Hello all,

Can anyone provide me the best way to remove slight surface rust from the trunk pan and redoing the splatter finish? If someone could recommend what they feel is the best process, tools to use and products - it would help me out a great deal.

Also, what would be the best products to refinish and protect the interior floors pans and undercarriage?

I am hopeful that the products recommended are available in the Toronto area.

Thanks a bunch.
Shem

I was just reading a book on restoration and the author suggested this stuff called Rusteco. Its supposed to reverse the oxidation process as well as seal the metal temporarily from rust starting to build again before you paint. Seems like a cool product because its not toxic. Anyways, I am pretty new to all this and have not tried it, so I am not certain how good it is...but I figured I would throw it out there.

David

"slight" surface rust...depends if we talk the same language...but if its a slight , surface rust you can sand it or grind it off w a drill attachment w paint removal disc or sandblast it just get to bare metal w/o rust...if you have more rust you can after this use some 'rust converter', but I always feel better having the 'whole cancer' removed!
then after its gonme you can paint it just like the factory did OR you can go w POR-15 OR if you want to make sure, get the stuff they put in as bed liners in trucks ,"Rhino" but it wont be 'original', ...
If rust is all gone original spattter paint should do the trick..
Bjorn

NOTHING I have tried cleans irregular rusty surfaces like my Mikita 4.5 inch angle grinder and a round wire brush attachment. It even worked great cleaning up my brake and fuel lines (except keep them fingers out of the way - it takes surface skin off really fast, too )

For flat surfaces, I put on a special 3M Scotchgard pad I got from Eastwood.

BigChief, all the advise sounds good on the rust repair. When you are ready to paint go to the GM dealer. I always buy their spatter paint. It was still available last year when I last ordered a case. Spatter paint is water based and will get messed up if the trunk gets wet for any reason. You can get a clear coat for spatter paint that will protect it. I recomend you use it, I learned the hard way on that one.

Firebird

Muriatic acid in a 50 percent solution of water. Makes no sense to grind away good metal, does it? Acid will convert all rust and etch. Clean with soap and water and immediately coat with zinc chromate primer after rinse has dried.

If you have doubts..try 50/50 in a coffee cup and immerse the most rusted bolt or small metal piece you have..wait 2-3 minutes..then remove. The good metal is left intact.

I was going to go at it this winter on the underneath. I was planning to wire brush off as much as possible and use some of that rust reverser stuff prior to paint. Anybody have any helpful hints? Does the film left from the rust reverser stuff stick well or is it better to paint on bare metal? With heavy rust, the surface is usually too rough to be able to get all the rust with brushing/sanding so I was thinking the rust reverser stuff was the way to go. Any chance the stuff will cause long term damage like slowly eat away the metal? It must have some pretty rough chemicals in it to react with the rust.

I'm not sure what the consensis is but I've had pretty good luck with navel jelly. Thick enough that it applies upside down without dripping. The only problem I have with it is after you brush it on and it sets up it tends to leave brush stokes. Maybe some kind of spray on would be better.

Robert

just to add my two cents-and believe it or dont-diet cola is an excellent rust converter. good for cleaning eyeglasses and toilets too. i say diet because the regular stuff leaves sugar behind.
thats what i used in my trunk. wirebrushed what i could, poured a two liter in there, brushed it again the next day, (all the rust turned to black iron) poured on some metal prep after using a shop vac, and painted. paint still looks good after 6 years.
the diet cola treatment is an old family secret discovered on accident, i'm told.
thirsty?