View Full Version : How do you treat the inside of doors for rust?
MAF Diver
14th July 2024, 09:47 PM
I'm fixing my window actuator and opened up the door panel/trim to find rust on the bottom.
None is showing through on the other side yet. Is it bad? Will it?
How would you treat it, cheaply and easily while I've got this open?
190717
190718
190719
V8Ian
14th July 2024, 11:00 PM
Hard to beat Fisholine.
workingonit
14th July 2024, 11:27 PM
Is it bad? How would you treat it, cheaply and easily while I've got this open?
Off a D2?
Looks like surface rust, so maybe not 'bad'. Don't test you luck by poking the deeper rust (if any) with a sharp point - if not through to the other side, or sitting under a good external paint layer then convert the deep rust and leave in place and paint over it..
Clear any drain holes.
1) Find someone with a home compressor and sand blasting unit - not as brutal as a professional unit. Gets into tight places, relatively quick and thorough. Then primer and epoxy colour coats - rattle cans.
2) Alternatively, elbow grease and sand paper. Remove colour coat with light sanding to see what original primer remains and if your lucky just touch up with new coat of primer over old primer. Best back to metal if the original primer is significantly compromised. If any difficult stubborn spots of red rust or black rust (hematite) then apply rust converter to convert it from an oxide to a more stable phosphate or stannate and paint over. At the moment I'm using Fertan as it does not give off any poisonous gases - read the MSDA before buying as some with chlorine content give off phosgen!! if near any electric arc from a welder (and some manufacturers seem rather casual in the way they mention this in the MSDS). Once you've done the rust conversion per instructions then prime and colour coat. Note primer is an intermediary to help bond the colour coat to steel - primer by itself is not meant to be a long term solution, but can be if in a protected situation. Rust converter can be used by itself if you are prepared to reapply it every so often. You may need an etch primer if bonding paint to zinc, aluminium etc.
3) Fish oil - but it stinks and I believe degrades over time. Wiped with fresh motor oil. Sacrificial anode? Buy some spare doors :)
If your doors are anything like the D1 then the windscreen winder motors need a shield to stop water dribbling on them.
Car manufacturers put out guidelines on products to use on rust and paint repairs for their own particular vehicles.
Tins
15th July 2024, 07:54 AM
I have been using SteelSeal on the OKA, which is way more rusty than that. It's lanolin based so doesn't smell bad. You can't get it everywhere though, and some mobs charge way too much. Comes in various sizes. You would only want the aerosol can.
Not recommending this store (https://www.automegastore.com.au/lanotec-steel-seal-400g-aerosol) in particular..
gromit
15th July 2024, 09:35 AM
I'm fixing my window actuator and opened up the door panel/trim to find rust on the bottom.
None is showing through on the other side yet. Is it bad? Will it?
How would you treat it, cheaply and easily while I've got this open?
I've looked at the pictures a couple of times, where is the rust ?
All I can see is some sort of cavity wax with what looks like mould spores on it.
Where the panels join there is a buildup of dirt ? Or is this the rust ?
You can get deodorised fish oil.
Lots of other cavity wax products on the market.
Colin
shack
15th July 2024, 05:33 PM
I've looked at the pictures a couple of times, where is the rust ?
Ditto.
MAF Diver
15th July 2024, 10:46 PM
Thanks for the replies everyone! This is helpful
So the fishoil stinks right? You're suggesting to mix it with engine oil a bit to stop that?
I've looked at the pictures a couple of times, where is the rust ?
All I can see is some sort of cavity wax with what looks like mould spores on it.
Where the panels join there is a buildup of dirt ? Or is this the rust ?
You can get deodorised fish oil.
Lots of other cavity wax products on the market.
All the orange stuff isn't rust?
Oh, you reckon the black stuff is mould?! Damn. How would you treat that? I've got some household mold spray, but that's got bleach in it which will probably do some damage here, eh?
gromit
16th July 2024, 06:38 AM
Thanks for the replies everyone! This is helpful
So the fishoil stinks right? You're suggesting to mix it with engine oil a bit to stop that?
All the orange stuff isn't rust?
Oh, you reckon the black stuff is mould?! Damn. How would you treat that? I've got some household mold spray, but that's got bleach in it which will probably do some damage here, eh?
No, it looks like cavity wax. The orange is on top of sound deadening pads so can't be rust :)
It must get water inside the door cavity at times causing the mould but strangely it's only on the cavity wax, not sure whether I'd bother to treat it.
I wouldn't be mixing engine oil with fishoil when you can buy 'deodorised' fish oil.
SCA Heavy Duty Fish Oil - 400g | Supercheap Auto (https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/sca-sca-heavy-duty-fish-oil---400g/395321.html)
Colin
loanrangie
16th July 2024, 08:54 AM
Fish oil or lanolin, depends if you want it smelling like a brothel or a Kiwi brothel [bigrolf].
Tins
16th July 2024, 09:15 AM
It must get water inside the door cavity at times causing the mould but strangely it's only on the cavity wax, not sure whether I'd bother to treat it.
Ditto. They will get water in the doors, most cars do, it's just a matter of the drains. Can't recall seeing a D2 with rusty doors.
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