Date:         Sun, 19 Sep 2004 13:21:26 -0700
Reply-To:     Doug in Calif <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doug in Calif <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET>
Subject:      Re: Vanagon autobody question
Comments: To: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

If you have two pieces of  metal apart you can use a "weld through" primer
that will allow you to coat the surfaces before spot welding back together.

This would be better than going back together bare metal.

I believe the vw body metal has a flash plating on it before its asembled.

I think there are quite a few good rust products like the Por-15 camp that
offer "liquid" converters that would work into seams well.

I had thought a bit of rust sealed off from any outside moisture would
"stop" or be severely "slowed" to the point where you could get the service
out of the vehicle anyway.

If you can get your "rust" to stay together another 20 or 30 years, you
might be able to trade your vanagon for one that can fly, who knows.

Doug





Doug
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Grebneff" <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2004 2:06 AM
Subject: Re: Vanagon autobody question


> >You will find those seams make the vehicle ease to build, because the
> >panels the length of the vando not have to be perfectly straight.
> >Filling them in, you will end upwith body plastic 2 feet wide the get the
> >panel straight.  Forget it.
> >    I think that using lead on the seams may stop rust.  Any old time
> >lead body man out there careto comment?
>
> Lead... they use flux, which is an acid... this is trapped in blobs
> against the steel, causing rust. So a leader told me.
>
> To cure seam rust you'd have to OPEN the seam and scrape it out, then
> put some rust-converter on it (and as none of these seem to do what
> the instructions say they do, I doubt that any of them work) or GRIND
> the surfaces, the close the seam and weld it... then paint. Inject
> some rustproofing grease into the seam afterward, from the inside of
> the vehicle. Some seams of course are in closed sections (eg sills)
> and need real surgery to get at.
>
> There ain't no easy cure for seam rust.
> --
> Andrew Grebneff
> Dunedin
> New Zealand
> Fossil preparator
> <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
> Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut