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Posted by: RAX 914 Oct 6 2014, 09:00 PM

I've had ABS rocker panels on my car for some time, but the mounting holes closest to the rear wheels cracked and the rockers would wiggle around in that area. This weekend I decided to replace the ABS rockers with the originals that came with the car. I've dreaded doing this because I wasn't sure what rust damage I might find. The car hasn't been driven very much in the last 10 years (I tried to drive it at least once a year).
I was pleasantly surprised to see this:

Passenger Side:



Driver Side:



I poked around with a screw driver and everything feels solid, but do you see anything else I should be concerned about? Like what might be going on behind the jack plates? I was planning to sand/wire brush the surface rust, spray on some POR 15 and then some silver rattle can paint. Is this enough?

Thanks

Posted by: PlantMan Oct 6 2014, 09:15 PM

Doesn't look to bad from the outside so far.
How is the Hell Hole ( under the battery)?
My car looks OK from the outside but from the inside is another story.

Posted by: cary Oct 6 2014, 09:25 PM

I think the car is totaled and you should sell it to me fro $500. LOL

Just kidding ............. good looking car.


The rust bubbles are caused dirt packing the drain closed. Then moisture and dirt getting trapped up against the jack point on the inside. If your so inclined I'd drill out the spot welds and have a new point point welded on. This time treating both the inside and the outside. And using weld thru primer. Then you would be gooder as new.

Posted by: wndsnd Oct 6 2014, 09:27 PM

I think they look pretty good but poke around them good. Grind away anything flagrant and then treat with some phosphoric acid and let dry, then seal as Scotty says with epoxy primer and spot in any area that concerns you. What I did after the acid bath was use weldable primer and do your repairs through that. If no repairs needed go to a high build epoxy sealing primer then choose your undercoat. Get any old seam sealer out of cracks and crevices and coat that area with the acid product. I have great success with Rust Mort by SEM found at auto body supply costs.

Good luck. Looks like a nice project.

John

Posted by: RAX 914 Oct 6 2014, 10:16 PM

Thanks for the good tips!

In regards to the area under the battery, when I pulled it out of the garage, this last time (in July) I needed a new battery and the bottom of the old battery tray was brittle. Since I don't weld I took the car to a porsche shop I've used off and on since 1978 (mostly off lately, but the original owners son now runs it). I told him that I was very concerned about the hell hole and to let me know what he thought, because I didn't want him to weld in the battery tray if there was structural damage down there. He told me it wasn't bad and that he cleaned the area up and spray painted it as well. I couldn't see it myself with the battery tray in the way, so I have his opinion and I haven't seen anything glaring from underneath. Finger crossed.

Posted by: Mike Bellis Oct 6 2014, 10:41 PM

Nice car.

Posted by: wndsnd Oct 7 2014, 06:11 AM

Battery tray takes a lot of weight and gets flexed as well. If your welds were bad you would know by hearig a load banging behind your eight ear. (Ask me how I know.)

I had Chris and Ed at Tangetine fix mine as my welds needed help.

Bot rocket science but it needs to be strong..

John

Posted by: partwerks Oct 7 2014, 06:50 AM

Do those oval plastic plugs on the inside gain a person access to the inside of the longs so that a person could spray some of that eastman's rust preventative inside?

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 7 2014, 08:43 AM

Doesn't look bad at all. Poke around and grind a bit though. Paint hides a lot. With a Silver car, you'll be fine to grind a bit and if everything looks good...just rattle-can the paint back on. It's under the covers anyway so you won't notice and you'll sleep better knowing that it's a solid car.

Posted by: ripper911 Oct 7 2014, 11:07 AM

Not long enough.

Posted by: Chris Pincetich Oct 7 2014, 01:48 PM