Treating inside of rocker rails & the snow is gone!

[67rs327]

Ok. So while cleaning up the area in the lower-forward wheel wheels (rust around one of those little plastic plugs) - I got to thinking, has anyone addressed getting some rust preventative down inside the length of the rocker rails? How? What did you use?  I can see down in there a little and it doesn't look too bad - but some surface rust for sure. Doesn't seem to be any way to get the scale and grit  (and I think a few seed shells from the varmits) out of their either.

p.s.  - just marked it on the calendar, April 10th .....last of the snow melted here today in southern NH.  However, the big lake further north - Winnepesaukee  - is still covered w/ice. I envy all the talk of the shows down South as I'm still garage bound!

[BULLITT65]

hey Chris , I think you could just lend your car to me and send it back home to California ....

I had a similar issue with a recent purchase and the rockers were so full of rocks, dirt, nests from different creatures....

I started by removing all the plugs I could get to. Next (if present)remove the rocker moulding. Then remove the lower bolt the attaches the fender on the very bottom of the car.
OK now whip out a hose or if you have a pressure washer and start in the front hole forcing it out the rear one, when you see the water running clear, switch to the rear and spray it in that hole towards the front. Keep repeating this procedure until it runs clear both ways.

You now can pull the fender a inch or so out at the bottom and use a spray nozzle all upside down, and hit every crevice.
Again keep moving it around until you don't see muddy water or debris coming out.

open up the door get the hose in there and spray past the door hinges as best you can.

What I found is while you don't want water and moisture in these areas, it is worse when the weep holes and provisions for the water to drain are clogged with dirt and scale and nests, and 40 years of crap.

Now once you are confident you got everything out you can bolt your fender back up and put your rocker moulding back on. Then re-install the good rubber plugs or put in some new ones.

Now if you really want to make it bullet proof you can go to Ziebart and have them spray there rubberized material in through the drains and what not, BUT if you are no longer driving it in the snow, dirt, and mud you will probably be fine without it.

I would take some spray paint, or undercoat in a can, and spray the bare metal that was in the pic. (If it was me I would get the mig welder out and fill those rust pin holes in first, followed by a small grinder or dremel in the tight spots to grind and smooth it down. )

This is what has worked for me. I am sure there is more than one way to do it though..

[ZLP955]

You could give the insides of the rockers a hit with a quality rust-prevention product, like Dynax S50 or 3M Rust Fighter; they come in a pressure pack and the nozzle is on a long wand so you can reach all those nooks and crannies. The nozzle has a multi-directional spray pattern to get better coverage in tight areas, like this:

[z28z11]

And 84 deg. F here Sunday -

Try rigging up a tube to vacuum the interior out before you treat. Dang mice are ferocious seed hoarders -

Regards,

[jacmac]

hey Chris , I think you could just lend your car to me and send it back home to California ....

I had a similar issue with a recent purchase and the rockers were so full of rocks, dirt, nests from different creatures....

I started by removing all the plugs I could get to. Next (if present)remove the rocker moulding. Then remove the lower bolt the attaches the fender on the very bottom of the car.
OK now whip out a hose or if you have a pressure washer and start in the front hole forcing it out the rear one, when you see the water running clear, switch to the rear and spray it in that hole towards the front. Keep repeating this procedure until it runs clear both ways.

You now can pull the fender a inch or so out at the bottom and use a spray nozzle all upside down, and hit every crevice.
Again keep moving it around until you don't see muddy water or debris coming out.

open up the door get the hose in there and spray past the door hinges as best you can.

What I found is while you don't want water and moisture in these areas, it is worse when the weep holes and provisions for the water to drain are clogged with dirt and scale and nests, and 40 years of crap.

Now once you are confident you got everything out you can bolt your fender back up and put your rocker moulding back on. Then re-install the good rubber plugs or put in some new ones.

Now if you really want to make it bullet proof you can go to Ziebart and have them spray there rubberized material in through the drains and what not, BUT if you are no longer driving it in the snow, dirt, and mud you will probably be fine without it.

I would take some spray paint, or undercoat in a can, and spray the bare metal that was in the pic. (If it was me I would get the mig welder out and fill those rust pin holes in first, followed by a small grinder or dremel in the tight spots to grind and smooth it down. )

This is what has worked for me. I am sure there is more than one way to do it though..

Maybe it would be better after washing the inside ,That you use an air compressure to blow out any left over water that will  still be inside.After that I think I would wait a few days before I put the rubber plugs back in. You dont want to seal any moisture inside.Good luck.

[BULLITT65]

You could definitely blow it out with air and  wait a day or so , if you felt water would be trapped in there.

[Sauron327]

I go through this on every resto. Remove the plugs and the drain flaps. There is also a plug under the carpet. Attach a wand to a blow nozzle and clean the cavity. If media blasting this is also standard procedure. During a resto the sheetmetal flap at the leading edge of the rocker can also be opened to provide additional wand access. After cleanng apply a cavity wax, but do so post paint, not pre paint. They are made by numerous companies such as SEM, 3M, Wurth, Transtar, etc. Buy an an application wand that affixes to a Schutz gun. A corrosion paint like SEM Rust Shield can also be applied prior to the cavity wax. These post paint procedures apply to all cavities in the car.

67rs327,
That rot on your wheelhouse needs to be repaired. The correct way is to cut out the rotten metal and replace, not just fill the holes with mig wire. It rotted because there are two adjoined pieces of metal there and that's where cars first rot out. After cutting that out, the rocker cavity will be more easily cleaned. There's no telling what else may need repair. If that is rotten, it's a sure bet other areas are as well.

[BULLITT65]

I would say it is up to the guy doing the work. I don't think it is justified to start cutting out metal where you just have a few pin holes that appeared over the course of 40 years. I guess I am not for making a in depth repair to a very minuscule issue. I take each spot on a case by case basis.

I think the correct way CAN be to cut out the rotten metal and replace, but for a very small spot you may be doing more damage than good. IMO

[Sauron327]

I disagree. It's a very simple and quick process to cut out a small rusted rectanglar portion and replace it with a new piece of metal. Filling the hole in the areas shown with mig wire is not a correct repair. Certain holes can be done in such a manner, but not those. The plastic plug hole itself is partially missing, so that area needs a proper repair.  Correct procedures don't do more damage, they ensure a lasting repair.
If the owner's car is never going to see water again and rarely sees the road then perhaps he can just leave it the way it is. He may be under the dirt before the rusted areas becomes a major concern.

[BULLITT65]

I have had just as many experiences where I didn't need to cut out the metal in small areas, as I have needing to make the cut. You could get away with cutting out a small square of metal, stitching in a new piece and drilling a new hole, but before doing that I have had good luck using a mig to fill a couple of small holes.

Plus, if you have an area where a few pieces of metal come together and they are all spot welded together, it can be more of a process getting the small rusted piece out.  Especially if it is in a tight spot like the picture shows. You may not have second thoughts about cutting into original metal, I try to save it as a last option.

"your lasting repair" may not always be a " simple and easy process."

[Sauron327]

The area shown needs to be cut out. No mig wire hole filling techniques are going to properly fix the half rotten hole or the adjacent pitted and thin areas. I deal with rot repair and panel replacement on a weekly basis. When pinchwelds and lapped panels are swollen and rotten, shortcutting is not the best approach to a lasting repair.

[BULLITT65]

I just don't subscribe to a one size fits alll repair.
I cater to each area , and replace as needed. It may not be as profitable as what you are accustomed to, but it doesn't cut unnecessarily into a nice car where unwarranted. It is on a as needed basis only. BUT if cutting every time gives you the warm fuzzies than ok.

[-vellu]

I opened back of the rocker and blew out the dirt. Tubes are galvanized and there was actually no rust at all. I wouldn't spray any rust inhibitor, where dirt may stick to.

[ZLP955]

Tubes are galvanized

Never seen that before! Only parts I thought were gal on these cars were the headliner attachment strips, floorpan plugs and the wiring loom cover/carpet support at the door openings.

[-vellu]

I may be wrong, but they seem somehow different coating than the other parts of the body.