Well I am thinking about getting going on my car after it has sat for almost 4 years collecting dust. The body shop left it in primer, and mostly block sanded in OCT of 2006. It has been neglected in my garage for most of that time due to employment setbacks (I was out of work for 25% of that time). Now that I feel settled in my new job, and comfortable that it will not go away, I was thinking about just putting it together and driving it in primer, just to have it running. I figured better to drive than look at it in the garage, right? Well I rolled it out of the garage to spray it off, since it got a bit of road salt on it when Rick (rick 918-S) dragged it out here to California in March or so. Well after I hose it off, I start to notice all the ugly rust areas! WTF, I was hoping that the primer would at least keep the metal from oxidizing while it sat! Now I guess I have to start to think about geting it finished with paint prep and get at least a cheap paint job on it! makes me wish I had the time, room and skills to paint it, but I look at it and wonder how the hell any one would go about prepping all the nooks and crannies for paint?
some pics of the (minor) rust:

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more pics:

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This all leaves me feeling SO discouraged! How, for instance would you take care of the surface rust under the headlight bucket? You can't get your hand in there, and the bottoms of them are rusty, as well as the outsides of the bucket drain tubes.... or the area where the inside of the targa sail panel meets the body , next to the engine lid area, how would you get that seam rust free for painting?
I am WAY over my head here, and just starting to climb out of a financial hole after 6 months of unemployment! Suggestions and encouragement are welcome.... offers of help in exchange for food and beer encouraged! (I still have about a case of Wisconsin microbrews in the fridge, and it is almost time to start making some homebrew as fall approaches!)

Thanks for listening guys!

Get a small spot blaster from Harbor Freight ( about 25.00 ) and a bag of glass bead. Blast the offending area and brush some Ospho down into the cracks as best as you can. Unless you drill out EVERY spot weld and seperate EVERY panel you will end up with rust creeping out of the seems. It is just a fact of life. I like Oshpo because it has not only proven tself to me, but it is also a water like consistency, and floods into seams very well.

Mark I see no major rust issues at all. All slight surface rust at best. I have way more than that and will get around to some day. But it is only surface rust. You are going to be picked on for sure Chime in east coast.


Thanks for comming over last night! Had a great time I think.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not whining about the rust, I just am disapointed the I really cnat feel good about assembling anf driving knowing that the rust has started again! now i know i have to paint, but first the rust must DIE!
It sucks to spend all that money, and when you don't get to finish, it starts going backwards again!

primer without a sealant such as paint, draws in moisture and holds it. wet winter weather is bad with primer only. you'll get there, keep the faith. set a goal for next summer.

...I thought that was Joan Baez?

At least it had primer on it. How many projects do you see that are stripped and left setting? If that was road salt it would be much worse I think. Thats just where the primer was thin or not put on thick enough. Primer is porous and not intended to hold up very long without a sealer and top coat. To paint it most of that primer will get sanded or blasted off I hope. Anyway it needs a lot more paint on it and touched up and assembled like it is is not the way to go, you will be constantly touching up thin places as they show up as you go.

Clean up under the buckets with the spotblaster and get a small touchup gun and turn the air control down a little and the fan spray down to where it is a tight pattern about 2 inches in diameter but shoots out about 13 inches and shoot it up under the buckets. It got painted before it can get done again.

Looks like the car is about to fold in half; terminal rust for sure.

I will help you get rid of that rot-box. I will send a transport company over to haul it out of your driveway (& take it back East for proper disposal).