The title says it all: My car is rusting through the PS floorboard...
Has this happened to anyone on here? I was thinking of patching it up with a piece of an oil catch pan (the kind that you place under a vehicle w/an oil leak)...Any other suggestions?

 

You should be able to buy the real body panel. Find a body guy that wants a side job.

 

yep, mine too. just found a silver dollar size hole under passenger side firewall/floor sound mat. i'll probably fiberglass in a patch. i sprayed on rust converter/inhibitor. i hate fighting rust. oh well!!!

 

Getting to be pretty common with most vehicles of this age sadly. How big of an area is affected? If it's not a really large area I'd clean it up good and spray it with a rust inhibitor, and then shoot it with undercoating and most likely fiberglass in a patch. If it's really bad you may want to cut out the bad area and replace it with a repair panel. I'd at least ante up for some decent sheet metal that you can beat into shape if you wont spend the money on a repair panel. Also, to me the advantages of the fiberglass, simple to do, cheapish, will not rust, and you will not be affecting the areas around it by putting heat into the metal. Just make sure to do some prep work no matter what to slow down the cancer as best as possible.

 

Sad to think 4th gens are this old we having rust issues like this. As stated above, find a body work guy to patch it up... unless you're skilled in that area.

 

You can do the work youself without welding. Cut out the rust, clean the area, make a patch panel, use SEM body panel adhesive, maybe some screws or rivets to hold it in place. Just make sure you clean, prep, and paint ALL exposed metal. Get some seam sealer and undercoat the crap out of it with a good brand like SEM. And yes the glue works, Ive used it many times. Its just way more efficient than welding this sort of thing. Just dont try to glue a rad support on.

I just did my girl friends 03 Alti. 12x18" spot under the drivers side foot well. Rusted like you wouldnt belive. Flintstone style! The sound dampening material was the only thing separating the carped from the road. That car is notorious for that.

 

I had my car rust proofed before I picked it up when I bought it new. I haven't got a spot of rust anywhere, thankfully. The car has virtually never seen snow and has seen very little salt in its lifetime.

I guess in harsh winter conditions it would help to run the car through a car wash periodically where the undercarriage could be cleaned. The problem with a lot of car washes, however, is that salt from other people's car is just being reapplied (soft cloth washes).

 

thanks you guys for the input..
I got some fiberglass and resin laying around somewhere, but I was originally gonna cut out the affected spot (about 8"x10", but it could be bigger that's all that's exposed atm) and clean up the metal then patch it up anyways. I will post pics when I start the job.
no way am I breaking $800+ for a panel LOL:
http://www.courtesyparts.com/74300-f...784_1897_1914&

 

+1. You know I looked this up also and thought maybe that they sold it in sections...but after I seen those figures, I just kept it moving.... Maybe if I hit it big, then I will spend the money.

 

This is one of my worst fears i.e why I dont drive operate it in the winter. Keep us updated & good luck with everything.

 

That's what my pops did with his old volvo back in the day. The floorboards were rusted out on both sides though.

 

ouch

 

we have zero rust part cars for cheaper than 800 here.

 

it must be nice living in the south

 

It has its perks, but our leather and paint never looks like the cold weather states.

 

Okay, I started and finished it today; it looks/feels much better now. Pictures:

looking up from the bottom:

used this stuff to paint/stop the rust:



glassed up

Sheet metal with roofing tar around edges, it was only $1.66 at Lowes so I used itL

installed using self tappers:



all done

 

my gosh, that hole is pretty seizmic... mine is not that big though but I better get on it before it does...

 

Oh my God! What a mammoth hole! Good patch work though.

 

should have used por 15 on the rust..

 

Why is that? I used Eastwood rust encapsulator because that's what I had and it works good...It's done.

 

Nice job on the patch up, props on the ingenuity.

 

thank you

 

Not bad. Hows the interior smell?

 

like fiberglass resin the first couple days, but no smell now.

 

Hello,
I was wondering where I can get my roofing down.
Any suggestions.

 

bumping a thread. I got to do the same on my car. I just purchased the rivet gun and cutting disk. Plan to get the other items listed here but will be using Por-15. My question is the sheet metal. What gauge was used and where was it purchased?

 

You can get the metal at most hardware stores, Lowes, Homedepot, Tractor supply. Thickness isnt much of a factor here but the thicker the better. Somewhere around 16-18 gauge should be fine.

 

Picked up 18 gauge at metaldepot. This will be the first time doing body work. Hopefully it comes out good.