Rusted Boot lid and Wings

[gucu]

Hi

I have just bought a car and am now working on the body work to get rid of the various patches of rust. I have two areas of concern, the bottom of the boot lid and the rear wings where they meet the car and would like some ideas on how to move forward please?

For the boot lid I don't have any repair panels and am wondering is it worth getting a repair panel or simply sand back the rust and fill in with fibre glass. I am not a welder and would need to take it to a shop for help.

Secondly were the wings meet the car the rust is on the car not on the wings. Is it best to sand back and fill again please?

Thanks

Rich

[myoldjalopy]

Some pics might be helpful so we can see exactly what is going on............

[gucu]

Thanks for the reply. I hope the following help.

[King Kenny]

You need to take a deep breath and chip away the paint. It may be that the boot lid is not holed to a great extent and the rust can be neutralised with Trustan or similar. Fill and repaint.
The wing may be more problematical. Again if the metal is not holed you could do the same. Otherwise it will need the welding in of new meatal. Not too difficult for an experienced welder.
Maybe contact your local car clubs as someone will be willing to help with the welding I am sure.

[firedrake1942]

The boot lid looks to have already been repaired and the corrosion is significant. Given that the boot lid flexes, I would not have thought that filler / glass fibre would last very long. Better bite the bullet and repair properly with the replacement panel. The boot lid may have corrosion above the extent of the repair panel though.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174081135788

As for the NS wing, with that level of corrosion it is likely that the inner wing is also rusting through. Again repair panels are available from entire inner wings to wheel arch repair strips and you can assess the extent of the issue in the boot and under the wing, but taking the wing off is the best way of really knowing what you are dealing with.

https://www.morrisminorspares.com/body- ... de-p828421

https://www.morrisminorspares.com/body- ... le-p828548

[gucu]

Thanks for all the replies. Went searching and found this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/315508204894 ... media=COPY

Is it worth simply replacing the whole lid with fibreglass or if not maybe a metal one?

Thanks

[firedrake1942]

You may find a good metal one that has not been repaired. Repaired boot lids done well are fine. The glass fibre ones I have seen look good but flex quite badly when opening. You pays your money....

[myoldjalopy]

Personally, I am wary of fibreglass since I bought some fibreglass front wings which just would not fit properly. In the end, I had the old metal wings repaired - there was a line of rust down the back where it meets the front door. The repairs have been good these last nine years.

[geoberni]

Not to besmirch any particular retailer or manufacturer, but I would not consider buying a fibreglass boot lid, bonnet etc without seeing it in action first.
Claims as to suitability or strength are easy to make, but harder to achieve in practice.
Usually such items just don't have the inherent stiffness of the metal original.

if you happen to live within travelling distance of the manufacturer, you could always ask to visit their premises and find out what they are using for an internal structure, if anything at all...

It's different with a Wing, that's bolted all around it's perimeter and doesn't move, but a boot lid is only on 2 hinges and a catch, being flexed every time it is opened.

[myoldjalopy]

I would add that I have a fibreglass rear valance and there are some hairline cracks - fortunately, barely visible - in the paintwork due to the flexing of the fibreglass shape under the stress of the spring bar and the chrome blade which I doubt would happen with a metal valance......

[Steve Phillips]

Im afraid I don't hold with the whole rust converter thing, yes it puts a skin over the rust but whenever I've had a customers car in that's been treated with converter the rust appears to have kept growing under the converter,

And filler or grp and paint isn't going to do anything other than hide the issue for a year or two at best,

The only cure for rust is to either cut it out or media blast it back to good steel, and then weld in new steel where required,

Often people fill and paint the outside of the vehicle and ignore the inside where it can't be seen and all that happens is the rust keeps growing from the inside destroying your repair, so I'm afraid for me it's do it once do it right,

I have bought from Honeybourne mouldings over the years and always been happy with the quality of their panels, but unfortunately most grp panels from any company often need fettling to fit,

[gucu]

Wow thanks for all the amazing helpful information. I will give my local garage a visit and check that they are happy to weld the boot repair kit and if they say yes that is the root I will take. I want to keep the car and do my best to stop and treat the rust. So do each panel well. Thanks

Rich

[Steve Phillips]

If I were doing the repairs / restoration that your asking about once the panel / repair is in and sprayed (assuming it's a painted panel) then I would be spraying a wax protector in.

For example in the boot lid spray wax between the inner and outer skins because water will get in there and it will start to rust from the moment you've welded the new steel in, don't spray wax in until the panel has been painted though as it will likely cause a reaction to the paint,

With the rear wing area make sure the flange area is sprayed with paint before refitting the wing. Sounds daft? Well I've had more than one Morris through the workshop that's had rust forming along the wing flange area just a couple of years after being restored,

Regards wax protectant, you can buy cheap wax and very expensive wax, waxoyl is probably the best known on the market and although there are countless other brands available dynatrol and built hamber are probably the other two best known in the classic car world,

I have used all three brands and have my own opinions on them but which ever brand you use they all flow better when warm so my suggestion is to get it warm before use, a container of very hot tap water is perfect if you place the wax can/pot in it for about 10 mins, unless it's a very hot summer's day, then just leave it in the sun for a while, now your wax will flow much better when you spray it, it's a very cheap protection.