[351FastBack]

Before I bought my mustang, I looked at a lot of different cars and all the originals had some form of rust on them. Under the wheel well, on corners of the back window. Every one had some form of it on them.

I know rust can be cancerous, but what do I need to look out for, how can I stop it from becoming a problem, and, how much should I really worry about a little rust?

 

[lunchmeat5000]

On these cars...plenty. Leaky cowls,rotted floors, torque boxes, frame rails, that place under the upper control arm on the shock tower, corners of the winshield and rear glass, of the doors, trunk dropoffs, lower 1/4 panels, wheel wells, radiator support and fender aprons(rotten due to battery acid), bottom corner of the front fenders. That's what has been/needs replacing on mine. Do yourself a favor and try to find a desert car. Surface rust can be sanded off, pinholes are bad.

 

[WHICKERSON2003]

Its really not rust it's added character & rust free really means "no charge"

 

[EverRude]

I paid atleast $2000 more for my 70 Sportsroof than I should have specifically because it was all original with no rust. Also like the fact that being all original from the original owner I had an unmolested car to start with. The factory manuals actually apply to my car. Noone had gone and added a stereo or tach or a myriad of other things that might have caused them to hack the wiring.

No rust and all original were worth alot to me. In fact I have her nearly torn down for restoration now. I found to small pinholes where the driver side taillight bezel attaches to the body. No other holes and nearly no surface rust anywhere at this point. Even the floorpans are the pretty green the exterior once was.

As to your questions. I've heard it said you should take the rust you can see and triple it for a better idea of how rusted it really is. Surface rust is easily treated. Small sections are easily patched. But things like the cowl, torque boxes, frame rails, and floorpans add alot to the cost of the car. Especially if your having a shop do the work. If your welding in new panels yourself it's way cheaper but far more time consuming.

How much should you worry about "a little rust?" That depends on where it is. Floors? No problem. Cowl? Bigger problem. Floor is easy to acecss and repair. Cowl isn't. Trouble is alot of floors are rusted because the cowl is rusted through and leaking onto the floors.

You've already got the car so remove the rust you can see and repaint the area for a temporary fix. Keep the car as dry as you can manage and keep it clean. Dry and clean will extend the life of any currently rusting metal you can't see for a bit but it'll have to be fixed someday. The humidity in the air is still enough to rust any exposed bare metal. Never park it in grass for any extended time and avoid parking under trees. If you have a garage keep it there. The car has drains for the cowl area that get clogged. There are drain holes in the rockers and in the trunk side holes. Keep them clean as well. Dirt and debris that clog these areas cause water to set up and eventually cause rust on even painted and treated places.

I've seen plenty of rusted out cars running the roads with some proud drivers at the wheel. I have to agree they had character. But dang I wish they could be restored instead of rotting.

 

[351FastBack]

Thanks for the info. I have seen some pinholes under the wheel well. Other than that I think it is mostly surface rust. A better inspection will tell.

They added new floors to the car and I've checked under the carpet just to make sure, but they look fine.

I live in Houston so the humidity might be a problem. Will a car cover work at keeping it dry despite the humidity?

My garage is full of storage so I won't be able to use that for now, although we do have a carport.

Will a car cover and carport count as added protection?

 

[engelhornc]

The carport keeps it out of the rain, but the cover won't help with humidity. Keep it off the grass or dirt, and if your carport floor has a vapor barrier that will help a teeny bit.

I'm in Colorado and it seem like it can even rain on exposed metal and not rust - so humidity is a HUGE factor.

I've heard of people throwing dessicant bags in the trunk, the cabin floor, and the engine compartment to absorb the extra moisture.

Relax, don't worry, and have a homebrew... oh wait, wrong hobby...

 

[68RCodeConv]

Houston is very bad for outside storage of cars because of the humidity, heat and rain. They deteriorate quickly even if just sitting. I'm not a big fan of car covers because when they get wet they can damage the paint if left on in the sun. Some are advertised to "breathe" and allow the moisture to escape but you are not going to stop the moisture from getting through. Also wet car covers are a pain to deal with.

There's really not much you can do about it. If a car is constantly damp it is going to rust in the seams.

One thing you can do is remove the door panels and rustproof the bottoms of the doors as good as possible. Remove all the dirt, spray in a liquid rust killer and then coat with a good paint (like Rustoleum).

Not to mention how quickly paint fades in the sun.

My brother's rust free 67 fastback (from California) sat outside for about 18 months. In that period of time rust started popping out at the bottoms of the doors and the cowl started leaking. Other problem areas are the trunk lip, trunk dropoffs and around the rear wheel arches. All of this is what I call typical Texas rust. And once the cowl goes the floorpans go next. This is probably why your car has new floorpans.

I would garage the car if at all possible.

I would love to see your car. What part of town do you live in?

 

[tburch]

I agree with John. I'm in Katy, and you are better off not putting a car cover on it. When I lived in northern California, a car cover worked well. Not here. If you are driving it on a regular basis, no worries at all.

My car, an arizona car, had very little rust visible. However, there was quite a bit of rust that I could not see: under the headliner, in the front glass moulding at the top middle, both lower corners of the front and rear glass, and behind the brake pedal on the firewall, front driver floorboard. My battery side inner fender was toast too. Pin holes in the trunk drop-downs.

I POR15'ed the underside of the car to kick rust's hiney, along with the front frame rails, firewall, shock towers, et al. The interior will get it next.

http://www.burchwoodusa.com/miscpix/Mustang/por15_underbelly.jpg

Todd

 

[Candoo]

I paid extra for a clean basically rust free car. I grew up in autobody and between cost and time I dont see the point of performing that work unless the unit is rare. I have great respect for those of you that took on a rusty one. I just have had enough of that work in my life. JMHO.