Rust proofing rear wheel wells, I have questions Options

[john77]

While I have the arches cut for the flares I figured it was a good time to strip the wheel wells to bare metal, fix anything I find, and reseal them. I’ve completed the fronts, but just started stripping the rears yesterday and have some questions.

What’s the best way to reseal/rustproof the section above the rear light housing?

I’ve stripped a lot of 1970’s German rubberized seam sealer in my time but was surprises to find that section was filled with what looks like some kind of expanding foam. The area is obviously a crud catcher, so I’m wondering the best way to seal it back up? Seam sealer? Or is there some other product I should fill the void where the foam was first?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2RYXDYXEVmRorirE9

The other section I’m wondering about is in the front of the well where the sail panel meets the quarter panel (the L shaped section coming down into the wheel well).

It seems odd that this was so open - is it supposed to be covered in seam sealer?

I’ve scraped some debris out of it, but would love some advice on what to do with it when I paint/reseal everything.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/K2gqHAMPtzvMgiMB7

[Cairo94507]

@john77 - I would seal that up the best way you can. I will look at my build photos and see if I have a photo from that perspective to see what we did. But I am sure it is not open like that. Kent, after the sealer, sprayed the semi-flexible rock protector on the entire underside of my car (body shutz) before color, so it is all sealed and painted.

[bbrock]

@john77 - I would seal that up the best way you can. I will look at my build photos and see if I have a photo from that perspective to see what we did. But I am sure it is not open like that. Kent, after the sealer, sprayed the semi-flexible rock protector on the entire underside of my car (body shutz) before color, so it is all sealed and painted.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) but treat the inside before closing it up (see below), and make sure you leave weep holes so moisture that condenses inside that cavity can drain out. Where I live, mud dabbers will climb inside that cavity and build mud nests if it is left open like that.

+1 on Eastwood internal frame coating. Bear in mind that I am traumatized from the horrors I saw and fixed restoring my car, but I throw just about everything at the problem I can. Everything was blasted down to, or replaced by, clean metal. For enclosed cavities, I painted with epoxy, then shot Eastwood internal frame coating inside followed by 3M Cavity Wax Plus (I don't know why people don't use cavity wax more. It is wonderful stuff). For wheel wells, undercarriage etc. two coats of epoxy primer followed with Raptor bed liner and plenty of flexible seam sealer.

On everything, I paid close attention to drains and weep holes to make sure they remained clear. A lot of the more serious rust issues I had looked like they were caused by the dealer applied undercoating being sprayed thick over these critical weep holes and trapping condensed moisture inside.