A few questions about rust

[unvincible]

I got my 55 back, got the new clutch, engine is all nicely sealed up and I put my 31's on there but now I have to start on preserving the body until I leave south Texas. Where do I start looking for serious rust issues and when I do find them, what do I do to keep them from getting any worse? I don't really care what the paint job looks like when I am done, I can deal with primer spots and such until I get to that point, but what kind of treatment do you guys recommend? All the body work I have done over the years has involved straightening out front ends to replace the clip and that usually only involved hydraulic jacks and hammers and pry bars to get everything lined up, I have never welded before (want to learn, but thats down the line) So what I really need is advice as to how to keep things from getting any worse until I can learn to do it myself once I move away from here.

Any tips would be very welcome.

Thanks

P.S. I know most of you are probably rolling your eyes, thinking "you call that rust?" --- I have seen your restore threads and really want to avoid ever winding up having to deal with some of the things you guys have tackled --- It boggles my mind what some of you have done.

 

[unvincible]

Oh and here are a few pics

These did not upload for some reason on my original post

 

[scrapdaddy]

You're right about not having a big rust issue, but if you start poking around and looking hard, it will pop up. The guys, that really know something about it, will jump in and get you going. I highly recommend, getting a small mig welder and start playing. You will use it. You have a great vehicle to start with. Have fun with it.

Good luck, Ron

 

[RHINO]

naval jelly or other similar neutralizing product is a good start if you want to stop or slow it down till you can some real repair work. wire wheel is good to clean an area for prep and paint also.

 

[unvincible]

Is there a certain type of mig welder I should get? I have the perfect playground for it --- the body and frame on my 60 looks like swiss cheese and I have nothing to lose if I make mistakes.

So with the naval jelly, do I just sand down the spots and apply, then primer?

 

[scrapdaddy]

As far as the mig goes, any name brand is good. I have a Miller 255, but it's overkill for sheet metal work. A smaller unit will handle alot of home projects. Buy a name brand one, no HF types, unless you want to buy two. Just my 2 cents.

 

[chevurai]

I agree with scrapdaddy, any name brand. A 120V unit will handle anything you will need to do on the 55. I recomend getting one with a gas solenoid valve and run CO2 gas. There are better mixes but Co2 does a good job, its cheap and a tank lasts a long time (it's got liquid CO2 in it and not compressed gas many more cubic feet of gas). There are lots of used welders available. Flux core is a little tougher to use and the smoke and scale make it not as clean. Have fun.

 

[Gonzo55]

I've had my Miller for 12 years and she's never let me down

 

[unvincible]

Thanks guys! Actually the welding sounds like fun.