Help with rust around fenders

['Buru in the Burgh]

Since spring started, the rust on the rear driver's side fender has gone into full effect and is now getting unruly. The passenger side is starting to rust in the exact same place and I'm not too sure how to take care of this. Help me out please!

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/08/IMG_2783jpgt1281026343-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/08/IMG_2784jpgt1281026503-1.jpg

[LiCelsior]

only real way is to sand it down and get it repainted..do it quick before it eats through the metal.

['Buru in the Burgh]

I have a bottle of factory paint, is this something I can do on my own? I have all the necessary tools to do anything with cars, my family owns a car repair garage and it's open whenever I want to use it on nights and weekends. Full lift and everything.

[LiCelsior]

yea u can do it urself if u have a paintgun. sand it down, lay some rust inhibitor, little filler, sand it down and spray.

[chuckthefuk]

yea u can do it urself if u have a paintgun. sand it down, lay some rust inhibitor, little filler, sand it down and spray.

Thats a over-simplified way of putting it. :smt012 .

I just did this for Zak's BK but I didn't take any pics.

You can do this with fiberglass matt or welding. Welding is a long term solution.

Tools:
-air compressor / electricity
-die grinder / electric drill
-Filler spreader (flat piece of plastic to apply the filler)
-block sander (plastic block to hold your sandpaper) If you have DA sander or any air sander it will speed things up.
-Mig/Arc Welder or Oxy/Acetaline Torches for Brazing (optional but will be long term)

Materials:
-Scuffpads (Green/Maroon fiber pads)
-Sandpaper (180/240/320grit)
-Fiberglass Filler (Bondoglass)
-Body Filler (Bondo)
-Sandable Primer
-Rust Converter (spray can that turns rust into primer)
-Wire wheel (for the die grinder/electric drill)
-Carbide Burs (for the die grinder/electric drill)
-Painters tape (green/blue/beige whatever)
-Undercoating (small can thats looks like spreadable black tar)
-Spray can of gravel gaurd
-Spray paint (color match at your local auto center)
-Clear coat spray can(from the same place)

Here are the steps:

1) Remove rear bumper, rubber liner on the arch (These things PROMOTE rust get rid of them)
2) Tape off and use paper to mask any area you don't want to damage with metal bits from the grinder.
3) Take a the wire wheel and go nuts on the rust.
4) Take the carbide bur and clean the edges that the wire wheel couldn't get to.
- at this point you should have one of two things. A big hole or the inner skin left with a hole where the outer skin is.
5) Attempt to do the same steps on the inside of the quarter panel.
6) Spray the rust converter on both sides and wait for the clear liquid to turn into sandable black primer.
7) Its either fiberglass or welding. I wont go into this.... you choose you do the research.
8) Grind with the bur / sand with 180 grit after your patch job on #7
9) Apply a thin coat of fiberglass filler (bondoglass) read the instruction and mix the hardner properly or it will dry to quick!
10) Sand with 180 grit till smooth and flush
11) Apply a thin coat of body filler (bondo) same method as fiberglass filler
12) Sand with 180 grit till smooth and flush
13) Spray the patch area with sandable primer
14) Sand with 240 grit till smooth and all the "pitting" goes away
15) Spray primer again
14) Sand with 240 grit then 320 grit till smooth and all the "pitting" goes away
15) Scuff your quarter panel (you decide how much area you want to respray)
16) Clean the area with water (you should really use Reducer but its hard to find at an auto center)
17) Wait until dry and spray your paint / then clear
18) Take the can of Undercoating and put a latex glove on. Stick your fingers in and spread the tar over the exposed areas in your wheel well if there any.
19) Take the can of gravel guard and spray the inside of your qaurter panel where the patch work was done.
20) Reassemble your bumper

Done...

Theres a few things I left out but I am sure you'll figure it out.

-Chuck

[LiCelsior]

lol yea short and simple.

[JunkerXL]

:smt005 im having similar issues on a free geo i received, although to a much greater degree. there is another option that seems to do better than bondo, but its cheaper than a welder (and requires less finesse) on something that size, grind all the rust OFF (off) with a wire wheel, or grinder, and if there is a hole (and looking at that, there may be one) go to the auto body supply shop and get some panel bond. that stuff if brutal, and its harder than body filler. it should come with little fiberglass grids, and if not, get some form the shop, and then place them on the back side of the hole then apply panel bond to the front side of the hole, sort of smooshing it into the grid on the back side, , and if you can, apply some panel bond to the back side too. then spread it evenly with a bondo spreader :!: quickly. :!: it gets real hard real fast. after it dries sand it, as you would filler. it takes more oomph but it's fills in the hole, and doesn't fall out like bondo can. they glue cars together with it, its good stuff. you can lay filler on top of it, after it has cured, to get the shape right if you take too much off. i did that to the rear fender on a 60 something for stepside truck and after i put paint on it, you could not tell it was there. it had like 7 holes in it. when i got done, it had sweet black paint all over it and no holes. i did, also, treat all bare metal with rust inhibitor after i was through grinding all the cancer away, and before i applied the glue of doom, and you'll need to address prevention of rust when you remove paint, especially on the backside where u don't see, or else you're just inviting it back again... may have to get creative to get back there, but its REALLY REALLY worth it, NOT to have to do it again. as far as paint goes, thats a different article for a different day, but theres a million great tutorials online for fixing paint. :smt024 i just wanted to help with rust issues. stop it early, kill it where it sleeps. :smt027

[Huffer]

BTW, remove that silly rubber strip above the wheel along the fender. That's what causes corrosion.

[ZanderJay]

The best way is to refer the matter first to the welding pro to get some ideas to fix it. Upon learning the means, you can do the fixing your own the easiest and cheapest way. Then, paint it into the color of your car.

[STIdarkside]

BTW, remove that silly rubber strip above the wheel along the fender. That's what causes corrosion.
How easy is it to remove the rubber strip around the wheel arch? Are they the main cause of the rust at that location on BE's? Thanks

[chuckthefuk]

Just pull them off.

[Huffer]

BTW, remove that silly rubber strip above the wheel along the fender. That's what causes corrosion.
How easy is it to remove the rubber strip around the wheel arch? Are they the main cause of the rust at that location on BE's? Thanks

Like chuck said:
1. Grab rubber strip
2. Pull
3. Throw rubber strip in trash

[STIdarkside]

BTW, remove that silly rubber strip above the wheel along the fender. That's what causes corrosion.
How easy is it to remove the rubber strip around the wheel arch? Are they the main cause of the rust at that location on BE's? Thanks

Like chuck said:
1. Grab rubber strip
2. Pull
3. Throw rubber strip in trash

Thanks, just curious but why is it that the rubber strip creates such a big issue? Is it holding together the fender liner to the body?

[chuckthefuk]

Sand dirt etc get stuck between the body and the rubber strip. This acts like sandpaper and rubs right down to the metal. Causing rust.

-chuck

[STIdarkside]

Sand dirt etc get stuck between the body and the rubber strip. This acts like sandpaper and rubs right down to the metal. Causing rust.

-chuck

I was thinking that, is there anything one can do to prevent the rear quarter panel from rusting like pictured in this thread, it seems to be very common?

And does the rubber strip hold anything up? Thanks

[chuckthefuk]

REMOVE the rubber strips..
Wash your car.
Get your car rust proofed.

And no it does not hold anything up. Even new subarus don't use this crap anymore.
-chuck

[STIdarkside]

REMOVE the rubber strips..
Wash your car.
Get your car rust proofed.

And no it does not hold anything up. Even new subarus don't use this crap anymore.
-chuck

Haha okay, I got that, just can't believe that these rubber strips can cause such a big issue... thanks for the information.

[JunkerXL]

actually, they DO serve a function, though in norther or mountainous areas it is a moot point. when i had my 17'' wheels on my 93, they kept the fender from shredding my tire, :lol: eventually wore through them, but i was constantly overloading that poor wagon. sure that's not what they were meant for, but i ddnt wanna roll my fender :roll: .

[ScaryFatKidGT]

so I should go pull those strips of my BD? I already have rust way worse than that first pic I'm planning on saving to get a shop to fix it.

How does rust proofing work? Iv heard on older cars that it just ends up making them rust faster.

[chuckthefuk]

They spray oil all over your car. Some drill into your rockers and inject oil to prevent rusting from the inside. This wont help you if you have rust. Fix it first then rust proof. Also logic would lead you to believe that oil on metal prevents oxidation aka rust. And to answer your question, yes go outside and pull them off.
-chuck(tapatalk)

[legacygt420]

I HATE RUST!! i got bored at work and started investigating into the rust. well i ended with two big holes- one in the rear where the bumper meets, and the other is the dog leg in front of the rear tire under the plastic piece. i will take pictures soon. its bad.

[White Wagon]

I gotta say i'm sooo glad i found this thread. I was wondering about that strip so i decided to take it off and take a look. I just got my 03 wagon and really wasn't sure if the previous owner really cleaned up in the wheel wells all that much. To my horror when i pulled those strip clumps of dirt and debris just fell straight to the ground. There was even dirt jammed into the strip itself. I got the hose out and sprayed the hell out of the arches and the amount of garbage that ran out was amazing. Luckiy there was just one little pin sized spot of rust where the strip was so i think i dodged a bullet. I put some rust inhibitor on it so it will be good to go for a while.