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I'm a newb with body grinding, sanding, painting, striping.
How should I proceed from my start tonight?
There is some metal pitting, but will be mostly hidden beneath new stripe and rocker ground effect. Do want to treat and prime the metal so it never comes back.
How do I remove the rocker ground effect from the front fender? Is there a bolt behind? Do I need to remove the inner fender liner to access?
Remove the inner fender liner. There are 2 nuts back there, 11mm or 7/16" wrench to get them off. Be careful because they are thin "speed nuts" that cut their own threads into the soft metal stud they are screwed on to. Then there are several 1/4" self-tapping screws under the rocker panel that attach tabs on the ground effects to the rocker. And the same 1/4" screws along the door sill on top. For the rust grind/sand as much off as you can, then spray with a rust neutralizer like Rustoleum Rust Reformer. I like to sand off the first coat and spray it a second time before sanding and using a good etch primer, paint, and clearcoat. Looks like you caught it early so you should be able to get it easily. Unless it is coming through the metal from the inside. Take a small screwdriver or a big nail and tap it all around the area before spraying anything to make sure you don't miss any thin spots or soon-to-be holes.
Oh boy, I definitely want to follow this. You're doing just what I have to do pretty soon. Except mines a little more rusted.��
Forgot to mention that your car is really nice looking!��
Last edited by 84Z28dude; 07-26-2016 at 08:57 PM.
Reason: Forgot to compliment
I would remove the side strip with a razer blade before trying to sand it off and keep the repair area small you do not need to strip to bare metal in area that is not rusted .Use a 3m paint and rust stripper disc its a black plastic disc that is used in a drill and does a perfect job on the rust but does not take away metal.When you paint the area when masking of do not have the tape flat at the edge of your painting area.You should roll the edge of the tape so you do not have a hard paint line that needs sanded down.
rust reformer does nothing but clear coats the rust and just like paint if that hard shell clear cracks the rusting will keep going
Last edited by 4valvemach; 07-27-2016 at 07:21 AM.
To remove the ground Fx panel there are two long Phillips screws hidden behind the red Z28 badge. slowly work the badge off with a putty knife or similar flat bladed tool. Go slow to avoid breaking of mounting pin or scratching the ground FX.
You will likely find rust on the fender near the screw holes too.
To remove the rust "for good" you have several options. For at home DIY I would try this:
1) wire wheel on a 4" grinder will get rid of most of the lose red stuff
2) The its off to home depot or Wallyworld and buy some acid toilet bowl cleaner. It is cheap <$10 and it is a 10-20% concentration of HCL. It will quickly remove red rust and will slowly remove black rust. You want it all gone, Get the gel kind that clings to vertical surfaces... depending on how bad the rust is it will take several coats... You can use plastic spring claps to hold a rag saturated in the stuff too.. You can also use Phosphoric acid (Naval Jelly) but can take days to remove the black rust.. HCL will do it in about an hour.
The HCL stuff is nasty it will remove both kinds of rust, paint and the skin on your hand..
Flush with water... lost of water. and then neutralize with baking soda dissolved in water
The you need to apply some paint prep. Some people call it metal pickling. This you can get at any auto supply store. It is normally Phosphoric acid in a alcohol base. it will clean everything off removes any flash rust and leaves a phosphorus coating that helps protect the metal.
Then you want to paint it with a rust protection paint. Here there are three option
1) POR-15... expensive, hard to use, need to be over coated and it works
2) Zero Rust... not as expensive, easy to use, does not need an over coat and it works
3) Rustolium... Cheap, easy to use, does not need an over coat and it works.. BUT only if your prep is PERFECT.
All three will work, each product has a religious like following. I have used them all.. I like Zero Rust the best, mostly because it is easy to use (cleans up with laquer thinner) and cost about 1/3 or POR-15. But people have had success (and failures) with all three.
If you have an air compressor then I'd suggest you spot blast that area with sand. I prefer the result over stripping wheels. I have a cheapo siphon feed blast gun like this that does the trick for small spots. Just mask off the area around the rust and blast it back to bare metal. And do it outside if possible. That stuff goes everywhere.
Excellent help from all. DSL is out so lmtd internet until next thurs. Typing on a small 5s.
Tonight found the back side of those two screws holding grond fx in front. Will work on getting that badge off this weekend. Then can get into tackling the problems directly. Thank you.
Ready to get down to business with this. Thanks for the gfx removal info. Had me stumped. Going to need work a several areas at the base of the stripe. I think all of stripe on that side of car will need to be removed. Definitely a used car when you look close enough. I had no doubt anyway.
If that car was in the mid west for all of its life, it was very well cared for. My car (when I drove it) was parked in a heated garage both at home and at work, rarely driven in the winter and I only wished mine looked half as good as that when I mothballed her. Your front fenders are nearly perfect. remarkable for a 30+ year old car.
The masking line at the top of the striping looks like it has been painted at least once... But that car is in remarkably good shape.
Glad to hear it. Most of car was painted from stripe up. Not the best, but i think i can make it work. Nose and tail, possibly left front fender, passenger door, and rear hatch may have original paint.
Then you want to paint it with a rust protection paint. Here there are three option
1) POR-15... expensive, hard to use, need to be over coated and it works
2) Zero Rust... not as expensive, easy to use, does not need an over coat and it works
3) Rustolium... Cheap, easy to use, does not need an over coat and it works.. BUT only if your prep is PERFECT.
I'd like to add #4) ZRC cold galvanizing compound. Found online, or through Airgas (or other) welding supply, if you have one local.
Your going to want to get ALL of the black rust out of there too... Do not paint it until it is silvery metal. Chemically Black rust will turn into red rust (back and forth) very slowly. You want it all out of there... Sand blast, sand paper, or acid treatment.
If you leave black rust in there, any crack or scratch in the paint will result in a future paint bubble.
Some will tell you that black rust is stable and protects the metal, maybe. it also hides red rust and can be a combo of red and black rust.
Again, silvery metal is the goal. Acid, or Sandblast... Pick your poison.
I wouldn't use HCl acid, the Cl will continue to oxidize the clean metal even if you think you're neutralized it.
Go with Phosphoric acid or naval jelly as it's thicker and will stick to a vertical surface better.
I would clean the areas out the best you can with a wire brush on a drill/grinder, then use phosphoric acid to clean out all the pits, always keep it "wet" with acid until you've removed the rust using a stainless steel pad, then rinse well with water (it neutralizes the acid) and then immediately dry and apply some epoxy primer (you can mix a tiny bit and roll it on with a small foam roller). Make sure you use the proper mask with the epoxy primer. That is also important with the acid in a well ventilated area.
A very light skim coat of filler to fill the pits sanded to 220 then filler/primer over that blended/blocked down and then paint.
I got two full floor pans for my car that have been sitting in a warehouse for a few years with some rust on them, I'll be wire brushing, using phosphoric acid and then epoxy primer on them before I even install them (obviously I'll have to remove the primer from the welded sections) and I won't have to worry about them rusting ever again.
Going slowly. Too many non-Camaro distractions. Been wire wheel cleaning and treating rust pits in the front fender well. Taking time to get cleaned up. But hope to soon shoot that area with epoxy primer. Let it cure. Then shoot the areas with rattle can of matched enamel. Itching to drive it again. It's been way too long, and summer is way too short.
I hear that. I am driving my car to work tomorrow. I didn't drive it yesterday. not sure what I'll do this winter....probably clean the heck out of it....LOL
If you have an air compressor then I'd suggest you spot blast that area with sand. I prefer the result over stripping wheels. I have a cheapo siphon feed blast gun like this that does the trick for small spots. Just mask off the area around the rust and blast it back to bare metal. And do it outside if possible. That stuff goes everywhere.
I have the same problem as him with surface rust, can I use this sand blaster for surface rust under the ground affects from rear fender wells to front fender wells all at one time or do I pick one spot then move on? I can supply pics tomorow
Well, I moved ahead despite apprehension. Had to get it done. Not a perfect match, but I think will be good enough after striped, and hopefully put an end to further rusting.
Getting things done. Not super great job, but should stop any further rust, and does look better than rust. Will still be presentable at shows. Already have GFX installed. Waiting for tar coating to cure on inner fender before installing plastic fender liner. Should have a driving car again, first time since late July.
07-26-2016, 08:26 PM
