I'm trying to stop the rust that I currently have growing around the fender and dead center on the pass. side door. Not to mention some eating away at the floor boards. What's the best way to stop this. For example, what seems to be the most complete way to stop rust and/or determine if the car is worth saving?

Thanks for any replies

 

A few blows from a hammer to the floorboards; if the surface gives, its no good. If it holds up to the beating, its a good one. Most rust-stricken cars can be saved, it just takes much more work in the way of cutting, welding, and finding new pieces. Por-15 works well on rust, but I'd rather have a completely rust free pannel. Good luck.

 

Too much rust is too much rust when there is not enough metal left to weld new pieces of metal on. Its actually very hard to tell just by looking how bad the rust is. It could be all the way through (aka no usable metal left) but still look solid under the paint. Or it could look really bad, but only turn out to be surface rust. The method above is pretty good to get a general idea if the project will be worthwhile, but the real test to see if the car is fixable comes when you have the welder on the car. Very bad rust will make the metal very thin, which makes it hard to weld new pieces on. You'll keep trying to build bridges but you'll only end up chasing holes.

 

I drive a 1991 Firebird that spent all it's life in northern, OH. I live in Cincinnati, so it's still in the rust belt. The wheel wells and body are beginning to rust out really bad. The floor boards are another story. I took a hammer to them and it felt like it was ready to break through, so I welded some sheet metal underneath the car. It's a shame because the car is not really that old when you think about it. I think when it gets painted here in a few months I am going to get the car rust-proofed.