Posted by Lars BendOr e12z.... on June 20, 2002 at 15:53:54 from 198.36.168.149
In Reply to: AAAAAAAckkkk....i found cancer on my e12!!!!!! posted by Curt Bachmann on June 20, 2002 at 15:02:38:
If you're not ready to do $$$ repairs right now, wire wheel brush all the rust you can off the inside and outside of the spare tire well. If it's intact enough to hold the tire,,, in other words just a couple of very small holes through metal,,, Go buy some "boiled linseed oil" and a throwaway paint brush and liberally coat the exposed metal with the linseed oil.. Dries hard as steel, and keeps the oxygen away from the metal, halting the oxidation/erosion process. You could do the same on the door, if you are taking about areas not visible. This is a dirt cheap, temporary fix for holding the rust at bay. On the door, I would suggest that you start putting out feelers for a replacement door. A good rust-free door shouldn't cost more than $25-50 from a pick-n-pull.
Then, before you spend a dime on rust repair, do an exhaustive search .... wheel well arches all around, poke at the bottoms of doors and rockers with an ice pick (not gingerly-- if it's going to go through it will be because of rust, which is what you are trying to find out), front shock towers, bottom front arches of rear wheel wells.
If you do not find any more rust, for sure, then replace the door and have a spare tire well welded in, by someone who really know how to do it right. Most routine welds will simple foment more rust. Secret to rust repair is to get it "ALL", have replacement panels welded in right. Prep and seal, and then prep and seal again... Oh Heck... do it one more time.
Now, my secret... I don't repair cars with rust... too many rust-free $300 bodies available.