I have noticed a very small blister on my lower rear quarter panel and think that there is rust causing it. It is between the panel and the rear support channel. I was wondering what I can do to stop it now before it gets worse. Thank you.
Stopping it early
- Thread starter red66toy
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If it is original body and right where the channel is it means that the rust is coming from the inside out. Automotive cancer eating it inside out. And where there are signs like blistering you have a big job ahead of you. If you grind off the spot chances are that you are gonna find that a lot more rust is hiding back there and once you get into it like that you have to go all the way and cut it out and weld. You could try just the little spot but my past experience with my body and fender if rip and repair. I did for about 3 years use that spray foam expanding insulation and filled all the channels to help hold the old thing together and slow the rusting, and it did work somewhat but still rip and rebuild was the answer. If you are feeling courageous you could poke through it and see what is going on there and use a rust inhibitor and repaint the spot or just leave it til it becomes something that need more attention. Like when you have to stop on the highway and go back and pick up your tailights cause on the last bump the tub separated from the frame and snapped them off.(not like that happens to me more than once)
I would give it 95% chance of that. But hey maybe you have the mystical original cruiser that didn't rust out. I have heard of such vehicle. No one knows if it is true but some say that one day it shall appear and ...rule the world. Maybe the day is upon us... the chosen has arrived... but I would suspect thereis just more rust back there.
- Thread starter
- #5
Actually this is the first body rust that I have noticed. The whole body seems to be original but I could be wrong. I hope I am not though and I really hope that there really is not much rust back there. Thanks for the help.
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- #6
Ok I went out side and poke it. It didn't go through But I was able to dig into the it a little bit. I was able to get some dark powder out. I am color blind so I couldn't tell if it was rust color but my girlfriend said it was black. what would be black? Is it rust thanks.
Oh yeah, that's rust. If it's not to big an area, slop some rust inhibitor, like ospho on it and fill with bondo. Or take it to a body shop to fill with metal, shouldn't be to expensive.
i had my 60 repainted a year or so ago and on the rear fenders there was some bubbles and so instead of having it repaired the proper way by cutting out the fender and putting in some patch panels i just had them grind out the bubbles and put some rust inhibitor and some bondo 
and i noticed that only after a year the bubbles are coming back so there is really nothing that you can do to stop it unless you put in new metal. rust inhibitor will stop it for a while but it will be back.or you can put fender flares or just cover the back with diamond plate 
just kidding good luck.
and i noticed that only after a year the bubbles are coming back so there is really nothing that you can do to stop it unless you put in new metal. rust inhibitor will stop it for a while but it will be back.or you can put fender flares or just cover the back with diamond plate just kidding good luck.
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- #9
I was digging into the blisters this morning and the rust doesn't seem to be past the couple blisters. I really hope that I am right. I will be checking out the situation more later. I will fill you guys in on the true status of the rust extent later. Thanks.
Unfortunately the rear panel is a double panel. You have an outerskin that goes over the rear support. Once you have rust showing on the outside, there will me more on the inside. Only way to find out is start trimming away the outerskin to see whats inside. :-[
imo that is a hard question to answer because depending on the extent of the rust and how much they have to cut out and then you have to pay for paint and depending on where you are from depends on the shop rate where i am from it is around 35-40 dollars an hour for labor 
the best thing to do is take it to your local body shop and have them do an estimate they are usually free. good luck 
the best thing to do is take it to your local body shop and have them do an estimate they are usually free. good luck Depends on how they intend to fix the problem, get specifics from them. Is that a bondo job or a patch panel? I don't know if a 4x4 shop is going to be your best bet for body work. Check a few body shops for quotes, don't just take their word for it.