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Date:         Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:21:09 +0000
Reply-To:     J Stewart <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         J Stewart <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Seeking advice for fixing many small rust spots
Comments: To: Michael Snow <slowmachine82@GMAIL.COM>

I'd like to add a bit to what Frank said. For small stone chips that have started to rust, I've found that a Dremel with a pointed grinding stone is perfect for blasting out the rust. Rust can be pretty sneaky, though, a lot of times I've started with just a small chip and end up grinding an area the size of a dime or even a quarter, as you'll find the rust spreading under the paint around the chip, though the paint hasn't bubbled yet. Once you've cleaned it down to bare, clean metal you can use a small paint brush to primer and top coat the spot. If you sand down a spot and still have a small black spot left, that black spot is rust and it will return shortly, as Frank said you have to get down to all clean metal. I've done several Bays, especially the front clip, where there are so many little chips that it is just easier to strip the entire panel of paint, and that looks like the case in some of your photos. I'm lucky that my '84 is pretty much rust free, but I did notice the se am sealer was cracking over most of the van, in some places it had fallen out. Over the past couple of months I've been using my Dremel with a cut off wheel to very CAREFULLY clean out all the old caulking in the seams and fill them back in with 3M seam caulk that I bought at an auto body supply shop (Mattos). Now, the seam caulking says it's for auto body use, but it cleans up with soap and water (in fact the directions say to smooth down the seam with a wet finger) and it looks very much like bathtub caulk you'd get at Lowes, which makes me wonder if not just the same stuff. And you are correct, around the windows you'll have to pull the seal and the glass, and be prepared for a shock. Again, several Bays I've done had a small amount of rust creeping out from under the window seals, but when I pulled the glass the frame was loaded with rust. Rust sucks, and it's a bitch to deal with. Years ago I heard it said, and I now agree, I'd rather buy a vehicle with a solid rust free body and a blown engine than a rust bucket with a good running engine-mechanical work is cheaper and easier in the long run. Yours definitely looks like its worth the effort, so get to work and good luck! Jeff


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