How should I deal with this rust?

[700rpm]

I rebuilt my Tudor about 31 years ago, but I didn't do anything to the underside of the body in terms of paint or rust prevention. I noticed the last time I was under it that the floor pans are looking pretty rusty. I could just paint them over with POR 15, but that stuff is not easy to work with, especially upside down and painting over your head.

Can anyone suggest a way to address this rust short of removing the body or hours laying on my back with a steel wire brush and the ensuing prep? Some easy, lazy, old-man solution?

[Purdy Swoft]

I would wire brush and sand with 80 grit to remove the loose rust. After loose rust removal prep I would first apply rustoleum rusty metal primer and then rustoleum satin or semi gloss black in spray can form. Nothing is forever but if the prep is good this method should look good and last quite a while.

[RcT]

I have used a product called "Rust-Mort", sells for about $25/gallon. It will stop the rusting action and sort of "seal" the surface, allowing for paint over the top of it. You might want to check that out.

[mrtexas]

Stay away from the POR15. It won't do anything good with loose rust. You could use a disc sander and then brush on multiple coats of Ospho before painting.

How about finding a garage with a lift and a sand blaster?

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by mrtexas

Stay away from the POR15. It won't do anything good with loose rust. You could use a disc sander and then brush on multiple coats of Ospho before painting.

How about finding a garage with a lift and a sand blaster?

I like that idea.

[Doug in NJ]

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Originally Posted by mrtexas

How about finding a garage with a lift and a sand blaster?

Afterwards, the garage would never get rid of all the sand, all the lubricated moving parts of the lift woul be full of sand, and the car's chassis and running dear would be full of sand. Plus, you would probably accidentally sandblast parts of the frame and drivetrain.

I think the most practical approach would be: Steam clean the underside (with a real steam cleaner, not a power washer), then go over it with wire brushes, flap sanding disks, or those 3M rust and paint removing pads. Finally, paint it with some thing designed to go over small amounts of rust.

Doug

[Elcastor]

I worked with a professional painter/ classic car restorer and he used Rust Mort for almost every repaint application. He thought it was the best!

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Considering that most of the bottom side of a Tudor is wood (with the exception of the rear seat pan), I am assuming you are speaking of the subrails ....which most are obscured by the frame and/or body aprons. So just a question/suggestion, what would happen if once or twice a year you would spray a heavy dose of Penetrating Oil over the entire bottom side?

What I am wrestling with is are you really curing the rust issues by the methods described above, ...or giving yourself a false sense of security? I often use the phrase "exactly where do we sever the bleeding artery?" ...meaning where do we start and stop? Lifting the body sounds like a great plan, ...and it would be even better if the body were then mounted onto a rotisserie where everything could be rotated into proper view. Heck, why don't we go ahead and remove the 4 floorboards and tape up the interior where we can thoughly do both sides of those subrails. Matter of fact, you might should remove the lower upholstery panels so we can gain access to the seat pans and subrail area there too. Then you gotta paint it thoroughly so you better tape up/remove the interior upholstery so-as not to get overspray on it. Keeping with this silly mindset, before you know it you are WAY past the simple thought of preservation and into restoration (especially if you find hidden rustout or cracks). So, --will a couple of annual dosings of penetrating oil curb the rusting enough to preserve what you have for another decade or two until the vehicle is "re-restored" again? Most Model A's that I know need to be 'freshened' after 40-50 years on the previous restoration. Maybe your areas of concern could wait until the next go-around?

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Considering that most of the bottom side of a Tudor is wood (with the exception of the rear seat pan), I am assuming you are speaking of the subrails ....which most are obscured by the frame and/or body aprons. So just a question/suggestion, what would happen if once or twice a year you would spray a heavy dose of Penetrating Oil over the entire bottom side?

What I am wrestling with is are you really curing the rust issues by the methods described above, ...or giving yourself a false sense of security? I often use the phrase "exactly where do we sever the bleeding artery?" ...meaning where do we start and stop? Lifting the body sounds like a great plan, ...and it would be even better if the body were then mounted onto a rotisserie where everything could be rotated into proper view. Heck, why don't we go ahead and remove the 4 floorboards and tape up the interior where we can thoughly do both sides of those subrails. Matter of fact, you might should remove the lower upholstery panels so we can gain access to the seat pans and subrail area there too. Then you gotta paint it thoroughly so you better tape up/remove the interior upholstery so-as not to get overspray on it. Keeping with this silly mindset, before you know it you are WAY past the simple thought of preservation and into restoration (especially if you find hidden rustout or cracks). So, --will a couple of annual dosings of penetrating oil curb the rusting enough to preserve what you have for another decade or two until the vehicle is "re-restored" again? Most Model A's that I know need to be 'freshened' after 40-50 years on the previous restoration. Maybe your areas of concern could wait until the next go-around?

I like that idea even better. When I refurbished this car 31 years ago, I got into the inside panels and did what prep and paint I could there, but I didn't address the underside. It is mostly that rear seat panel that concerns me. The car was ow mileage and stored inside when I got it in 1961, and has been stored inside ever since, so I'm not up against a lot of damage. I just want to keep it from getting too much worse in the next 20 years, which is about as long as I expect to have it. Thanks Brent.

[Vanspeed]

I agree with Brent. My coupe is a survivor original paint with tons of patina and I coat it about twice a year in oil and it hasn't done any more aging. None at all. It will pickup dirt and dust but wipe it down once a year before oiling and you'll be good.

[Ross/Kzoo]

If you used penetrating oil (WD 40) what if you decided a few years later that you wanted to paint the undercarriage? Would there be some way to remove the oil and paint the surface?

[bob p]

you can also clean it with 00 steel wool and go-jo, looks great, for longer lasting result coat with a thin coat of boiled linseed oil. it will dry and not attract dust. I have many original paint cars and it looks nice and original.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Ross/Kzoo

If you used penetrating oil (WD 40) what if you decided a few years later that you wanted to paint the undercarriage? Would there be some way to remove the oil and paint the surface?

Yes, start with soap & water first. Clean with Wax & Grease Remover and there will be no problems.

[Chris in WNC]

our unrestored Coupe had light surface rust on the entire underside when purchased in 2004. unfortunately I did not have a lift then as now.

I hit the areas I could reach, lightly, with a wire brush then spread a sheet of plastic to protect the floor and hosed it down generously with Ospho from a pump sprayer. 1-2 days later used a scraper to take off the dried Ospho bubbles and runs, sprayed the whole underside with satin black rattle can Rustoleum. it was a very unpleasant job, but the results still look very good. next project like this will be done on the lift and with a real paint gun!

I like Brent's suggestion to stabilize it with oil. did that to similar rust under our 37 Plymouth. used gear oil has a nice clingy texture, I just painted it on with a brush.