What do the pros do? Rust repair.

[Cow.kllr]

I'm doing a bunch of rust repair on my 72 c10 replacing all the lower body panels. Cab corners, rockers, and A and B pillar patches. I've noticed rust all up in the inside of the A pillar and some in the cowl area. I assume there is some in between the roof skin too. Nothing is rusted through but I'm sure it will in the future.

My question. What do these high end pro shops do. I figure there is a threshold on how far you go depending on what the build is. Do you go the extra mile and tear the whole cab down panel by panel, remove rust and epoxy everything. Or do you try to spray rust converter where you can and hope for the best.

I figured with all these high end shops doing all these restomod type build that they can't have a build take too long cause they got to move on to the next build.

Is there a faster way to get rid of rust that hasn't rusted through and then how do you seal that area if you can get it removed. Especially in between panels.

I want this done right and I am doing it all by myself. I have never done any sheetmetal body work before now.

What have you all done in the past. Any advice is appreciated.

P.s. this is by build over on another forum if you want to check it out.
https://www.tbssowners.com/threads/t...-build.212106/

[toolboxchev]

I would bet that 95% percent of the restos out there they just spray cavity wax in the A pillars.

A guy I know does "High Dollar" Restos and does nothing to the undersides and cavities. I was talking with him and kept poking for answers and it boils down to money and blasting


If I have my way it is really just the right equipment and time, my own of course.

This gent has roughly 18K into a lowered rig and not even close to getting started on the bodywork and paint. His truck does have all the metal work and suspension stuff done.

No motor work, trans, rear end, nothing. He tells me He wish he had not started on it.

[SkidmoreGarage]

I'm just an amateur, so I have a view from the bottom, and I enjoy a well engineered restoration and have followed some.

I think the method depends on the requirements when the job is complete. If you want it to last 10 years iSouthern n California- you don't have to do anything you can't see through. If you want it to last another 60 years in the UK, you will want to dip the entire thing and then do an oem style zinc coating.

I wouldn't assume that the cost of the job is an indicator of how much rust treatment was performed. Most high end restorations would just buy the nicest starting point, or replace anything rusty with new. It ends up cheaper when you are looking at time.

[bhemingson]

If you want it really well done get it dipped. Redi-Strip is not acid dipping it is alkali. it takes off everything that is not solid metal and comes out rust free. Once your metal work is complete you re-dip it in phosphate and every crevice is coated. It's time consuming and expensive. You wouldn't want to do it on one of our trucks because there is no way to sell your truck for near anywhere what it costs to do. Better to spend $5,000 on a rust free cab and doors to start.

There are rust converters like Rustmort and other phosphate sprays you can shoot into voids that will do an okay job.

[my67c20]

Personally, I try to get into the area and try to mitigate it best I can. That method may be epoxy or a converter type of spray. I am pretty fond of the Eastwood for the converter stuff, but use a good 2K epoxy when I can get to the area. I don't plan on running the thing down the freshly salted roads, but different areas of the country do tend to rust from inside out, so something is better than nothing. As for the high end shops, my guess is they don't do small patches and just do panel replacement, which does expose a large area that can be treated. Plus a replacement panel is easier to prep than a welded patch.

[Cow.kllr]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll be cutting the entire firewall out so I don't think I will have to go much farther to get to the areas I mentioned. The c10 will be an everyday driver in Missouri so I would like to protect it as best I can and fix all I can now. All it takes is time, which I don't seem to have much of these days but I'll get it done.

[chewychevy67]

I just got a quote on having some bodywork done and I was going to remove the cowl and he told me not to and he would just do cavity wax in there and between the roof panels. It looks really solid from the outside. I have never heard of that before. My build I'd like to think is a higher end build. Is it good stuff to use or is it blowing smoke and I should remove it?

[tutone]

I see you are from the next state over. The absolute best money to spend on rust repair is simply buy a California/ Arizona, dry desert truck to start with. But since that is not always possible, buy the best you can. High humidity levels like we get play havoc on these vehicles. I have found that if you drive in good weather, then parking them in a climate controlled garage keeps them from getting worse. High end body shops usually dip or blast to keep owners from coming back on them a couple of years down the road with new found rust pockets. I just try to cut out all of it and since patch panels are cheap, put them in. I undercoat everything that I can reach as far as inner hidden panels. Dont forget to plug the holes you drill. People drove these things and never checked the door drains, plus Chevy built them to last a little longer than it took to pay them off. It really surprizes me that there are still this many 67-72s on the road.

[Ironangel]

Phosphoric acid is the "active ingredient" in most all "rust converters"...I bought a gallon of the stuff at The Home Depot years ago along with an inexpensive plastic 1-gallon sprayer. Spray the rusted areas with the Phosphoric Acid solution and allow it to dry. The rusted areas should turn into a hard black crusty surface compound. Hence the term "converter" as the rust, (iron oxide) absorbs the phosphorus from the solution to create an inert compound known as "iron phosphate"...Pink Navel Jelly is glorified phosphoric acid in a pretty pink jelly...Do your research. Epoxy coatings are only good after a converter has been used first otherwise the rusting process will continue underneath the coating. The same is true for powder coatings as well. Unless the rusting (oxidation) process is stopped either chemically (by converting it into an inert compound) or physically (by grinding away completely) the rusting will continue.

[HO455]

The shop I was involved with would encourage folks looking to do a high end project to have the the major parts dipped and then coated to stop and prevent further rust.
My Burban could have used dipping but my budget wouldn't bear the cost. What I did was spray POR-15 into every place I could possibly get to. By drilling some holes I was able to coat the A pillars and the area above the windshield.
There is more information in my repair thread in the link below.

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=698377

[franken]

Originally Posted by Ironangel

Phosphoric acid is the "active ingredient" in most all "rust converters"...I bought a gallon of the stuff at The Home Depot years ago along with an inexpensive plastic 1-gallon sprayer. Spray the rusted areas with the Phosphoric Acid solution and allow it to dry. The rusted areas should turn into a hard black crusty surface compound. Hence the term "converter" as the rust, (iron oxide) absorbs the phosphorus from the solution to create an inert compound known as "iron phosphate"...Pink Navel Jelly is glorified phosphoric acid in a pretty pink jelly...Do your research. Epoxy coatings are only good after a converter has been used first otherwise the rusting process will continue underneath the coating. The same is true for powder coatings as well. Unless the rusting (oxidation) process is stopped either chemically (by converting it into an inert compound) or physically (by grinding away completely) the rusting will continue.

I've been suggesting P-acid from the home store for years but no one responds. That said, unless you soak something in it (or continually spray), it just turns the surface rust black. Sand on it and you'll find the rust underneath.

The same concept is true of all other rust treatments.

Acid dips and the opposite PH I can't spell seep into lap welds and leach out months/years later, or so I read, destroying the paint. If you dip something, then you need to also dip to apply a coating to inhibit rust. Sadly the first dip leaves a residue that not much will stick to, or so I've read.

Waxy undercoatings are similar in will they adhere to a dirty rusty surface?

All bodies are made with lap joints where rust hides regardless of the rust removal method. We all just have to decide where the rust removal ends. Are we going to grind the welds off a seemingly good door to remove the skin and reskin to make sure there's no rust?

On 67-72 GM trucks, the drip rails have seam sealer that cracked over time, allowing water to seap in at the joints. The seam sealer needs to get dug out, the area blasted, and everything possible to treat and seal the A-pillar. What everything possible means is up to the OP. My truck has the same problem, not to mention rotted inner and outers, and cab corners, lol.

[BigBird05]

I am almost seventy, the restoration only has to last for the next ten years.

[toolboxchev]

Originally Posted by franken

I've been suggesting P-acid from the home store for years but no one responds. That said, unless you soak something in it (or continually spray), it just turns the surface rust black. Sand on it and you'll find the rust underneath.

The same concept is true of all other rust treatments.

Acid dips and the opposite PH I can't spell seep into lap welds and leach out months/years later, or so I read, destroying the paint. If you dip something, then you need to also dip to apply a coating to inhibit rust. Sadly the first dip leaves a residue that not much will stick to, or so I've read.

Waxy undercoatings are similar in will they adhere to a dirty rusty surface?

All bodies are made with lap joints where rust hides regardless of the rust removal method. We all just have to decide where the rust removal ends. Are we going to grind the welds off a seemingly good door to remove the skin and reskin to make sure there's no rust?

On 67-72 GM trucks, the drip rails have seam sealer that cracked over time, allowing water to seap in at the joints. The seam sealer needs to get dug out, the area blasted, and everything possible to treat and seal the A-pillar. What everything possible means is up to the OP. My truck has the same problem, not to mention rotted inner and outers, and cab corners, lol.

All this is true, It is a time consuming task depending on the end result in quality.