Rear Side Marker Area Repair - 1978 Bus

[bretski]

Been trying to get serious about taking care of developing problem areas on Klaus (before things get out of hand).

Side markers were next on my list. The driver's side marker area was intact, but had a large rust bubble under the paint. I removed the base...yuck!



Started poking at the bubble with a putty knife and screwdriver...lots of rusty paint chunks:



Here's what was initially revealed (yes kids, that algae...can't believe how much rain we've had this year in Colorado.:



Next up, some work with the wire-wheel. Revealed pitting and a couple of pin-holes. It appears that the PO (15 years or so ago) put some filler in the area when he did the cheapo paintjob:



OK, time to break out the more serious weaponry to see how far this goes:



After about 10 minutes of sanding, I found clean metal around the entire perimeter:



Today, I'll be doing some wire-wheel work on the inside portion, treat it with some acid, then apply Masterseries to seal-up the rust. More later...

[bretski]

After one treatment with naval jelly:

[bretski]

After second treatment:



I think that's gonna be it for the phosphoric acid. All it's gonna do at this point is make the pinholes worse...sealer is up next after a bite to eat.

[skin daddio]

my hunch was outline the off-white plastic housing for the light, or outline the lens. then fill that area with someone's already open can of por-15. at least that area would be kosher. hard to say about the rest since your concerned with widening the pinholes.

[bretski]

Didn't get a chance to post these up yesterday, but here's what it looks like after the first coat of Masterseries. I put a couple small pieces of tape on the backside to cover the pinholes. The Masterseries will entomb them.





I poked at the repair this morning...it's solidifying well, so I may or may not put a second coat on there. I might just smooth out the front with some new filler, prime and paint. Decisions, decisions...

[Manfred]

Great write up! I need to do this also.

[Runamuck Bus]

Nice job, and very necessary. I'm doing something similar now also. It all started with, 'I just want to clean the contacts' and evolved to 'I guess I'll clean and polish these housings and lenses'. What do you have in mind for the rubber body seals? I have been looking for new replacements but so far, I've only seen them sold on new (repro) backing plates.

[bretski]

Thanks, fellas. I had hoped to get a second coat of rust paint on there last night, but work got in the way.

Runamuck: As far as the seals go, I've also only seen them sold with the bulb housings. OEVeedub sells housings that are made in USA and say in the notes, "Good Ones" So, these are on the "maybe" list. My housings are OK, but the seals are shot. I might just try to fab up some seals out of rubber weather-stripping...

[metric Cwrench]

bretski- what is the Masterseries stuff you're using? sounds like the por-15, but without the sealing quality. i've got many places i could use something like that on my 78 westy (where there's metal left that can yet be recovered and saved).

your work looks good, thanks for the topic.

[bretski]

bretski- what is the Masterseries stuff you're using? sounds like the por-15, but without the sealing quality.

Masterseries is a rust inhibiting sealer. Same idea as POR15, but with a couple of advantages: fewer prep steps, it contains aluminum powder for better filling, is UV resistant, and costs waaaay less than POR15. The fellow who sells it is a VW enthusiast and restorer. It's good stuff.

Weblink:
http://www.masterseriescoatings.com

[metric Cwrench]

thanks bretski, i thought it looked like a por15-type product, but wasn't sure. seems there are several other brands out there. one that i found and am looking at (it's far less volatile than the por15) is KBS coatings' rust seal series- cost $36/quart, but your masterseries is running for $56/2 quarts.

have you used the masterseries on your underbody? if so, how many quarts to cover with 2 coats?

thanks again, good info and nice to see the process.

[bretski]

More progress since Friday, but it shifted into a different direction...this is the right-lower corner of the engine hatch:



In addition to my thumb, you can also see where I cleaned-up the drain hole under the battery tray. Since there's no time like the present, ripped the old seal out to see what I was dealing with.







Let the scrubbing and sanding commence! Getting a little better:





By this time, I figured that I was already neck-deep, and may as well keep going. Last year I welded in a new battery tray, but didn't finish the project (meaning paint). Lots more scrubbing, and sanding, then I was ready for rust-sealer. Put the first coat on last night after work:

[bretski]

have you used the masterseries on your underbody? if so, how many quarts to cover with 2 coats?

thanks again, good info and nice to see the process.

I've used it in spots, yes. They also sell a black coating specifically for chassis work. As far as coverage, I would recommend that you call them directly. Chuck is the man to talk to. He's super-friendly, and (at least used to) run a couple of the biggest VW shows on the East Coast. He'll help you with any questions.

[bretski]

Forgot to take "befores" of the passenger side, but y'all got the idea...sanding, naval jelly, rust sealer.

Today, a little primer and paint:



Still needs a lot of wet sanding and another coat or two of paint, but it's now a good 23-footer.

Edit: Also, the engine lid seal I bought a couple of years ago from Bus Depot (because it was supposedly the OEM-style one) wasn't. It's an ill-fitting and poorly designed rectangle of poo.

[chitwnvw]

How'd you put the paint on? Brush or spray?