Rust proofing front fenders

[Carl Purdy]

POR 15 has a primer called TY-Coat I think is the name you can spray over the POR 15 and then paint.

[gordr]

Years ago, I had a pair of NOS front fenders to put on my '64 Daytona hardtop. Brian Curtis may remember that car. I stood the new fenders up on end, and taped off all drainage points on the doubled flange with masking tape, and poured the flange area full of marine epoxy resin; and then painted the entire inner surface of the fenders with the same epoxy.

I've long since sold the car, so I don't know how the fenders have stood up, but they have better than 20 years on them now, I think.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[tstclr]

POR works fine if you use their metal prep on bare steel. If used as per their directions (to the letter) I feel there is nothing better to protect against rust. I have used Zero Rust as well and it did seem to hold up for the short time I had the vehicle, but it scratches a lot easier.
Todd

63 Lark 2dr Sedan

[Swifster]

quote:Originally posted by rayoung55

It's my understanding that POR 15 only sticks well to rust metal. The NOS fender has primer along that area and the repaired fender has new metal. Would the POR 15 actually be of benefit in this situation?

Thanks everyone so far for the suggestions! Any other ideas anyone?

Thanks,

Rob

POR-15 has their own primer and other prep stuff. Mine were media blasted and it worked fine. I went and reread their guide and I didn't find the warning about top coats. It actually states top coats are fine.

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Tom - Valrico, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona

[chocolate turkey]

I was one of the folks who did an article for Turning Wheels way back when. We filled the seams with a rust paint, let it coat everything, run out and dry. Then the seam was filled with a "fiber tar", or non hardening roofing tar, then painted over with "Tremclad", a Canadian version of Rustoleum. I drove the car for more than twenty years in all weather conditions without any further rusted front fenders. Did the rear fenders as well, by the way.
Brian

Brian K. Curtis

[Kdancy]

http://www.zero-rust.com/index.html

Zero Rust

quote:Zero-Rust routinely replaces epoxies, epoxy mastics, alkyd enamels and rust converter maintenance systems. Epoxies and epoxy mastics are used extensively for controlling corrosion perform better than Zero-Rust in underwater or submerged applications. However, Zero-Rust performs well in splash zones and remarkably outperforms epoxies in above marine environments. The drawback to epoxies and epoxy mastics are that they need to be mixed correctly, applied within specific time restriction, and cannot be retouched easily. Zero-Rust advantages include no time restrictions during application; no mixing of components, and Zero-Rust may be touched up at any time.

Zero-Rust is free of the normal carcinogens found in high performance epoxies and urethanes. Zero-Rust is the perfect rust protection system for the environmentally concerned and those concerned with improving application personnel health safety.

Over Rust: Zero-Rust design to be applied over existing rust with minimal preparation. Merely wire brush off any mechanically loose scale or powdery rust. Zero-Rust bites through remaining rust encapsulating it in the phenolic resin system. Scale has air entrapped within its structure and must be removed for maximum protection. Heavy rust scale can be softened for easier removal with the use of Zero-Rust Prep Step. Work the surface as smooth as possible. The smoother the surface and the tighter the remaining rust, the less of product will be needed to cover the pitted surface. With Zero-Rust, no Sandblasting required - Environmental considerations are making sandblasting less viable due to waste disposal and containment.
Partially rusted, partially painted surfaces: When repairing a deteriorated painted surface, total removal of old paint is preferred. When this is not feasible, treat as you would mill scale from the standpoint that the old paint becomes the weak link in the chain. The cleaner and tighter the surface, the better the resultant job. Pay particular attention to paint edges that may lift and curl. For best results, use a rotary sander to feather out exposed steel to adhering paint edges.

[rayoung55]

It's my understanding that POR 15 only sticks well to rust metal. The NOS fender has primer along that area and the repaired fender has new metal. Would the POR 15 actually be of benefit in this situation?

Thanks everyone so far for the suggestions! Any other ideas anyone?

Thanks,

Rob

[skyway]

My method in 1980 was to stand the new fenders up on their "toward the cowl" end, and spray rust red primer down into the double flange all the way from top (by the hood) to bottom (near the rocker) until in ran out, then let it dry for a few days. Next, on a nice warm day, get a caulking gun tube of roofing repair tar and work the tar into the flange Again top to bottom, using your fingers as if you were hand packing a wheel bearing-- what a mess. Finally, once the flange is full of tar, finish up with that same tar smoothed out to hide the flange opening, and eliminate any place for road splash to enter the seam.

Also consider moving the antenna hole from the fender to the cowl. Drilling into the cowl gets the antenna wire out of the road splash and gives access to seal the antenna hole inside and out. Also you don't risk breaching the now sealed up flange.

I guess now days I might use a modern rust proofer instead of the rust red primer, but still the same process, coat the metal and completely fill and seal the void. 110,000 miles and lots of salty winters later my '64 Cruiser is now rusty in a lot of places, but not in those front fender seams.

[Swifster]

I've poured some on the backside of my '71 Fury GT and just worked it back and forth. It's black and I just sprayed a little chassis black over it. The Fury had inner fenders so I never really looked at the treated area. I saw that bit about top coats, but a figuired that the worst it would do a peel/crack on the top coat. It was hidden, so I didn't care [:0].

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Tom - Valrico, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona

[StudeRich]

Tom; The POR-15 sounds like a good fix, but I understood from their directions, that top coats are not compatible with POR-15, which is why you can not use it on the visible surfaces of your paint. Only on frames, floors etc. Have you tried it?

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[Swifster]

A nice, healthy coat of POR-15 followed by the color coat of your choice.

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Tom - Valrico, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona

[StudeRich]

That is a really good question, back in the day, maybe 1970's a body guy put a story in Turning Wheels about how he protected his C or K model front fenders. They have that same double flange along the rear edge that seems to rot no matter what. He stood them up on the rear end and poured red lead into the forward facing gap. Probably not a product you could find anymore. Also I never heard the long term result of that.

I have noticed that the NOT-Undercoated cars actually fare better than the undercoated ones, because if you seal that edge the water comes down the windshield post and into that area, also some from the tire wash, and since it can not drain it rots the flange out.

I am sure someone else has tried and proven methods they will share with us. Thanks for posting this very common problem. Rich.

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[rayoung55]

I'm working on a '60 Lark. I have one NOS and one Classic Enterprises repaired front fender. What is suggested to minimize the chance of these fenders rusting along the rear edge in the future? Leave them alone? Seal them up in some manner?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

Rob