93max

i got a 3rd gen max. under the passenger door (outside of course) is rusting. How could i stop it from spreading?

NickStam

iTrader: (3)

I'm not an expert in body work, but it makes sense that you would have to remove all the rust (sand it or whatever), fill in the spots with compound, and paint over it. Just a guess.

TexMaximum

I'm not sure how your doors are. How much rust? It could be water that gets into the door through the weather strip stays inside the bottom of the door.

This is common with older cars, but I mean much older American cars. So I don't know. If this is the case, drilling 3 small holes a few inches apart along the inside/bottom of your door would prevent future rust.

For the damage that is there, NickStam is right. If its too much rust, bondo/compound is not woth the truble though, and will sink in or loose its shape. In that case, look for a new door, or locate one from the wrecking yard, get it painted and transplant the inside of the door.

Rust is not fun, its like cancer and will spread if you leave some. If its a lot, the only other alt., is cutting it out and welding in new metal. (done with rare old cars when you have nothing to get parts from)See why I recommend new door ?

justinmc

iTrader: (8)

I actually am about to embark upon the removal/fix of the rust on my doors.. 3 of the 4 underneath the side trim moldings.. its rather nasty looking. If what your saying to me is right.. yours are rusting on the sills.. The BEST fix is to cut the rusted section out (if its bad) and weld in a new section/fill/prime/paint... but even this is not foolproof.. if you end up with even a PINHOLE in the welds you could be rusted out again within a year......
You probably should do as suggested by Nick.. just get a rough sandpaper (100grit or less.. maybe even one of the stripper discs that are used for stripping paint/rust off if its bad) use a wire brush and knock all the loose rust off.. then hit it with the sandpaper... from there go at it with 300 grit. then step up to 400 grit.. then hit it with this stuff called POUR-17.. its a rust fixer/inhibiter that is supposed to work wonders (check out hemmings motor news for an ad as to where to get it).. or else any good rust fix/cure a paint shop reccomends (go to a local auto body/paint/supply shop.. prefferably one that deals in DuPont, Glassurate, PPG, etc.. ask them).. brush/spray that stuff on the affected areas.. then sand/fill as needed to get the body panels smooth...... then hit with some buildable primer (allows you to build up low spots.. so long as they are HUGE).. then respray with body color.. you should probably take your gascap door to a paint supply store and have it chromavisioned to get the exact color (this takes into account all fading of the paint over time).. then go back and spray the section........ I could really go into TONS of detail if you'd like.... its NOT an easy process but with some guidance you could learn. Rust is one thing MANY reputable body shops won't touch.. there is no real "cure" for it.. its very hard to totally get rid of.. a temporary (read 2-5yrs maybe more if your lucky tops) fix is usually all thats available unless you replace the affected area.. if its a door or a hood its not as hard.. but when you get into parts that are integral parts of the chasis/unibody structure.. things get hairy.. if your anywhere near the KC area.. I'd be glad to try to show you/help you fix the rust....

deathwish

I think JustinMC means POR-15, not Pour-17 It's good stuff, damn hard. If you do a search on the web and deja.com you'll see a lot of people have had excellent results with it. I've got some on my CRX. The think to keep in mind is that it *needs* rust to work. You don't really want to sand the area, you just want to brush it a bit with a wire brush to remove any loose rust. Then I'd suggest getting the starter kit which can be ordered from their website (www.por15.com) for $14. It comes with the metal etcher/cleaner, the POR-15, 2 brushes, and a pair of gloves (don't get this stuff on your skin, it will not come off until you shed a few layers of dead skin cells). It comes in clear too, although I have no idea how well that will blend with the paint, if it's a visible area it might stand out... You can paint over the clear though... But it depends on whether you're going for looks, or just stopping the rust.

justinmc

iTrader: (8)

thanks for the info though.. I've never used it.. but several guys around here who do work on older rides have.. I dunno why I got 17 in my head.. hehe.. oh well. I wasn't recommending he sand it completely.. just enough to get a semi smooth surface so he won't have to do as much prep work later.. plus if you can get the rust off without have a huge depression to fill.. more power to you thats a a better fix... personally I may have to try that POR-15 stuff.. I was gonna strip and fill my doors with a filler that has metal based.. it adheres to metal much better and won't slouch/sag/sink in later on.. great stuff.. we used it on this guy I knows door (pulled a dent filled it smooth).. it turned out awesome... blends right in.. hard to detect (unlike bondo.. at least to a experienced eye).. the down side is that it is tougher to sand and takes some time to get used to using as its a two part mix and sets up pretty quick so you have to work quick.. oh well.. hmmm I'll check out that por-15 website.. maybe I'll give it a go and report back to the group... (I still say there is no sure fire fix for rust ...)