Just got a 93 Legacy 25th Anniversary sedan and rust-thru is starting at the usual spots, wheel wells at front fender & quarter panel. I was thinking use my air tools, angle grinder, and Dremel to wire brush, grind, or cut away all rusty metal, treat with something like http://www.por15.com/, then Bondo. What is "The Right Way" to fix?

 

Are replacement fenders and quarter panels available at cost appropriate for a car with 200K miles, or does someone make wheel well sections that can be welded in place of the damaged areas?

 

What treatment for underbody components like suspension parts, besides disassemble/ wire brush/ prime & repaint/reassemble? I was thinking of an oil that's sprayed on periodically, isnt there a special oil for this purpose? I would expect paint on rusty metal to be worse than useless.

 

BTW I think I saw the inside of the front fender packed with leaves and gunk behind the rust out area. I would recommend to everyone that they clean this area out, the crud acts like a sponge that'll hold moisture in contact with metal. Spray wax wouldnt hurt.

If you have 200k on it, I wouldn't invest a lot of time or money on it. But the "right" way of fixing rust is to cut it out and weld in new metal. Replacement fenders are relatively inexpensive compared to labor time and costs. My .02

Just got a 93 Legacy 25th Anniversary sedan and rust-thru is starting at the usual spots, wheel wells at front fender & quarter panel. I was thinking use my air tools, angle grinder, and Dremel to wire brush, grind, or cut away all rusty metal, treat with something like http://www.por15.com/, then Bondo. What is "The Right Way" to fix?

 

Are replacement fenders and quarter panels available at cost appropriate for a car with 200K miles, or does someone make wheel well sections that can be welded in place of the damaged areas?

 

What treatment for underbody components like suspension parts, besides disassemble/ wire brush/ prime & repaint/reassemble? I was thinking of an oil that's sprayed on periodically, isnt there a special oil for this purpose? I would expect paint on rusty metal to be worse than useless.

 

BTW I think I saw the inside of the front fender packed with leaves and gunk behind the rust out area. I would recommend to everyone that they clean this area out, the crud acts like a sponge that'll hold moisture in contact with metal. Spray wax wouldnt hurt.

 

Sounds like the exact same problem I am having with my own '93. Whaddya expect? The car is 12 years old.

 

Anyway, I am planning to scout the local junkyar...er, automotive recyclers this spring for replacement panels. Some rustout is also occuring on the right rear quarter around the fuel fill (thanks to an improperly done "professional" body repair about 5 years ago .

 

Someone on another thread mentioned the use of used engine oil as a body-seam sealant and preservative. Might be just the ticket to prevent further internal rustout AND seal out the road crud. Anyone else have experience with this? I am inclined to smear some Rust-Oleum or other such on the frame rails as some added insurance against further deterioration.

 

Keep us posted and I will try to do the same here. Nice to know I am not alone.

To fix it right, weld in a repair or replace the entire affected area. Then prime with a rust preventative primer, such as the stuff POR15 has to offer. (I had a rusty Volvo that POR15 did wonders on.)

 

However, to stop rust and keep it from getting worse or to prevent it all together, I would use par-al-ketone thinned out with a bit of mineral spirits and then sprayed with a trigger bottle directly onto the affected areas. Also, using this stuff as an anti-corrosion coating for those not visible areas on your car, is an excellent preventative measure. My friend and I used this on his old Ford Bronco's problem areas (frame and inner fenders) five years ago and still there is no rust.

 

Here's where you can get it:

 

http://www.aircraft-spruce.com/catalog/appages/paralketone.php

 

I hope this helps and good luck.