Floor Pan Rust (and hood burn)...

[mlilly]

First off, thanks for all the help regarding multiple Bronco topics for newbies like myself...

I bought a relatively clean 1974 Bronco Ranger a few weeks ago. It has a tiny bit of rust on the floor pans, but nothing that is going to need floor pans replaced at this time I don't think. In addition, any opinions on what to do with the hood would also be appreciated...

http://marklillycorp.staging.wpengine.com/1974-bronco-ranger/

My questions is what is the best method to stop the cancer from spreading. Any insight into the process and chemicals that would be best would be greatly appreciated. I have read a few different opinions about blasting the rust and then sealing it with POR?

Thanks ahead of time.

Mark

 

[DirtDonk]

Wow, great looking rig Mark! And even though it's got bits of it, is also about as "rust-free" as most get!

The hood could have been a lot worse it looks like, but I bet it's easily taken care of. Are you going to re-paint after treating, or is that something that is down the road?
Believe it or not a good solution for medium-term coverage is some Duplicolor or Rustoleum "rust converting" primer.
Not only does it stop the rust better than normal paints (in my experiences it's stopped it dead in it's tracks for years) but actually lasts a really long time in good condition even out in the weather.

That last was a bit surprising to me, since primers (usually Epoxies) don't have a good reputation for outdoor sunning. Epoxies don't have the same UV resistance as others, but have good adhesion properties. I don't actually know if they are epoxy based or something else, but they work very well.
Don't get the type that goes on clear and turns black when it's working. I have had no luck with those at all. But the other ones are da bomb!

Anyway, so that's my way of saying for a temporary fix while you get along down the road, sand the bad parts just a bit and spray some on. It goes on smooth and even and stays fade-free for literally years in the sun.
For the floors, maybe the same treatment but you can also use some scraping, sanding (more like grinding with a flapper disc or heavy wire wheel) and treatment with Naval Jelly or the like.
It does look like some of the pieces could rust through completely in short order if you don't take care of them, so glad you're getting it done soon. But the floors do look like they'll need more prep before using the rust-converting primer.

Good luck. Several painters here on the forums and probably will have some better advice. Lots of experience hereabouts even by the non-professionals with rust mitigating.
It's a common practice among Bronco owners!

Paul

 

[mlilly]

Thanks so much for all the helpful information Paul, I really appreciate it.. Have a great weekend!

Mark

 

[suckerpunched]

If you are interested in going beyond what Paul said, you could prep the floor as he described and put a little POR 15 on the floor. It creeps into the seems really well and seals them up too. The hood, I think if it was mine, I would consider repainting the hood or maybe just the center area that got hot. Hopefully it's not warped from the heat. I guess it depends on the condition of the rest of the paint. If it's original paint or older paint with patina, I would either do nothing or just paint the center. If the rest of trucks paint is fresh I would repaint the whole hood, usually a good body shop can get the color match pretty close or blend the edge and clear coat. Or maybe better yet, remove the white decal if possible, paint the center and blend under the area where the white was and replace or repaint the white.

 

[rydog1130]

Those floor pans don't look bad at all! I would just strip them por15 them and call it good. You could always epoxy prime them then have the body shop repaint them if you decide to fix your hood

 

[tirewater]

Looks like we had similar problems.

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2869910&postcount=98

For the drivers side I:

1. Masked area with tape
2. Used paint remover to remove paint around pitted areas
3. Applied Ospho until rusted areas were gone
4. Brushed coat of Master Series Rust Sealant (similar to POR15 Silver)
5. Used filler on pits.
6. Another coast of Master Series
7. Installed carpet

The passenger side I clean, lightly sanded then applied the Master Series. Passenger side had a lot of paint lift problems.

Paint remover & Ospho were the most time consuming steps. A portable media blaster would be *much* easier.

Stay away from drill + wire brush. The metal is thin and the wire brush could eat through it. Gentle sanding would work though.

My hood has worse discoloration, likely from the Bronco being left out in the sun too long. Leave it, or repaint the hood. Oddly enough the underside of my hood is perfectly fine (underneath the dust & grime).

 

[DirtDonk]

What they said. And the thicker POR product (and sounds like the stuff tirewater used too) will act like a filler to smooth over the more serious pitting in some areas.

AT least I assume they would. Never used them myself, but with Broncos it's only a matter of time before you run into a situation where they're the cure.

Paul

 

[tirewater]

Yes, the MasterSeriesCT is a high build product. I still used a thin coat of filler over the pits though.

It was hard to actually start the process. I wasn't thrilled about removing existing paint and painting it "silver" but I did want to slow the rust process. That said, the giant globs of seam sealer that Ford left on the floor and painted over made me rethink Ford quality...and made it easier to make changes.

What they said. And the thicker POR product (and sounds like the stuff tirewater used too) will act like a filler to smooth over the more serious pitting in some areas.

AT least I assume they would. Never used them myself, but with Broncos it's only a matter of time before you run into a situation where they're the cure.

Paul