Getting a bit worried about my van. has some surface rust and other deeper spots (photos attached) and want to nip it in the bud. Anyone have any suggestions on what to do and what to buy to stop it getting worse.....feeling nervous about the responses and anticipated disappointment.
no need to worry...given the age of the vehicle, corrosion is inevitable. the smaller rust spots can be treated with jenolite or similar, and painted over, to keep it at bay, until you're ready to tackle it properly. For this, you'll need to cut back the surrounding area with a poly disc or wheel....don't be shy...once back to bare metal, fill in any pitting/small holes with knifing putty or decent body filler (Upol is good), spot prime with a zinc rich primer-filler, flat it back, more primer-filler as necessary, flat back again, then a couple of top coats....let it go off for a week or two then polish out with G3 compound then something finer....then wax the guttering looks like minor surface rust but it will also be in the seam....as it's a major job when it goes properly, spend some time cleaning it up, and then drench it in a thin phosphoric acid based rust treatment....the gel based ones aren't as pervasive....treat as above, but consider running seam sealant over the exposed gap before primer be prepared to spend around £50 on good materials, tools and paint, for the areas in the pics you could also block the drain hole in the gutter with blu tack and pour in some white vinegar...leave it to soak for a couple of hours and wipe of the surface rust, to see what you're dealing with
Engine door looks the worst, but doesn't actually look too bad. I'd wire brush it and get back to clean metal, rust treat it and then repaint.
The obvious answer seems to be find a garage to keep it in but am having trouble finding one that it will fit in....
Thanks @vanorak thats really helpful. Can I expect to get a reasonable paint finish with that approach?
Vactan is a good rust treatment. I have used it a lot on my son's T25, it works well. Lots of good reports about Vactan on here and on the club8090 forum (for T25's). Good time to look closely elsewhere on your van and certainly underneath, probably a lot more rust around.
No*, but you'll be holding back the rust while you save up. *colour will not match unless you get ultra lucky.
Thanks @mgbman have spent a considerable amount of time under the van this summer sorting the steering out and all seems to be in good shape but will have another good look.
the final finish depends on how long you spend preparing it....as a rule of thumb, build up any filler/primer in thin layers then flat back with 240 grit, then 1000 grit wet and dry, used wet! (primer-filler is basically a two in one product ideal for minor corrosion)...in effect, you're aiming to build up the depression to just below the surrounding paint level, so when you apply the top coats, the newly painted area is slightly proud of the original.....this allows you to cut back (with polishing compound) to the original paint level without the repair looking thin, or the primer showing thru as a lighter shade
he speaks the truth unfortunately.... if you polish the area around the rust prior to treating any rust, you can take your van to an auto paint specialist and get them to do a swatch test, to get the best match....don't go off your paint code...fresh paint with the same code will not perfectly match the original
