Thread: Windscreen rust sadness

try and find a panel beater that is interested.

Do you have pics of what you can see?

Rust is not all that hard, the repair path depends on how long you want to keep your disco.

I had a similar thing with my Patrol last year, pull the windscreen out and found rust top and bottom.

I cleaned it up with a wire brush and wheel on the drill, then treated with rust buster (from bunnings). I was able to get right into the rusty area and treat it all, then painted it with POR15 paint. I then covered the small holes, about the size of 5-10cent coins, with fibreglass matting and used POR15 paint to set it instead of resin.

Then I got a tin of auto spray paint matched from Repco and sprayed the surround. Good as new.

The hardest part is getting into the rusty area with the rust buster. A lot of people just paint over rust and it will always come back, but if you want to keep your car it is better to spend a few bucks and do it right. My repair cost about $150 to buy all the products but I could do another 30 jobs with the stuff I have left. There is always rust somewhere in 4x4s.

Originally Posted by Corgie Carrier

Do you have pics of what you can see?

Rust is not all that hard, the repair path depends on how long you want to keep your disco.

I had a similar thing with my Patrol last year, pull the windscreen out and found rust top and bottom.

I cleaned it up with a wire brush and wheel on the drill, then treated with rust buster (from bunnings). I was able to get right into the rusty area and treat it all, then painted it with POR15 paint. I then covered the small holes, about the size of 5-10cent coins, with fibreglass matting and used POR15 paint to set it instead of resin.

Then I got a tin of auto spray paint matched from Repco and sprayed the surround. Good as new.

The hardest part is getting into the rusty area with the rust buster. A lot of people just paint over rust and it will always come back, but if you want to keep your car it is better to spend a few bucks and do it right. My repair cost about $150 to buy all the products but I could do another 30 jobs with the stuff I have left. There is always rust somewhere in 4x4s.

I will keep the Disco forever!
I originally bought it from a guy who didn't look after it and was going to part it out if nobody bought it. I spent about a years worth of weekends rebuilding/replacing just about everything and slowly built it up to be a twin locked tourer. Since then have been across/up/down Australia many times and camping on weekends - also is my daily driver and hauls trailers etc.

A couple of years ago i cleaned/treated/filled one of the rust spots around the windscreen - but i had to do that when the windscreen was still in. But i always knew that the next time i had to replace the windscreen i would have to make proper repairs.

Just about to do the next batch of maintenance on the disco as well - time to replace all the rotors, and find the source of some new drive-line slack (suspect rear balljoint/front drive flanges?/a-frame bushes).

Do you have a link to this "POR15" paint that everyone talks about? I use etch primer on bare metal for welding projects... EDIT: Where can you get POR15 from? Auto1?
I have half a dozen parts discos as well. I am planning on cutting repair panels from one of them to weld in - so i don't have to make my own sections of panels. I presume this is ok to do?

Originally Posted by Finnius

I will keep the Disco forever!
Do you have a link to this "POR15" paint that everyone talks about? I use etch primer on bare metal for welding projects... EDIT: Where can you get POR15 from? Auto1?
I have half a dozen parts discos as well. I am planning on cutting repair panels from one of them to weld in - so i don't have to make my own sections of panels. I presume this is ok to do?

You location isn't any help, just find an auto paint place that caters to the trade. Non of the usual auto accessory places will have it. Look online in your area, I just googled por15 and got this Buy POR-15 in Australia >> P.O.R. Products
There are good instructions on POR-15: Professional Vehicle Restoration Products, just click on learn at the top of page.

For your job a "starter kit" or "stop rust kit" should get it done. It's not cheap, but well worth the price.
Both of my Discos have the entire floor done in por15 then spray in body deadener, so no matter how much water I get in there I don't have to worry about rust.
As soon as the warmer weather gets here I will be doing some more rust proofing in the patrol, inside floor and sills.

If you need any more advice after buying, let me know.