Rust under rear seat mounts...

[280z1975]

Ok, a little advice that I haven't been able to find in the search forums.

So I am about to start the cleaning and repair of my floor boards and I want to make sure I get all the rust. There is a good chance there is rust under the rear seat braket mounts.

I would like to avoid taking them off (not even sure how to do this) but instead put a bit bigger hole in them so I can get to all the rust problems with ease.

See attached photo for an idea of what I want to do.

Or is it easier and better to take off the rear brackets?

[hls30.com]

I would wire brush the area clean, then keep the area wet with Ospho, Metal Ready, or any of the other phosphoric acid based rust eaters for atleast half an hour. As they dry they coat the newly cleaned metal with Zink, sealing the metal from flash rust. After rinsing the residue as per the instructions supplied with the chosen rust treatment, I would use POR 15 and the reinforcement cloth to seal and reinforce the area-assuming you have no major voids after the rust removal.

I have just done this to my car-I didn't need any reinforcement(I didn't see any rust either), but I wanted to be 100% certain of clean metal before sealing the floors with acoustic and thermal coatings.

Will

[beandip]

I agree 100% with Will . I want to add , POR paint will penatrate vary well to seal the space between the supports and the floor . The POR if applied as directed will bond like no other paint I have ever seen and will seal off the metal from further rusting.

[280z1975]

I would wire brush the area clean, then keep the area wet with Ospho, Metal Ready, or any of the other phosphoric acid based rust eaters for atleast half an hour. As they dry they coat the newly cleaned metal with Zink, sealing the metal from flash rust. After rinsing the residue as per the instructions supplied with the chosen rust treatment, I would use POR 15 and the reinforcement cloth to seal and reinforce the area-assuming you have no major voids after the rust removal.

I have just done this to my car-I didn't need any reinforcement(I didn't see any rust either), but I wanted to be 100% certain of clean metal before sealing the floors with acoustic and thermal coatings.

Will

I was planing to do this exact procedure (got a big old bucket of Por-15 and Metal Ready), but my question is more, should I cut away part of the mounting bracket so I can get to the rust under it? I can't get to it if I don't cut away or take the bracket off (it's welded on :stupid: ).....

[kenz240z]

Well, if you want to get to the back side of the mounting bracket, I'd recommend using a spot-weld cutter (either the specialized drill bit, or the tiny hole-saw type) to cut the spotwelds out. Then the mounting bracket can be removed intact. With either tool, only cut through the first layer of metal, be careful not to cut a hole all the way through. Use a grinder to remove any remnants of the spot welds from the floor of the car.

Once the rust issue is addressed, the mounting bracket can be welded back in place. Simply weld in the holes that were left by cutting out the spot welds. No one will ever no, except you and your hairdresser!!!

[hls30.com]

Don't cut anything-unless you have a strength issue. The rust treatment will flow just like the water that caused the rust-it will follow it, and kill it all without making more work!. If the clearance between the bottom of the bracket and the floor is too great to have the bracket in the acid, make a cup form around the bracket with wax, and fill it with enough acid to just cover the bottom lip. Just rinse it as instructed, dry it completely, and saturate it with POR15. I can set it up and take pictures if that will help in the visualization.

If you are worried about the rust under the bracket, get a small wire brush and use its ends to scour under the bracket while the acid solution is in place-be certian to use safety glasses while you scrub!

Will

[EScanlon]

First remove the tar paper that is visible in the picture. Then, if possible, do some sandblasting to get rid of the obvious rust scale. Vaccuum/blow the sand out and THEN examine the piece. It may be that the rust you have left is minimal and the Metal Ready and POR would be more than sufficient to fight it.

Remember, unless you have the time, money and wherewithal to disassemble every welded assembly, you simply aren't going to get rid of EVERY bit of rust. You need to have it professionally dipped in an acid solution to get rid of all the rust. However, aside from the expense and the ensuing difficulties (no caulking on anything, nor body filler, etc) which you must then overcome, you would then find that you have many areas where you STILL wouldn't be able to insert a magic wand and coat. Professional outfits such as Ziebart and other "rust-proofers" used specialized tools and equipment to try to coat all of those hidden areas and even they failed sometimes.

If you like the POR idea but are unsure of how to "blow" it in there, try a siphon air blower. I've done it that way and believe me you will coat anything you point it at very very quickly.

FWIW

E

[EScanlon]

-duplicate posting---

[MikeW]

You need to have it professionally dipped in an acid solution to get rid of all the rust.

Even then I wonder how they can be sure to eliminate all air pockets. Presumably they attempt to rotate the shell while submerged.

[280z1975]

Thanks for the ideas guys ...

I hate rust, but then again, you can't be a Z lover and not hate it :lick:

I have decided to cut a small hole on the sides of the mounts where they are not tack welded on to allow me access to the area underneath. Later on when I weld on my frame rails I will weld on some support brackets to strenghten and compensate for the removed metal (although I think it would still be strong enough without why risk it when it's my arse on the line in a wreck!).

The idea of stripping down the car to the frame and getting it dipped is VERY appealing after spending two days getting off a bulk of the tar. But I don't have 1) the time and 2) the money. See, I wanted to see how well one could restore a Z on a limited budget and time frame but still have something you would be quite proud of. I am slowly but surely having the whole process happen.

This car is a Texas car and has for most all of it's life been garage kept. The rust isn't the type you see in other cars, but it's there none the less.

[280z1975]

Here is a photo to give a better idea what I am going to do.

I will go back and reweld a bracket to reinforce the area I cut out but still provide access for cleaning.

BTW, I found over 2 dollars in change in my car, an old rubber eraser and a Smurf Patch ...

[EScanlon]

How many PM's have you received over the Smurf Patch?

E