Common rust areas
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Wilmington, NC
Posts: 322
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 3rd gen!
Engine: SBC
Transmission: yes
Axle/Gears: yes
Common rust areas
Where do 3rd gens usually rust? My 92 is pretty clean so what are the problem areas?
#2
Member
Re: Common rust areas
On my 91 GTA the only place that seems to have rust is the lips of the wheel wells directly behind the rear tires. Other than that the undercarriage will usually have some rust...If you have T-tops like myself and the seals were bad at one time, water can get down in under the t-bars and when I first took them off and saw the rust I was horrified...come to find out it looked a lot worse than it was! Thank goodness
#4
Senior Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Shreveport, LA
Posts: 500
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Car: 1982 SC/1984 Z28
Engine: 305 4BBL/305 4BBL H.O.
Transmission: 700R4/700R4
Axle/Gears: 4th Gen 3.23 Posi/3.73 10 Bolt
Re: Common rust areas
Under the Spoiler in the back. Usually if it has loosened
#5
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Stoughton, MA
Posts: 817
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1985 camaro Z28
Engine: 305 5.0 V8 carburated
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Common rust areas
I would say the driver side floor pan, the passenger side floor pan closer to the firewall (if your heater core leaks), spare tire well, inner wheel wells, rear bumper support.
#6
Supreme Member
Re: Common rust areas
T-top bar for sure. Mine was rusted to dust, only spot on the whole car though. Fortunately I didn't have any rot underneath the bar, so I just picked up a used one for $2 at a self-serve salvage yard.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 793
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1987 Trans Am
Engine: 5.0L TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: Richmond 3.73
Re: Common rust areas
check your cubby hole where your spare tire is.
Also on my 87 I found, (sense I repainted my whole car), besides the T top bar, that is a must to look at.
Open your rear hatch and take off your rear plastic. (say you were to change a tail light bulb)
Look at the metal that say your tail light would bolt to.
Now get a flash light, and see where the rear fender meets the rear panel.
Look for rust in this spot. I rust proofed everything. There is a rectangle hole that you have to get into. Maybe get a air gun and blow that out.
I also had 1 quarter size spot of rust under my rear ground effect when I took it off that I had to weld in a small patch.
I'm guessing that's what caused it.
My passenger side was spotless.
Good luck!
Also on my 87 I found, (sense I repainted my whole car), besides the T top bar, that is a must to look at.
Open your rear hatch and take off your rear plastic. (say you were to change a tail light bulb)
Look at the metal that say your tail light would bolt to.
Now get a flash light, and see where the rear fender meets the rear panel.
Look for rust in this spot. I rust proofed everything. There is a rectangle hole that you have to get into. Maybe get a air gun and blow that out.
I also had 1 quarter size spot of rust under my rear ground effect when I took it off that I had to weld in a small patch.
I'm guessing that's what caused it.
My passenger side was spotless.
Good luck!
Trending Topics
#8
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Stoughton, MA
Posts: 817
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1985 camaro Z28
Engine: 305 5.0 V8 carburated
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Common rust areas
This is a pretty helpful thread! Never thought to check where the rear panel meets the quarter.
#9
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1991 Camaro Z/28 305
Re: Common rust areas
This could be interesting for you guys...
I just took the car to the bodyshop for painting. There's no rust on the car at all. Floor pans, T-tops, trunk well, everything spotless... but, there's one place with big spot of rust that went all the way through metal. It's on the bottom of the rear bumper support thing. You can see it on the pics. First pic shows where it is looking from outside and second one is a close-up. Fortunatelly because it's on this support it doesn't have any affect on the car, but what surprised me is why whole car is very clean and there's big spot in just one place...
I just took the car to the bodyshop for painting. There's no rust on the car at all. Floor pans, T-tops, trunk well, everything spotless... but, there's one place with big spot of rust that went all the way through metal. It's on the bottom of the rear bumper support thing. You can see it on the pics. First pic shows where it is looking from outside and second one is a close-up. Fortunatelly because it's on this support it doesn't have any affect on the car, but what surprised me is why whole car is very clean and there's big spot in just one place...
#10
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Planet Oahu Hawaii
Posts: 300
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
Car: 92 RS
Engine: 94 LT1 383
Transmission: T56-6 Speed
Axle/Gears: posi, 3.26:1,
Re: Common rust areas
my 92 has rust at the cowl drain, behind the passengers fender. the rubber door holds debris, and some above the drivers top door hinge. these may not be typical as I live in Hawaii, you also my find rust any where water can get without draining.
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1991 Z28
Engine: 5.7 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Re: Common rust areas
Do you have any pictures of the cowl drain? Mine is rusted on the driver's side cowl drain, behind the firewall...
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: France
Posts: 588
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Car: 1984 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Engine: V8 5.0L HO (L69)
Transmission: B&W T5
Axle/Gears: 3.73 limited slip
Re: Common rust areas
Behind the frond wheel wells, where they meet the firewall. My 84 has rust on both sides, my 89 has no rust hole but I can see paint bubbling in this area.
My 89 is much more rusted than my 84 even though it's hard top : driver floor is bad, especially where it's welded to the rocker panel.
The bottom of the rear hatch is rusting as well. And as usual, the battery tray is gone, eating the front of the wheel well in the same time.
My 89 is much more rusted than my 84 even though it's hard top : driver floor is bad, especially where it's welded to the rocker panel.
The bottom of the rear hatch is rusting as well. And as usual, the battery tray is gone, eating the front of the wheel well in the same time.
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Conway SC
Posts: 744
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1988 Camaro
Engine: 385
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt
Re: Common rust areas
This could be interesting for you guys...
I just took the car to the bodyshop for painting. There's no rust on the car at all. Floor pans, T-tops, trunk well, everything spotless... but, there's one place with big spot of rust that went all the way through metal. It's on the bottom of the rear bumper support thing. You can see it on the pics. First pic shows where it is looking from outside and second one is a close-up. Fortunatelly because it's on this support it doesn't have any affect on the car, but what surprised me is why whole car is very clean and there's big spot in just one place...
I just took the car to the bodyshop for painting. There's no rust on the car at all. Floor pans, T-tops, trunk well, everything spotless... but, there's one place with big spot of rust that went all the way through metal. It's on the bottom of the rear bumper support thing. You can see it on the pics. First pic shows where it is looking from outside and second one is a close-up. Fortunatelly because it's on this support it doesn't have any affect on the car, but what surprised me is why whole car is very clean and there's big spot in just one place...
#14
Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Bucks County, PA
Posts: 436
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1991 RS
Engine: 383 stroker
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.23 posi
Re: Common rust areas
Yeah my rear impact bar looks like that too. And is the cowl drain near the bottom door hinges where the fenders bolt to the body? I have rust in this location on both sides(opposite sides of kicker panels) and I'm trying to figure out where its coming from and how to prevent it from recurring
#15
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Crestview, FL.
Posts: 533
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 IROC-Z, 1979 Malibu Classic
Engine: LSx 5.3
Transmission: MN12 6-speed, 4L60E
Axle/Gears: 4th gen 3.42
Re: Common rust areas
My 89 hardtop Iroc is rusting from the inside out on the roof on the driver's and passenger's side, in the process of trying to get a few patches from a donor car. This sucks
#16
Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Bucks County, PA
Posts: 436
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1991 RS
Engine: 383 stroker
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.23 posi
Re: Common rust areas
I've also been finding rust behind ALL the seam sealer......I just found some under the seam sealer in the cowl drain under the screen........scraping it all off, rustproofing, then resealing
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
IROCZDAVE (88-L98)
Exterior Parts for Sale
0
09-06-2015 06:23 AM