How to address these rust spots

[696969]

I have these two rust spots under the vinyl top trim at my rear passenger side. What would be the best methodology in dealing with these? Thanks

 

[5.7 hemi]

Remove the trim, pull the vinyl back, cut out the bad stuff, weld in new patches, prime/seal it, then paint. If paint can wait until your ready for a complete job, then do so. Hope this gave ya some kind of direction, others will chime in that know a great deal more than I.

 

[RustyRatRod]

That's at the seam where the quarter meets the sail panel. It's a trouble sopt on all our MoPars....especially those with vinyl roofs because of poor preparation at the factory. Very likely the entire seam is rusted. Those two spots are the only places where it's coming through. For now.

 

[Pistol Pete]

Well, it depends on how deep you want to get into it. Does your car sit outside ? If not, you can strip the paint back to the vinyl top, wire brush the rust as best as you can, epoxy prime it, glazing putty, then paint and your good for now. This will keep your car on the road with minimal downtime. Being inside, the damage is not likely to spread much beyond what it is already done. Please note: This is a temporary fix.

As Rusty noted, the damage almost certainly goes much further and the risk you run is underestimating how much is involved in fixing it correctly. This would involve stripping the paint and vinyl back until you uncover clean metal. This could be an inch or it could go half way up the C pillar. You could very well end up with the rear window out and the vinyl roof ripped off to address all of the rust. Personally, this is how I would fix it, but at the end of the car season, not the beginning.

 

[Propwash]

I think you may be getting confused with 1967 and prior RRR. 696969 cars quarter to roof seam is halfway up the C-Pillar. I would guess that rot set in because water/debris runs down the roof and collects/sits on the backside of the vinyl top trim. Rots out from there. Kinda like plastic wheel flares on a lot of trucks these days. When you had your vinyl top off a bit back would have been a great time to address those issue's. Hindsight is 20/20. IMO, I would remove the vinyl trim, rear window trim and lift the vinyl clear of the rot area. Guessing there's rot in your rear windows corner to address as well. Wire wheel clean the metal, cut out and patch any real shady metal or holes, epoxy coat, fill, glaze and prime. There's really not any good body lines to decently hide a paint line, so I would scuff, mask, prime and spray the quarter. As far as trying to make it look good now without all that work, don't really have a answer for you there. Just trying to stop the rust is going to make it even uglier. Spot spraying will make it real blotchy being it's faded paint and a metallic to boot. My 2 cents...good luck.

 

[Donny]

Good advice in the posted replies, you have some issues sir, and, sadly they are far worse than it appears, I see these cars all the time, if you're seeing what you're seeing...and the pics don't lie, you're looking at a full blast and such, likely new qtr panels too. This is if you go all the way and get to the end of the issue(s).

 

[RustyRatRod]

Will, you may be right on that. Also too, remember, I am an A body convert. That's also where the seam is on the A bodies as well. Thanks for correcting me. I learned sumffin new.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

Not hyjackin,but remember the Honey Mooners when asked how to adress the golf ball??????????




HELLO BALL:icon_clown:

 

[RustyRatRod]

Not hyjackin,but remember the Honey Mooners when asked how to adress the golf ball??????????


HELLO BALL:icon_clown:

I remember that one......and I almost went there. LMAO

 

[Propwash]

Will, you may be right on that. Also too, remember, I am an A body convert. That's also where the seam is on the A bodies as well. Thanks for correcting me. I learned sumffin new.

Hey no sweat man.....Don't think any of us are perfect Mopar dictionaries around this joint.

 

[tallhair]

Not hyjackin,but remember the Honey Mooners when asked how to adress the golf ball??????????

HELLO BALL:icon_clown:

That was the first scene my wife ever saw of the honeymooners ... i choose it to introduce her years ago and she loved it. I used the same scene years later to introduce my kids ... we watched them all.

 

[wannadrag]

I agree with Will.Pull the top and rear window moldings.Peel the top back and dig in and see whats under that blister.Will dont you think a guy could tape it on the top 1/4 corner for paint?Might be a little easier to hide maybe?I think thats the route i would go for a temporary fix.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

That was the first scene my wife ever saw of the honeymooners ... i choose it to introduce her years ago and she loved it. I used the same scene years later to introduce my kids ... we watched them all.

Showin' our age:walk:

Now back to the regular schedualed thread:icon_thumright:

 

[Propwash]

I'd say that's a possibility Jay...Can't really sand the paint much being a metallic, but maybe a guy could use the 3M paint line foam (soft edge) on the transition or knock down the edge enough to really not be that noticeable. I'd stick with the sure fire way of painting the whole quarter to the panel gaps, but that would be just my preference. Not really a temporary fix though, bit more work. Donny's right on the money with "worse than they appear" Take what you see on the surface and times that by 2 or 3 and that's probably what your up against.

 

[Pistol Pete]

I'd say that's a possibility Jay...Can't really sand the paint much being a metallic, but maybe a guy could use the 3M paint line foam (soft edge) on the transition or knock down the edge enough to really not be that noticeable. I'd stick with the sure fire way of painting the whole quarter to the panel gaps, but that would be just my preference. Not really a temporary fix though, bit more work. Donny's right on the money with "worse than they appear" Take what you see on the surface and times that by 2 or 3 and that's probably what your up against.

I dunno Will, painting to the panel gaps will still give him a mismatch from new finish to old and may be even more pronounced because of the sharp break. If I were doing the whole job (that is fixing once and fixing it right) and was unwilling to dust the whole car, I think I'd rather blend the paint mid panel using a 50/50 mix of bc/cc. I'd also spray any number of test cards to get the layout correct. Either way, blending metallics is a bitch, especially older jobs as you so noted, because you're fighting the gloss factor as well.

 

[696969]

Well, it depends on how deep you want to get into it. Does your car sit outside ? If not, you can strip the paint back to the vinyl top, wire brush the rust as best as you can, epoxy prime it, glazing putty, then paint and your good for now. This will keep your car on the road with minimal downtime. Being inside, the damage is not likely to spread much beyond what it is already done. Please note: This is a temporary fix.

As Rusty noted, the damage almost certainly goes much further and the risk you run is underestimating how much is involved in fixing it correctly. This would involve stripping the paint and vinyl back until you uncover clean metal. This could be an inch or it could go half way up the C pillar. You could very well end up with the rear window out and the vinyl roof ripped off to address all of the rust. Personally, this is how I would fix it, but at the end of the car season, not the beginning.

This seems like the most realistic option for me, because, yes, the car stays in doors when there's precipitation and at nights.
Seems like a job I can handle.

- - - Updated - - -

I dunno Will, painting to the panel gaps will still give him a mismatch from new finish to old and may be even more pronounced because of the sharp break. If I were doing the whole job (that is fixing once and fixing it right) and was unwilling to dust the whole car, I think I'd rather blend the paint mid panel using a 50/50 mix of bc/cc. I'd also spray any number of test cards to get the layout correct. Either way, blending metallics is a bitch, especially older jobs as you so noted, because you're fighting the gloss factor as well.

The car already has mismatched panels due to previous work being done, so I'm not concerned if it's a little off. I just need a patch job to hold me for a couple years until I can have more extensive exterior restoration work done.