Crossingkeeper said:

To give you some reassurance, I had a 1989 van which I guess had been used for towing (and launching?) jet skis or something similar as all the drain holes were weeping rust

I waxoyled it and squirted rust preventive fluid in all the holes. I then kept it for five years and it never needed any welding in that time.

The most annoying fallout from the water damage was that all the wheel bearings needed replacing.

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Good to hear!!

jackwhoo said:

I haven't used kurust but have used hammerite , did not have great success with hammerite. Hammerite is horrible to apply requires special (very expensive) thinners to clean up. Found bog standard Wilkinsons red oxide primer followed by normal gloss better than hammerite.

Only my opinion but the products I first suggested are very good. Kurust first would be a bonus if it works.

Plus grey or white top coat better than black as it will be much easier to spot and so deal with any new rust that forms with a grey or white top coat.
Silver colours always tend to be thinner than any other colour so don't use silver.

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Okay. I have some red oxide in a big tin that I could use. So once I Kurust it, I could really use anything as the top coat, because the Kurust does the hard work? Could I just use a spray paint, like any old Halfords metal spray paint?

Alternatively, I already have a big tin of Red oxide. Could I skip the Kurust? Just scrape it all off as before, slap the red oxide on, then when that dries paint over it with either a tin and brush or a spray paint?

Gman88667733 said:

Okay. I have some red oxide in a big tin that I could use. So once I Kurust it, I could really use anything as the top coat, because the Kurust does the hard work? Could I just use a spray paint, like any old Halfords metal spray paint?

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I haven't used kurust, it sounds a bit too good to be true but it wouldn't hurt under a decent primer and finish coat.

I have found international ant-rust primer to be excellent .

It may be difficult to find internat anti-rust check b and q etc.

If you can't find international Look at the reviews of zinc phosphate primer at screwfix it may better than red oxide primer , read about it and make your own mind up.

I don't rate hammerite.

Yes you could use spray cans under van but you will get much better coverage and film thickness by brush.

A friend of mine used kurust and rust reappeared but she did delay between using the kurust and priming then finish coat.

If was me I would probably skip the voodoo kurust and spend the saving on a really good primer.

The real key is good prep and making sure the surface is clean prior to primer.
Make sure surface is as dust free as possible prior to primer.
Scraping / removing rust creates a lot of dust.
Be careful of the heat , drink plenty of water, take your time. do a section at a time so you can see progress otherwise it can be disheartening.

Use eye protection- seriously- use eye protection

Lots of recommendations to use waxoyl to properly stop any rust coming back. Is this worth it? Would this go over the top of the final coat of paint I put on?

Gman88667733 said:

Lots of recommendations to use waxoyl to properly stop any rust coming back. Is this worth it? Would this go over the top of the final coat of paint I put on?

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Get all your paint done first , leave it at least a month to fully dry before thinking about waxoyl type products .

jackwhoo said:

Get all your paint done first , leave it at least a month to fully dry before thinking about waxoyl type products .

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Okay, thanks for that.

There is a bit of a rusty patch where there was a slight scrape at the sill on the driver side. What is the best way to deal with that?

Hi

A few thoughts from one who has dealt with rusty cars for decades. Rust is an electrical process, where current flows between steel and another metal (or between good steel and rusty steel) through an electrolyte, i.e. water with impurities. The good steel is eaten away. That's why salty water is worst as it's very electrically conductive. So keeping the metal completely dry is your aim, and all the treatments are intended to achieve that. Flaking treatments are worse than none at all, they just trap the water.


Stuff like Kurust will convert the last scraps of rust in the pits, that you can't get off by wire brushing. However, you end up with a porous film, so you must put something else over it.

I'd recommend a brushed automotive chassis primer and then a brushed topcoat. Real zinc primer and red oxide primer were fine, but the stuff the public buys nowadays has no metallic zinc or lead oxide in it any more, it's just a name.

Waxoxl over well dried paint gives me good results. The thin clear (ish) stuff brushed on sheltered areas and sprayed inside hollow sections. The black thicker stuff for anywhere more exposed. It does a good job of excluding water long term.

I don't like Hammerite. It never was much good, and has also been re-formulated for Elf n Safety so is even less good. You also have to throw away the brush, or spend lots on thinner. Long term it tends to go flaky. However, any paint is better than none, so if someone gives you a big tin you might as well use it.

Gman88667733 said:

Okay, thanks for that.

There is a bit of a rusty patch where there was a slight scrape at the sill on the driver side. What is the best way to deal with that? View attachment 210366

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Wire brush or abrasives till you get to a solid surface.

jackwhoo said:

Wire brush or abrasives till you get to a solid surface.

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Then some form of primer, then paint? As I would underneath the vehicle?

Gman88667733 said:

Then some form of primer, then paint? As I would underneath the vehicle?

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Yes

The best way to get rid of rust, is cut it out and replace with new metal, 100% no arguments. However, if it is surface rust, or has not holed the metal, and the metal below can stand up to an agressive prodding from a screwdriver etc., the next best thing is to sand or grit blast it off, to sound bare metal, then use good quality primers, paint, and rustproofer/wax etc. Failing that, sound metal with surface rust can be cleared of any loose rust, be brutally honest to yourself that it is gone, any remaining surface rust may then be treated with a rust converter- I have had surprisingly good results with Fertan- and then when properly cured and treated, quaulity pprimer, undercoat, top coat, stonechip if underneath, then wax spray like Waxoil, Dynax, Dinitrol or similar; no such thing as too much!

And before I forget- loose or cracked/flaking underseal is worse than anything imaginable for making water traps that will, for sure, allow rust to get hold and and out of hand very quickly indeed. Take no prisoners getting it off, even if you have to go back to a bare panel, to avoid doubt at all costs. You will sleep easier in your bed knowing 100% that it is properly done. #

((That way you won't be woken by strange noises in the night that take weeks to pin down- the sound of your van rusting!! LoL)

Ocwobio said:

The best way to get rid of rust, is cut it out and replace with new metal, 100% no arguments. However, if it is surface rust, or has not holed the metal, and the metal below can stand up to an agressive prodding from a screwdriver etc., the next best thing is to sand or grit blast it off, to sound bare metal, then use good quality primers, paint, and rustproofer/wax etc. Failing that, sound metal with surface rust can be cleared of any loose rust, be brutally honest to yourself that it is gone, any remaining surface rust may then be treated with a rust converter- I have had surprisingly good results with Fertan- and then when properly cured and treated, quaulity pprimer, undercoat, top coat, stonechip if underneath, then wax spray like Waxoil, Dynax, Dinitrol or similar; no such thing as too much!

And before I forget- loose or cracked/flaking underseal is worse than anything imaginable for making water traps that will, for sure, allow rust to get hold and and out of hand very quickly indeed. Take no prisoners getting it off, even if you have to go back to a bare panel, to avoid doubt at all costs. You will sleep easier in your bed knowing 100% that it is properly done. #

((That way you won't be woken by strange noises in the night that take weeks to pin down- the sound of your van rusting!! LoL)

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Thanks for that. Definitely need a lot of unseal scraping off.

Gman88667733 said:

Thanks for that. Definitely need a lot of unseal scraping off.

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Take your time, set target areas so you don't become downharted with it.
If underseal dried out and cracking get rid of it , if it's still sound it can wait

Been underneath with a screwdriver. This was on of the rough areas at the rear... Managed to poke the screwdriver through and make a hole, as can be seen here. Is still a big issue? It's a part that joints to the sill.


Never had actual rust holes before, so I am a bit concerned...

Not sure how best to help you. Frankly it takes courage to deal with this sort of thing, you have had some excellent advice so far. Don't get disheartened, it is probably better you deal with specific areas per session as you build up confidence. Certainly don't be afraid to dig, you won't do any more damage than the rust has already (within reason) and you are better off rid of loose materials. Bring back to shine as much as your patience allows then blitz with a rust converter. Make very sure that it has dried then paint, brush will get under seams and behind areas, spray will deal with larger areas within the spray cone better, either way imagine how water can move around and make sure your final wax of choice can get there too.
Go for it, it really is worth getting past these early steps, you have little to lose.

Things like that hole above, is that something that'll just get worse, or cause me issues?
I don't know a lot about rust.

Done a bit of digging in the wheel arch and found more

Gman88667733 said:

Been underneath with a screwdriver. This was on of the rough areas at the rear... Managed to poke the screwdriver through and make a hole, as can be seen here. Is still a big issue? It's a part that joints to the sill.View attachment 210385


Never had actual rust holes before, so I am a bit concerned...

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Don't worry with luck your friendly garage who did you panda thread insert will weld a plate over it for you.

Do not paint or worse wax within 30cms of the hole until it is welded.

You may find it easier to strip that underseal/foam whatever it is with a wire brush on an angle grunder-

use eye protection and ear protection, seriously use protection