What to do about bodies rusting out

[porcupine73]

Well my '94 and '96 Legacies have been treating me well. However they're really starting to get eaten up by rust. They're starting to get holes in the body panels. And the rear subframe is rusting out a bit, though it is still plenty thick and safe.

 

But mechanically they're in great shape. I've repaired every little thing and taken good care of them. So I'm nowhere near ready to let them go.

 

I'm not really into spending a ton of time on body work. I did some Bondo on the '96 and it's better than it was and is holding up pretty well, but it would be a losing battle to try to keep it rust free. It's just the way it is on a nearly 15+ year old car in this rust belt/salty area.

 

I don't mind at all driving them. I love them. In fact in many ways I like them better than a new car.

 

But sometimes at work I feel like people are looking at me like wow why is he driving that piece of junk. Not that I care so much what they think but the vehicle is definitely out of place. Maybe I just overthink things too much. Some other people have winter beaters there but mine man on the outside they're really starting to look rough.

 

I've been using paint to paint over the rust areas. That doesn't look the best, but it's a quick touch up and i think it looks a lot better than rust stains leaching down the side of the body. What do you think?

[lmdew]

Get a rust free CO Car.   \

 

Rust never ends.  You have to cut out a much larger area than the rust and then do a great job repairing it.  Not worth the cost for the older cars.

[jp98]

All paint does is hide the rust and all bondo does is cover up the hole that the rust created while the rust keeps on eating metal. 

 

The only way to take care of rust is to cut it out and place a piece of sheet meatal or a repair pannel in its place.  Then some bondo and paint.  As they say rust is a cancer and the only way to get rid of it is to cut it out when it is on a piece of metal. 

[MR_Loyale]

Your car has the greatest feature that probably 90% of the new cars do not have - It is paid for.

 

Why don't you make a bumper sticker of this:

 

 

You don't need to spend money you don't have to impress people you don't know with new cars you cannot afford. Save the money you would of spent on a new car payment and retire early. Ten year from now who in the heck will care you drove a rusting car?

Edited March 3, 2013 by MR_Loyale

[MilesFox]

Your car has the greatest feature that probably 90% of the new cars do not have - It is paid for.

 

Why don't you make a bumper sticker of this:

 

 

In milwaukee, when you buy a night parking sticker, rust is a color in the selection when you apply for one. I have chosen 'rust' as a color several times.

[MR_Loyale]

 

Your car has the greatest feature that probably 90% of the new cars do not have - It is paid for.

 

Why don't you make a bumper sticker of this:

 

 

In milwaukee, when you buy a night parking sticker, rust is a color in the selection when you apply for one. I have chosen 'rust' as a color several times.

 

And a beautiful color it is too! Warm, comforting earthy. All natural.

[torxxx]

Rusted cars are mean to be jumped and put through the tree run test.  

 

Thats how we do it up here in the north.  Once rust starts, unless the car was $30K+ when it was new, we spray can the rust spot til we cant stand it anymore and then it goes into a weekend rally car.

 

 

Oh and dont worry about what other people think,  a car is a car,  they can eat a bag of rocks

 

 

 

Now on the serious note:  Get some stuff called Osphaul (the spelling might be off, but it say the word exactly how I typed it, a paint store will know what it is)  its used to eat rust off steel, we used it a lot on the commercial fishing boats I worked on when I was younger.  Spray it on let it sit for 20 min and then Paint over it with POR-15.  That combo will 100% kill the rust.  You might get lucky and find a color of POR-15 that matches your car ( I think they make 3 or 4 diff colors now)

Edited March 3, 2013 by torxxx