Thread: Rust!! Medical intervention!!

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Hey peeps, how do you contend with localized body rot? I'm speaking of the put-your-finger-thru variety. This is on the right rear corner of a Suburban "86" and continues to the nearest window corner.

I think this is where the rear A/C suction/liquid lines route and they cause excess moisture here.

I want to completely revamp this vehicle. Blueprint the engine, turbocharge it, convert to electronic fuel injection, leather the upholstery, etc, etc. But if I can't solve this rot spot I will have to put this noble steed down. <shudder>

Originally posted by kcress
Hey peeps, how do you contend with localized body rot? I'm speaking of the put-your-finger-thru variety. This is on the right rear corner of a Suburban "86" and continues to the nearest window corner.

I think this is where the rear A/C suction/liquid lines route and they cause excess moisture here.

I want to completely revamp this vehicle. Blueprint the engine, turbocharge it, convert to electronic fuel injection, leather the upholstery, etc, etc. But if I can't solve this rot spot I will have to put this noble steed down. <shudder>

Cut out the rust. Weld in new panels when available, make your own when they're not. Undercoat the back of the repair. Fill (if ness.) prime and paint the panel.

That's the shortened readers digest version.

Be sure to cut away all rust around the panel to be repaired. Also make sure you use the same thickness metal. Too thin will get damaged easier and too thick will add more stress on the newly welded joint.

pro, bronco, I have included a pic here. Looking at the complex topology here... Do you think I need to hunt this section down on another sub and cut it out?

Originally posted by kcress
pro, bronco, I have included a pic here. Looking at the complex topology here... Do you think I need to hunt this section down on another sub and cut it out?

I would take the glass out (Looks like the rust is under the window gaskets). Remove ANY suspect metal and weld in new. I would take the panel out of an old body. More than likely it's has or will have the same problem. Don't know if they make patch panels for that area or not. I'm sure somebody will be by soon that will know. '86 should still be available from the dealer I think ???

Suburbans from '73 to '91 are the biggest rust buckets on the face of the earth. Look inside the wheelhouses, the lower door sections, rockers, around all the windows (windshield and quarter panels) and floor pans (pull the carpet).

A friend of mine had an '84 and there wasn't one panel that had not rotted thru.

If your roof has rust holes, I'd better there is more serious issues. You might want to try and find one in a dry area like Arizona, New Mexico or Texas.

I personally think if you did the rust proof yourself, then not only will you save money, but will do a better job as well. I have seen the way dealerships undercoat cars and trucks. What a joke! I have been undercoating mine and the family cars since 1986. My 88 T Bird is coated from front to rear bumper. Thick! Never had the coating peel off, or rust. And the moving parts are not coated(neither are the bolts). If anyone is a fan of the 88 T Bird turbo, then let me know. Would love the talk and exchange ideas about restoring them.

Originally posted by Swifster
Suburbans from '73 to '91 are the biggest rust buckets on the face of the earth. Look inside the wheelhouses, the lower door sections, rockers, around all the windows (windshield and quarter panels) and floor pans (pull the carpet).

A friend of mine had an '84 and there wasn't one panel that had not rotted thru.

If your roof has rust holes, I'd better there is more serious issues. You might want to try and find one in a dry area like Arizona, New Mexico or Texas.

I see some '92s and newer rotting away too, around here. I have a '92 Chebbie p/u. The first thing I did when I bought it B 4 it even got dirty for the first time was take it to an undercoating shop. Local dealership didn't offer it back then. I have no rust through yet. Keep the fingers crossed. Maybe the undercoating trick is paying off???

I'm new here....but I've been doing hot rods for over 40 years..... so I'm going to ask a stupid question....Why on earth would you throw that kind of money at an 86 suburban? If you want to do all of those mods buy another truck with no rust from the "dry" part of the country you will have a much nicer truck when you're done plus it will by a lot cheaper.

Would you leave your beloved wife if she had cancer? NO! So why part with the car or truck you love, because of rust? Ok, I know this is not the same, but you get the point. I spent over six grand on my 88 T Bird Turbo, just in new parts. Why? Because I love the 88's, and because it is my baby. No amount of rust will make me dump it. Don't look at your rust bucket as it is...look at it as it could be!

Fixed a rust bucket once...never again. These are not expense when they are rust free. I've learned my lesson and will spend a little more to save a lot later. On a Suburban of that vintage, you'd have to buy every stamping and build a new body from scratch to eliminate rust. Just get a good one and save the headache.

Originally posted by TurboRunner
Would you leave your beloved wife if she had cancer? NO! So why part with the car or truck you love, because of rust? Ok, I know this is not the same, but you get the point. I spent over six grand on my 88 T Bird Turbo, just in new parts. Why? Because I love the 88's, and because it is my baby. No amount of rust will make me dump it. Don't look at your rust bucket as it is...look at it as it could be!

Be sure to check under the truck too. Those models were known for rotting supports (frame to body). I had a chevy truck that looked great from the outside. New fenders, doors, Paint, etc. But from the underside it had serious structural problems. Got well over 250,000 miles out of it but, allas it finally died of rust.

Thanks for the info. But believe me, I covered every inch of the car, trunk-eng compartment-wheel wells-under the glass (which I replaced), everywhere. My cousin showed me a 69 charger. Sat in a guy's yard for years. Was rusted to death. I could have had the car for $50. I passed. My cousin took it. Anyway, between my cousin and uncle, that car now looks show room perfect. This was 10 years ago, and the car never rusted again (besides a very small amount near the rear tires). All vehicles will rust. You just have to keep on it. Ask yourself..is it worth it? Do you have a vision like my cousin did? If you love that car or truck, then the rust will be no match for your determination! Of course if I was like Mr. Microsoft, I could buy a new car every time I saw some rust! Good luck all!!

Well we certainly have the opposing camps ... Don't we.

Thanks pro70 I'll pull the glass and give it a shot. Nuttin to lose.

Swifster: It has a little other rust on the tailgate by one hinge.
But I have crawled under it many times, (replaced two ring gears and three starters) and have never seen other rust. I'm in CA no where near salted roads. There is no under rust. Under coating wouldn't have helped this patch of rust.... Wish I'd known about the A/C pipe-corner-rust deally. I would've torn the liner out and cold galvanized the whole area.

Bob, Bob, Bob... I guess I am a sentimental fool but this vehicle has taken me to hell and back again. Fully loaded wash board at 60MPH for days, back and forth across Nevada, thru Oregan deserts, (yes they have serious deserts there!). Off roading in Utah overloaded, river fording. CA to D.C. and back via Canada. It never fails me. We hit an 8 inch step in a dirt road in Death Valley at 62MPH everyone was pinned to the ceiling. It never phased the beast. It is easy to maintain, repair, and gets frikken 20MPG!! Goes 800 miles on a tank of fuel, three times farther than any human bladder. This one is massively built form the factory. The front sway bar is 3/8" in diameter bigger than normal, (don't know why). The rear brakes have 186,000 miles on them, I inspected them last month, they are two thirds worn. The rear axle is far larger than the one in my 85 Ford 1 Ton.

I just can't imagine a 92 Sub with it's A frame front suspension holding up anywhere near as well to what I subject this thing to.

Anyway I have been looking for a replacement 3/4 ton diesel sub since this rot showed up two years ago. It's hard when you can't find a single one in the entire US.

Also this era vehicle, in diesel, I can do anything I want to to it without the DMV having a cow.

I could by a newer one. I have test driven them and almost done it, but then I think of the chance to have my son
help tear down and rebuild, amp out the engine, and go thru the tranny with me. That won't happen if I buy a newer one.
Though that would be easier I agee.

THAT is why I want to fix the leetle patch O ^%(^%^$##@@(%)$() rust.

Thank you TurboRunner for your continuing moral support.

HAHAHAHAhahahaha!

Utah