Floorpan Rust - Slow it down?

[TylerEss]

The body on my 600 is very solid, with only a little rust; at the very front of the floorboards are a couple thumb-size holes and some surface degradation.

Since the whole rest of the car is virtually rust-free, I really want to rip all the interior out and fix this the right way. Unfortunately, with Uni classes and working it's just not gonna happen for a few years. :(

Any good suggestions for ways to slow the rust down for a while so I can enjoy the car without driving it slowly into the Big Dealership in the Sky?

[TylerEss]

I've been considering two ideas:

1) Cut out the really bad stuff from below with an angle grinder, wire-brush and naval-jelly the rest, rough-fit some patches and fiberglass over 'em to help keep water away.

2) Upgrade the motor a lot and see if I can get it up to around 90% of c, at which speed time will be slowed enough that the rust won't have progressed much between now and when I can fix it right.

Putting it up on blocks in a dry barn until I have time isn't an option. :( If I 'glass over it now, will I be shooting myself in the foot later when I want to cut it all out and weld in new metal?

[looneytuner]

Pull upp the carpet. You don't have to take it out. Use a wire wheel in drill to clean top and bottom. Lay down glass and apply resin. Remember resin is sensitive to temp. If outside and still cold add more catalyst. Undercoat in and out.
If I 'glass over it now, will I be shooting myself in the foot later when I want to cut it all out and weld in new metal?
Reply With Quote It will be easy to grind out later.

[WVRampage]

figure out if theres a water leak leting water in the cabin,if you have a leak leting water in the cabin and geting the carpet wet in the future the resin on the floor due to flexing will let the water under the resin and will rust that area out or maby thats just what happened on my L Body. Get some POR-15 or equivilant and clean the underside of the car and do all the floor boards and whatever else you can,the underside of a car never gets the atention it needs and being that the floor and frame rails and all are under the car a person sould clean and keep it painted if they want to keep the car in the future. Also on my new car I cleaned the underside of the car and undercoated it and when I get the chance I get a 1 gal jug of WD40 and put it in the garden sprayer and spray the underside of the car and in the wheel wells and also on my old truck that I take in the woods alot I clean the underside and spray it aswell the mud tends to fall off faster when I clean it up after the trip.

[TylerEss]

I'll have to check that out.

I think there might be a water leak letting some in from the heater core. Bad motor mounts were letting the throttle body whack into the heater core hoses and causing them to leak...

[Murphy]

Por 15

[TylerEss]

Wow... I didn't realize that POR-15 is like both paint and epoxy resin all in one!

POR-15 and fiberglass it is, and that should hold me out pretty good for a few years until the *real* work can begin. :amen:

[JeremyL]

Por 15 will do the trick.