tetanus shot.
😱

D.

 

[O. D. Showtime]

Sorry to see you found some more cancer on it Donovan...but looks like you've got this well taken care as you have with the rest.

 

[Rktpwrd]

Sorry to see you found some more cancer on it Donovan...but looks like you've got this well taken care as you have with the rest.

Thanks Kevin, I think I have.
I knew this particular trouble spot was hiding under the trim, but as with most rust issues it was a bit worse than I thought. Once I started cleaning up the surrounding areas, it just started getting pinholes all over. That's when I knew it was time to replace the whole lower section.

On the bright side however, I do believe this is the very last of the really bad rust on the car. There's spots of surface stuff in a couple places (mostly the door jambs), but I should be able to just treat and save them.
Here's hoping anyways.

 

[1evilregal]

were you a boy scout at one time? because you seemed awfully prepared for that one! 😀

at least the worst is past you now.... (here's hoping)

 

[Clutch]

As always nice work D your making a lot more progress than me lately

 

[chevymalibu283]

hey donovan, just curious, when you find rust and are making patch panels etc, do you grind,wire wheel or sand blast the under side to clear out the remaining rust or do you have different approach to remove the rust from underneath the original metal? as always meticulous panel layout and metal work.
Kevin

 

[Rktpwrd]

hey donovan, just curious, when you find rust and are making patch panels etc, do you grind,wire wheel or sand blast the under side to clear out the remaining rust or do you have different approach to remove the rust from underneath the original metal? as always meticulous panel layout and metal work.
Kevin

You bet I do Kevin. It doesn't make sense to weld in a replacement piece without removing and treating as much corrosion and damage underneath as possible. Without doing so is just tempting fate for it to come back again in the future.

As for which and what method I use, it all depends on the area, and what I can get in there to remove and/or treat it. One of the tools I actually don't have yet is a small spot sandblaster (although it would be extremely handy at times), so most of my removal methods tend to be mechanical. I.E: grinding or other means. One of my favourite tools for removing rust is the purple Clean n Strip wheel I have mounted on a die grinder:

But really at the end of the day, I'll use whatever means necessary to get at whatever's lurking beneath. Grinding discs, carbide burrs, even the edge of a cutoff wheel, it all depends on the area.

Sometimes when there's simply no other alternative, I'll even treat the rusty area with a rust converter and coat over it afterwards.
I'm not a big fan of "snake oils" and other products that claim to stop rust tho, so this is usually a last resort.

Once I'm satisfied that all the corrosion I can reach underneath the new piece is gone, I'll treat it with some sort of protection. Again, depending on where the repair is, usually dictates what I'll use to treat it. My usual go-to's are weld-thru primer, epoxy primer, and even POR 15. So far I've used all of these products in various places on this car as I've made the repairs.

I hope this helps you out and answers your questions!

D.

 

[Rktpwrd]

After failing to get out in the garage this last weekend (mostly due to lack of motivation and feeling lazy), I put in some time out there tonight.

Got the "bump" to clear the drain hole in the pinch weld made up and welded to the patch, and the mill scale sanded off:

(The piece was welded in from the backside. The penetration beads visible above will be blended in with some seam sealer after it's welded to the car)

...and after an hour or so of cleaning up the pinch weld, I had it pretty much rust free.
From this:

To this!

Time to prep the areas. Weld-thru zinc coating on the backside of the patch:

Followed by two coats of epoxy primer on the inner structure and pinch weld. This was just done with a cheap disposable brush, no need to spray in here. It's just getting covered up anyways.

With the prep done, tomorrow night we punch holes in the patch for plug welding to the pinch weld, and start to make this thing permanent!

Till then,

D.

 

[TURNA]

Amazing!

 

[motorheadmike]

All of this is going to be so handy when I start farting around with the Monte this winter.