Hey I am new to the forum and would sum information on rust removal. I have a 1973 ford maverick and recently I decided to dismantel the interior. I did and after all the carpet was gone and out i noticed in some places the body is rusted completly through on the passenger side! I want to keep and restore my maverick so I was wondering how to fix this problem. I would like to do as much myself to save$$$. Any help would be great THANKS!
There are no reproduction floor pans (or much else) available. Best thing to do is use sheet metal and make your own. You have to cut the rust out completely and weld in new metal. Can you weld? If not, might be a good time to learn. For what it will cost you to pay someone else to fix it, you can buy a welder and learn yourself.
Mavaholic has a very good point. Only thing I can add is another option, it is not as good a fix, but is easier to do. You could square out the rusted section by cutting all weak metal, if you find the weak metal goes beyond the rocker panels, dispose of car and start over, lol. Seriously once the weak metal is removed, cut a patch from sheet metal and then you can poprivet the piece in. That is what I used to do in the old days before I could weld. Dan
You can also use screws in the patch panels. Plus I'd use some sort of sealer, silicone has worked for me and is cheap at the hardware store.
Of course, the neatest patch would be to mig weld the patches back in and finish them so they would be flush and not noticeable after they have been painted. That is assuming you have a welder and know how to use it. The pop rivets would be a good alternative.
Like Dan, I have made many lasting repairs over the years with sheetmetal, pop rivets and sealer. It's not as good looking as mig welding, but if it's done right it can be just as effective. Good luck and welcome to the board! Sam
i like using pop rivets myself also. its much cheaper than a welder, but if you bought a welder it may come in handy later on. ive used most kind of welders (spool gun, mig, tig, stick, spot, torch) and i think the mig welder is definetly the easiest. espescialy for sheet metal.
I feel your pain buddy. Nothing worse than pulling up carpet and finding a pile of rust underneath it. Get used to it though, these cars will give you plenty of surprises. I started out thinking mine didn't have any rust, now I'm having a hard time thinking of a spot on the car that doesn't have rust.
What about this stuff guys, from JC Whitney? http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/ProductDisplay/s-10101/makeId-1000114/p-2615/c-10101/modelId-1001297 Jason
i have no idea, im sorry to say. like i said i just used fiberglass and bondo on the exterior. then fabed up some floor pans and pop riveted those in.
Depending on your states inspection laws, pop-riveted floors may not be legal. They aren't in VA. -Harry
no one checks here in iowa. they dont check smog or nething. ive got like 5 friends with 80's cars and they runs straight pipes.
You guys are forgetting about the new panel bonding adhesives on the market now. If you're not going to weld, the next best way is to use a product called Automix panel bonding adhesive made by 3M (part#8115). The body shops are using this stuff to put on quarter panels, truck bedsides and many other pieces of sheetmetal that were previously welded on, saving tons of time. One of the best things is it creates a perfect seal between the two pieces of sheetmetal being bonded together. I haven't used it on a floor pan yet but it should work great. After sitting for 24 hours you WILL NOT get this panel back up. One tube of the product goes quite a long way but it does require a special applicator gun which you might be able to borrow from your local body shop if you have any connections.
