Rusty Rockers

[mkc1]

Hi,
There are quite a number of rust spots on my 1997 850 GLT. Before putting significant work into tackling them, I thought I should take off the rocker panel covers and see how bad the rockers were to try to decide if it was even worth it. They look somewhat less rusty than I expected, but there's still a fair bit of rust. What's your opinion on what needs to be done and if it's even worth trying to fix?
Thanks!
E4135E27-642C-4A89-B7EB-2F99A6B9513C_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
F1AAC46E-B578-4A2C-B0CC-4A6E3F6758FD_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
EDAC600D-2C96-4F60-8900-3281E87DEC84_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
1F6E1F8B-0976-4172-B548-2BB1ABF02FD0_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
97D1D5B1-4504-4A20-A05B-7F863EB79B19_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
4389E57F-D918-48DE-B68D-49FC27C8CDCF_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
C9898439-9C9A-40B3-AAC2-584CBA22A2D8_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
71DCE195-97E2-4825-A723-0931D9589479_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
71DCE195-97E2-4825-A723-0931D9589479_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
0B21C27C-7F80-477E-8BEA-827001DF32E8_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
E8E8A382-77E2-4A78-870C-BABEFC0BEE77_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
02A8A4DE-5934-446D-BCE3-F95BE4A21D12_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr

[wizechatmgr]

If it were me - hit it with a needle scaler, some rust converter, self etching primer and then some paint.

[BlackBart]

Rusty Rockers....is that a middle-aged cover band?

Looks like the exterior trim held the moisture and grime and salt in against the paint. Is this typical of what Ottawa roads do to cars?

[scot850]

The rockers can get corroded on the back side as well. Check especially at the rear of the rockers in the area of the rear axle mounts. They can get really crusty there.

Neil.

[Vova585]

1. Is there any other rust related damage known to you-subframe, strut areas, badly rusted brake and fuel lines.
2. How much work are you able/willing to invest Into it in case you will decide to do it yourself(can you live without a car for 2 weeks, cost of repair related materials, your labor(time off work or time when you can make extra income, or wife will kill you for leaving her alone with kids)
3) can you still jack up the car at proper spots without bending entire rocker in?
4) overall condition of the car and how much longer you expect/ or need it to last.


Based on the photos it looks like moderate amount of rust to the panels and fender. It is possible that it may last in current condition another 1-3 years. At times touching something like this might open a different can of worms and you can't stop blowing time and money into it. Be realistic with yourself and your abilities and long term goals(financial first and foremost) and you will find your answer.

[mkc1]

I'm encouraged that no one has said it's too far gone or that it needs to be taken to a professional shop to have the rockers replaced. If they're in good enough condition that stripping off the rust and repainting should keep it going, that's great.

1. Is there any other rust related damage known to you-subframe, strut areas, badly rusted brake and fuel lines.
2. How much work are you able/willing to invest Into it in case you will decide to do it yourself(can you live without a car for 2 weeks, cost of repair related materials, your labor(time off work or time when you can make extra income, or wife will kill you for leaving her alone with kids)
3) can you still jack up the car at proper spots without bending entire rocker in?
4) overall condition of the car and how much longer you expect/ or need it to last.

1. There's a lot of body rust -- boot lid, fenders/wings, etc., but nothing that seems structural with the possible exception of rust on what I think? are the inner rockers, where the jacking points are mounted, to the extent that one of them seems to have been pushed up into the rocker and come loose from its anchorage to the floor pan? Photos below.
2. I can invest a fair amount of time, but I have no experience with body work so I'll be learning as I go. My husband will be helping and the cats can look after themselves for short periods of time.
3. The jacking point seems broken on one side, but the pinch welds still seem reasonably strong. I usually jack on the subframe bolts.
4. I've been driving the car for the last 25 years and would like to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. Professional restoration would be ideal but finding a restorer and the money to have it done is proving elusive, so I'd like to do all I can myself to keep it from deteriorating further. Obviously more should have been done to prevent it rusting to this degree, but I moved from the South where such things aren't so much of an issue so I knew little of things like oil undercoatings or the need for frequent washes in the winter.

Thanks again to everyone for their input.
Photos of inner rockers?
B6FB992A-5D2A-4244-A249-07DEC009FDB7_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
96601D3C-F486-4107-A478-CC4A85EBB602_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
08A7D846-9C48-4B2B-A4EB-C5C90A83CBB6_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr
D5F2540F-B07C-4B3C-900E-FDB01CA98E8F_1_105_c by mkc2006, on Flickr

[wizechatmgr]

On the bright side, the more these cars rust, the less they weigh and generally the better the fuel economy will become =P

[abscate]

can invest a fair amount of time, but I have no experience with body work so I'll be learning as I go. My husband will be helping and the cats can look after themselves for short periods of time.

Idle cats are the Devils minions….

[Faber]

These would be the standard steps for this type of problem:
1 Brush the surfaces with rotating steel brush, so you can remove as much rust as possible and realize how deep it is
2 Rust converter
3 Weld new pieces of sheet metal (if necessary)
4 Epoxy primer
5 Filler
6 Paint
Don't forget to enshure the water drains are free from dirt.
From the inside (usually from the safety belt case), spray the specific waxes in sill boxes.

[mkc1]

Idle cats are the Devils minions….

So true.