Dealing with Bubbled Paint - Rot :(

[Kirden]

Ok, so I have one year to figure out what I'm going to do with the B210. Either yard art or get the damn thing on the road so it can make the 500 mile trip to my new home next August. Engine wise I have a decent plan of attack, but since I'm moving somewhere with yearly snow, I would like to take care of the rusty odds and ends. Excuse the shitty drunk cell phone photo, but this is what I'm dealing with:

 

 

There are 5-6 spots like the door and rear wheel well all around the car. I'm wondering what the best plan of attack will be. Do I just sand it and hit it with some epoxy primer? This will never be a show car and I don't plan on some massive paint job, but eventually I am thinking I want to plasti-dip it. Please share pics and stories as well as tips to prep it for snowy/salted roads.

 

Edit: Well, I've been informed this is not just a little problem, Looks like it's rot. 

[Dantheman]

Likely it's rust. Take a door panel off and peek inside. If you don't want to get too involved, I would probably just ignore it all together. Cool car by the way.

[thisismatt]

That's rot, through-rust from the inside, holes.  You can't just sand it off...

[Kirden]

That's why I need suggestions, trying to have it ready before I move. I have no idea when it comes to body work.

[Z-train]

That's rot, through-rust from the inside, holes.  You can't just sand it off...

The above.Cut it out ,weld in new metal.No other way

[Kirden]

Well shit. Guess I need to either figure out how to do it or sell it off. No need in taking decent datsun to snow and salt if I can't get it fixed. Kinda sad cause everything else (besides the hood) is in great shape for almost 40 years old. Doesn't even have rust under the seals.

[Dantheman]

Z-train said all. Do correctly or not at all. Sad but true

[Nicholas7620]

Wire wheel brush the rust to see what you have.  Undercoat the entire body with an asphalt adhesive.  Seal the metal body to keep oxygen, water and salt off the metal.  You can use these Marine grade expoxies to further seal metal.

 

http://www.tapplastics.com/product/fiberglass/epoxy_resins/tap_marine_grade_epoxy_system/27

[Kirden]

Wow, thanks for the tip on that epoxy. I have heard a lot of people mention sealing cars when painting, but never really understood what products are considered sealer. I always assumed it was a primer, but then I saw people mention priming, then sealing and got lost again.

[Z-train]

Wire wheel brush the rust to see what you have.  Undercoat the entire body with an asphalt adhesive.  Seal the metal body to keep oxygen, water and salt off the metal.  You can use these Marine grade expoxies to further seal metal.

 

http://www.tapplastics.com/product/fiberglass/epoxy_resins/tap_marine_grade_epoxy_system/27

This will not work. Refer to my above post.

[Kirden]

I thought he meant sealing it after welding in a new patch. I might have misunderstood. From what I have seen on here I should do the following, please correct me if I'm wrong:

 

Wire wheel the area to see how much metal needs to be removed.

Cut out bad area.

Weld in a patch by making multiple spot welds and letting the metal cool to prevent warping.

Grind welds flat.

 

 

Now, what gauge metal do I use for the patch? Also, would that epoxy seal the area so that is wouldn't rust out again?

[Z-train]

The doors are two layers of metal.The outer "skin" and the inner panel.THis is where the issues start-between the layers.To correct the situation all rust/rot must be cut out and replaced.

[nismosilvia]

It's not as simple as cut, weld, now your cars fixed. Doing a good patch takes practice. I would find something to do that before you do something you will regret.

[Ratwagon1600]

Annnnnndddddddd..............

 

From one of RW's favorite Aussie stores, a handy little video and picture tutorial.

 

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/how-to/Paint-Body-Repair/Rust-Repair.aspx?id=125

 

 

As others have alluded to, rust repair is an all or nothing approach.

[tr8er]

new door if you can find one.  Then look inside the rear quarter to see how extensive that rust patch is.  You will want to cut once so you have 1 solid template to make your patch panel from.  I'd consider cutting a straight line right below the bend in the metal (bend will hold the shape of the panel).  The bottom seam will be the tough part to separate.  And it may be too rusty to salvage the frame behind the panel.  If so, remove both, repair the backing frame metal, then work the new skin patch panel.  Do not weld galvanized metal.  Tack weld the panel in place before trying to lay down a bead.  Then do short beads evenly spaced with several inches between beads to allow the metal to soak the heat evenly.  The back of the weld will be a prime location for rust to begin, so prime/galvanize this immediately after all welding is done.  They sell a rust preventative spray for spraying into those hard to reach places, it's like a sticky oil spray.  Nasty stuff that I am not sure works, but I'd so something to try to protect that fresh new metal in that seam at the base from the inside.  The outside: grind the weld smooth.  Then paint.  (Cuz the panels line up perfectly, and there is no need to feather the seams or anything because you are amazing)  Or Epoxy primer, light filler on seam to feather, sand, epoxy prime again (confirm compatibility of filler and primer), sand, high build primer, block, prime, block, prime, paint.

 

Spend more time getting the patch panel just right than you want.  This will make everything work much easier.  

 

Or sell the car.  

[Kirden]

Selling it isn't an option as far as this one is concerned. It'll either be fixed to drive around TN, or I'll get it running for my son to have a beater for his first car down here in GA. Sold the 620 and regret it, especially since it's most likely in the scrap yard now (sold it for less than scrap value and the new owner wrecked it).

 

That being said I thank everyone for the advice. I have contacted Wray Schelin of Pro Shaper Sheet Metal LLC to schedule a solo session next spring which should give me the experience I need while learning to work on my own vehicle (you can bring your own project). The cost is not too bad, considering places around here charge $1-2K to do all of this work correctly and seal it. I've also been looking through a lot of threads on body work to get an idea of what I'm in for. So now the goal is to have this car reliable enough to make it to Stafford Springs, CT by April of 2015 so that Wray can teach me how to shape metal and repair this correctly.