Advice needed: Body rust on door

[Red Beard]

This one of the few things on my cruiser that keeps me up at night. There is a huge rust spot that is growing by the day and one near the edge of the door.

I’ve never done body repair and the only quote I got was “don’t bother, just buy a new door”.

Has anyone else had good luck finding replacement doors from sites like car part? I hear the paint won’t ever match so you have to repaint anyway.
Do I try to repair it?

 

[Live to Ski]

The rust you see, in my opinion, is just the tip of the ice-burg. I can almost guarantee that other areas of the rig will show similar in the near future.

I also see that philedelphia uses salt brine on roads during winter. Not a good sign.

With enough $/time, one can chase this never ending issue (frame off), but for us mortals......

I speaketh from having lived 20+ years in salt states (Rhode Island/Vermont).

 

[Red Beard]

The rust you see, in my opinion, is just the tip of the ice-burg. I can almost guarantee that other areas of the rig will show similar in the near future.

I also see that philedelphia uses salt brine on roads during winter. Not a good sign.

With enough $/time, one can chase this never ending issue (frame off), but for us mortals......

I speaketh from having lived 20+ years in salt states (Rhode Island/Vermont).

Oh yeah, there are other spots on the body but not nearly as bad as this. Also I see it every time I get in the car.

 

[jLB]

I hear the paint won’t ever match so you have to repaint anyway.

I don’t know about that. We were lucky enough to find an upper hatch, for my son’s 00 LC, in the same factory color, and I can’t see a difference in color.

 

[2020 Rocks]

You can treat it, patch it, spray it, but it just buys time. The running boards also contribute to rust with junk getting between them and painted body surfaces. You may want to pull the drain plugs on your rockers and spray the inside of them with fluidfilm or woolwax, as well as other places throughout chassis and undercarriage

 

[Kneel]

Yep. POR-15 the outside(down there, the blacks match enough for you not to notice), Fluidfilm/NHOU/Woolwax/or the like the body cavity if yo can get to it. It buy's time.

 

[neoworm]

I hate to see a cruiser die, but unless you want to commit to a full restoration you're just wasting money and time. Drive it, enjoy it, buy another when it gets to bad. Just my $.02

 

[excessive]

if the rest of the truck is rust free, then i agree that a replacement door is the best option. if the rest of the truck is rusty, i would just treat it, and keep driving it until the rust takes over

 

[Red Beard]

I don’t know about that. We were lucky enough to find an upper hatch, for my son’s 00 LC, in the same factory color, and I can’t see a difference in color.

Did you use car-part.com? Did you find something nearby or did you ship it to your house?

 

[jLB]

Did you use car-part.com? Did you find something nearby or did you ship it to your house?

I used cruiseryard, and picked it up (~3 hours away)