# Dealing with encroaching rust



## LilBlkCL (Aug 23, 2001)

I've got to get the ball rolling on my Golf before she rusts away into a pile on my driveway. 

It's been under a car cover for about a year or so and some typical/atypical Mk3 rust spots are starting to appear. My goal right now is to somewhat neutralize the existing body rust before it spreads, and before I have the time/money to get into the project fully. Below are a few of the rust spots I need to deal with. Generally some rust along the rear wheel arches, and a nice spot under the drivers side rear trim. I am also concerned about the passenger side strut tower, but I'm pretty sure it's cosmetic at this point. 

Is there a specific method to getting rid of this rust? I was going to grind it off with a tool 'of some sort', and then try to seal the areas with primer. Obviously I am in a little over my head, but that's how you learn to swim right? I just need to be steered in the right direction :thumbup:


----------



## srgtlord (Jun 4, 2010)

It always seem that the MK3's rust worse than the mk2's....


----------



## LilBlkCL (Aug 23, 2001)

true enough - and I'm not even showing the hatch rust as I will be swapping in a euro hatch eventually


----------



## LilBlkCL (Aug 23, 2001)

anyone? just need some basic guidance here. Angle grinder to the rust spots?


----------



## CrankDaBewstmun (Jul 24, 2008)

Yes. the Mk3 certainly has more rusting issues than the MK2.....

I am in the process of restoring my wife's MK3 Jetta (a 1995 that spent some time in Colorado, then Boston and to top it all off Syracuse NY for four years.....now it lives in Mass which isn't much better.....)

The result of all this weather was basically rot holes under the rain gutters (about the size of a pea) and around the windshield (just a couple).....All these areas made water come in like crazy last spring....we had a very very wet spring... Confused the hell out of me too cause it took a while to locate the leaks.

The result from the standing water:

I had holes all along the drivers floor board where it met the seat track especially. Seat track was ok though....The rear floor was toast where it meets the rear corner. All rotten........ The rocker panel was compromised in the rear, about 1 foot from the rear driver tire. Y ou could put your fist in the hole once I cleared out the damaged metal. It basically fell apart. 

I managed to mock up repair panels for the floor and the rocker areas. The finished product I am happy with and need to post in this forum. Welded them in, seam sealer, prime paint, everything to ensure the rust stays at bay for a long while. 

Long story short, the rust I see in the pics isn't too bad. I would get a good orbital sander and hit up the visible rust spots. Here is the process:

1. Sand, scrape, and remove all paint and rust. Use wire brushes, emery paper, basically anything that removes scale and paint. 

2. Once you sand it, sand it again!! The only way to help it not come back is to get down to bare metal. You may need to add a filler if you remove too much metal. I prefer to use a rust converter spray available at autozone or Napa. Apply to "slightly" rusted metal and it converts to a black primer. This stuff really helps to slow the rust down. 

3. Prime it, sand it, paint it. 

I also had a spot similiar around the gas filler neck. Fixed it three years ago and it's starting to show again....I might need to weld in a panel. Not as hard as it sounds, really. Just don't blow yourself up welding  

Another leak source on the MK3 is the side view mirror. One screw boss was completely rotted off the drivers door!! Water just leaked in and dribbled down inside the door panel and onto my floor.....

Btw, you don't need much "skill" to repair this kinda rust. You just need some :beer: and patience. Don't get me wrong, you need skill to do a lot of other body work stuff. Especially very cosmetic repairs.


----------



## CrankDaBewstmun (Jul 24, 2008)

LilBlkCL said:


> anyone? just need some basic guidance here. Angle grinder to the rust spots?


Avoid the angle grinder unless you are going to buy a sanding flap wheel to use with it. Home Depot sells them. The angle grinder can leave divets and grooves that will prove to be a pain to smooth out with filler later......just my .02. Doesn't matter in places like the strut tower I guess. depends on how picky you are.


----------



## naterkane (Feb 8, 2001)

if you're not going to cut out the offending material and weld in new metal. 

first try using a rust removing gel, then a spray or brush on converter, then an encapsulator. 

after that you can smooth it out some with filler. do know that without cutting out the cancer and doing metalwork, it'll never actually look pretty. but chemically you can prevent it from spreading and getting worse.


----------

