Rust repair

[skipow]

so I have tiny rust bubbles forming under my new paint on both rear quarter panels (above the wheel arch) and I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good rust repair shop in the Lewiston / Auburn area. I've tried bondo, sanding all the rust out, rust treatment, and I cant seem to stop the bubbles forming. I think its time to take it to a professional.

any good rust repair shops? techniques for removing bubbles without serious surgery (cutting out panels and welding new steel in)

 

[GClark]

+1 for needing rust repair.

 

[sooch]

check this out! I think this is a really interesting way to repair rust. it doesn't look showroom-esque but pretty close to it! It doesn't need welding but yea... you need to cut panels and stuff.

ps thanks to taiden for that vid "keep up the good work"

 

[CoupedUpSubie]

Best thing you can do is drop the rear bumper and sand down the affected area and atleast 1" all around it. Prime with a rust treatment paint then do final painting as normal. If you have to remove the undercoating inside the wheel well then a rubber coating. I will get the brand of coating I used as soon as I can.

Any little spot of rust will spread quickly. There are actual rust inhibitors that you can buy.

 

[Matt]

its the design of the rear fender arch and inner panels, its basically two panels that come to one and the dirt/sand/salt and what ever collects on the inside and eats its way out...you never know until you see bubbles....ive been told that theres isn't much we can do about it, you can have it fixed but itll come back eventually. im thinking about having mine fixed, cutting out the old panels but possibly using fiber glass to make the arch....but at the least I spray the inner fender with oil every once in a while.....rust is a losing battle....one us old subie guys may never win

 

[Chris]

Pretty much... Getting rid of the surface rust isn't doing anything. It's making a mess look pretty (pass inspection, etc).

As Matt said, there are two panels there. I had this on my old legacy. I had to take off the rear bumper, and actually cut a huge section of the inner fender well out to get at all of the rust. I searched junk yards for a piece to cut out, but guess what, they are all rusty. So I just used sheet metal. It's an inner fender well, it doesn't need to look good. Welded it in, and I doubt it's causing issues anymore. But to fix this properly, the bumper has to come off, and you have to cut out a surprisingly large amount of metal.

Someone (Dan?) Had to cut out the entire rear quarters on his RS and have new ones welded in...

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

recently checked out a well recommended local body shop. he said he does so many similar repairs on subarus that he has worked out the sheetmetal panels to just cut out the cancerous bits and weld in fresh steel. new panels aren't galvanized but he does prime and undercoat them before paint match work.

not sure if the panels he uses are available on the aftermarket or if he just worked up the templates on his own.

 

[briannaaudrey]

I feel you guys. I have the same rust issues on my legacy too. The worst is right under the fuel door/above the wheel well, paint is bubbly and ready to chip off even. I am not sure if it's worth trying to sand and repaint. My inspection is up next month though and I am a little concerned it won't pass!

 

[Iboc_C64]

Just for you guys information, I don't know if any of you have used it, but for undercoating and wheel wells I have found that Miracle paint works great. I helped my dad with his 96 Dodge Ram 2500 Pickup and it hasn't developed any new rust anywhere and the existing rust stopped its cancerous spread. The big problem with Miracle paint is that it is not UV resistant, which is why it is for underside use only. IIRC it bonds to the rust and neutralizes it. I believe its only available to order online though.

 

[Rallytech14]

This stuff works very well. Don't get any on your skin though haha, wont come off for days. Gas and paint thinner wont even get this off your hands (if its dried thoroughly) http://www.por15.com/

 

[Chris]

I feel you guys. I have the same rust issues on my legacy too. The worst is right under the fuel door/above the wheel well, paint is bubbly and ready to chip off even. I am not sure if it's worth trying to sand and repaint. My inspection is up next month though and I am a little concerned it won't pass!

In terms of passing inspection... Chip the worst flaky bits off, but don't make holes. And just spray it with primer that's similar to the colour of your car. It will look decent, and pass.

No, that's not fixing it. But when you have to pass inspection....

 

[CoupedUpSubie]

In terms of passing inspection... Chip the worst flaky bits off, but don't make holes. And just spray it with primer that's similar to the colour of your car. It will look decent, and pass.

No, that's not fixing it. But when you have to pass inspection....

I second this. If its still solid then no worries. It will take a few more years to eat through if you do something about it.

 

[Matt]

you can have holes in the quarter as long as it doesn't pass into the pass compartment.

 

[Apollyon12]

This stuff works very well. Don't get any on your skin though haha, wont come off for days. Gas and paint thinner wont even get this off your hands (if its dried thoroughly) http://www.por15.com/

I was not happy with the results when I used Por15 on my datsun. I tried a test in the spare tire well, did everything acording to the instructions and still had a couple big sections of the paint peel off easily.

I have found that doing it right (sandblasting to bare metal, cutting out thin bits, welding in new steel, fiberglassing/bondo where needed, prime and painting) is just the only way. If you do it half-assed, you will end up doing it again in a couple years. Of course, I am working towards a different goal than just getting an inspection. I want my car to last another 40 years and be safe and solid.

I am still going to do the same thing on my RS when it comes time to fix the problem areas behind the rear wheels.

 

[skipow]

contemplating having a shop do mine professionally, I've tried fixing the spots twice already and it keeps coming back.