[Moph]

So ... I can't drive the Zook until I replace the cracked windscreen, and I don't want to replace the windscreen until I have fixed the rust shown below. I think I have cleaning the dust off under control but could do with suggestions as to how to fix the rust, particularly on the passenger side where it's blowing out...

Haven't pulled the windscreen because I need to move it around the yard until my shed's built, so just planning ahead at this stage.

Cheers

[just_cruizin]

Honestly doesn't look too bad, pop the screen out, clean it up with a wire brush and hit it with some rust converter

[Gwagensteve]

Do you want to fix it properly or quickly? I reckon rust follows the 10% rule- you can only ever see 10% of it. I reckon there's a fair bit of work in that- I'd say there's a fair bit if metal to replace. Once you pull the screen, I think you'll find the pinch weld will be gone for some distance.

Steve.

[Moph]

I don't know Steve ... it's just a toy and it does live undercover these days; that rust happened years ago when it was dailied, and hasn't progressed much if at all since I pumped it full of Penetrol and started garaging it. So I don't want to spend big bucks on it, but I'm also not keen on just bodgying it up. What would be involved in fixing it properly? Basically cutting out the entire surround and TIG'ing a sound one in?

I might need to just shelve the thread until I have the screen out and can get a good view of the inside of the panel.

[tassie jeeper]

Moph wrote:

I don't want to spend big bucks on it, but I'm also not keen on just bodgying it up. What would be involved in fixing it properly? Basically cutting out the entire surround and TIG'ing a sound one in?

thats pretty much it just cut out the rusted section and weld a new piece in.
anytime the rust gets to a point where its bubbling and expanding the surface area the rust penetration will be pretty bad and as steve said u can most likely only see 10% of the damage.

there is goo news however u dont have to tig it u can mig it, bronze it or if ur really keen stick it

i had a friend with an old "austin english" with susted sills it looked like i only had to cut out 2-3 4" pieces and replace them,
after wire wheeling all the surface rust back it was easier to replace the entire sill pannel both sides

however with the design and shape of the austin i was able to weld them quite easily and quickly without much worry of heat distortion as the panels are not seen
working on body panels that are see is a whole other ball game and requires skill (but more importantly patients) i have 1 but not so much of the other lol.
but with 2 new sill panels for 2 case's of beer is a steal and he was very happy

[alien]

Could you try the carlisle tafe method Shandy92 suggested to me for a re-spray??? (ie: get tafe students to do it).

[Moph]

alien wrote:

Could you try the carlisle tafe method Shandy92 suggested to me for a re-spray??? (ie: get tafe students to do it).

A bit too fiddly for that, really. I can imagine them being keen to get hold of a car for a full rub down/respray at a profit, but bitsy work like that ... not worth their while.

[31zook]

Just find someone wrecking a sierra with that bit straight and rust free. Kick your windscreen out from the inside. Remove the dash. Cut out the bad section, 0.6 Mig wire will be spot on for this job. And mig it all back together. I rekon roughly a days work to get it fully welded in, and another day to bog/clean up.

[Moph]

Screen came out today, and I reckon it could be worse ... I think this is salvageable. No delamination, just surface pitting with a reasonable thickness of sound steel behind it still - exception being one full thickness hole in the second picture, near the base of the frame where there is a rolled edge. I'll reckon it'll come good with a good wire brush back to bare steel, bogging of the small hole, priming and painting. Am I dreaming?

I'm not looking for a finish that will withstand years of weathering - the Zook is only driven a couple of times a year these days and spends the rest under full cover. I just need a decent bodge fix that'll keep it from rusting out completely.

[Gwagensteve]

Just say no to bog.

I'd rust convert it all, let that dry, then with a file or burr on a die grinder open the hole up until you are on sound metal, and weld it up. Grind it smooth. You can then bog over the clean metal.

I reckon if you get more aggressive with rust removal you'll find a number of holes. Some of that scale looks pretty bad.

I can't stand bogging over rust. It looks fine for a while, but the rust won't really be stopped and you'll have a massive problem in a couple of years, even just from atmospheric corrosion, not necessarily from rainwater.

Just my 2C.

[Moph]

Cheers Steve.

I'd love to say that I'd go all out and fix it properly by welding in another surround, but the reality is that it just won't ever happen. I don't have the skills, desire or inclination to do it and it'd cost a bomb to get it done by someone else. The rust hasn't progressed much since it's been undercover the last couple of years - most of it developed when I was daily driving it back in Adelaide. I have hit it with Septone Rust Converter and an anti-rust product previously, and it seemed to slow it. Hopefully rust converting it all in behind the seal will slow it even further.

[just_cruizin]

Just like I said hey

[vit1990]

Looks pretty horrible and you haven't even taken the paint back yet.

[hooki]

Give it a really good going over with a wire wheel on an angle grinder (wire brush won't take enough off). Then as the other's have said just rust converter, little bog, prime and paint. It's not the most ideal way of doing it but it will probably last another 3 years with out re-appearing if it's parked under cover.

[Moph]

Came across this thread looking for something else and realised I never updated it.

I ended up attacking the rust with a wire wheel on the die grinder, used Septone Rust Converter on what remained, then applied a smidge of bog to smoothe out the surface. Hit it with Killrust Etch Primer followed by a few coats of Killrust White Epoxy Gloss Enamel (which is a close enough is good enough match to the original colour), then had the windscreen bloke fit the widest seal strip he had in his van to give a bit of additional protection against moisture ingress.

That was over two years ago now and it's still looking good, so it's served my purpose. Wouldn't recommend it for daily drivers but for an always garaged toy, it's done the trick.

The wide windscreen seal does look a bit bug-eyed though, I will admit

[Gwagensteve]

I actually think it's the mask on the windscreen that's making it look odd. Leaf Sierra screens didn't have a mask factory- I thought only the coil screens had one as they are bonded

[Moph]

Interesting - wasn't aware of that. The previous windscreen had a mask too and was supplied by Instant Windscreens in Adelaide. This one was fitted by O'Brien Windscreens and looks similar. Sure it isn't just a hardtop quirk?

The slightly odd look doesn't fuss me anyway. So long as it keeps the rust at bay and the windscreen in, I'm a happy chappy. I have a TIG too these days so can look at welding a new piece in if it rusts out in future.

[Gwagensteve]

No. Neither. It was definitely a coil thing, but I thought they were a different size.

Definitely no mask factory.

[greenzook89]

Gwagensteve wrote:

I thought they were a different size.

Can confirm Coily Screens are a different size.

[Dan`]

nice job. cant even tell you have used spraypack thats not even matched lucky enough that it was rusting from the outside in. most rust comes from dirt etc inside panels staying wet for days/weeks and rusting from the inside out. thats the ones that make it look small on the outside but once you start cleaning it up it turns into a monster.