We see red - fighting the rust
Written by am
Rust - our new best enemy caused us a lot of headache and sleepless nights, but we met the challenge.
While inspecting the automobile for purchase, some corrosion had been evident, but we classified them as nothing unusual for a more than 30 years old car. At this time we couldn't know that it was only the tip of the iceberg, and that during the course of the restoration we would discover more spots where corrosion had raged.
Searching, seek and destroy
Nasty surprises were awaiting us when removing the interior linings, floor coverings and the wooden floor plate. In addition to the foot area of the driver and co-driver, it was mainly the body extension manufactured by the company "Binz", which was heavily damaged by corrosion. The wheel arches, window bars (especially of the windshield) and door frames were also affected by rust. The outside looked a bit better, though we discovered plenty of rust bubbles and damage to the paintwork where the rust had started to spread.
The rust had raged.The first action in the fight against the rust was sanding, sanding, sanding. Second, we treated the affected parts with a liquid rust converter. Whether on, below, behind, or besides the car - every position was taken to not miss any corroded spot. In most cases, however, the rust was anyway visible with the naked eye.
New metal sheets
After countless applications of a rust converter (we used "Fertan"), we had to face the music and admit that the damage to the bodywork was partly so heavy, that only cutting out the affected areas would be a reasonable and sustainable solution. In preparation for the tinsmith, we had generously knocked off all rust impacted areas to facilitate the welding work.
New sheets were welded in at the foot area of the driver's and co-driver's seats and at the wheel arches. In addition, the window bar of the windshield was renewed. At this occasion also the glass pane of the windshield was replaced, since it got damaged by a stone chip.
Prevention of new corrosion
We injected "Mike Sanders grease" for corrosion protection into the sills and other voids of the G. We are well aware that with a 30-year-old vehicle, the fight against corrosion is a battle against windmills. True to the motto “Nip it in the bud” we always have a small glass of rust converter on board. As soon as we discover a rusty spot, we treat it.
