Removing Rust From A Car - Rust Fighters

After this, wire wheel all of the body sealer away from the area you need to weld. Welders need a solid metal-on-metal finish to work best, and this is the quickest and easiest way to do it. Once this is done, turn your attention to the new sheet metal.

Measure the new piece to fit the space occupied by the old rusted piece. It is best to measure a half-inch larger than you think you'll need. Once you cut it, there's no turning back. If you're wrong, it's better for the piece to be too big than too small.

Like we stated earlier, we only planned to replace the lower half the tray, so we cut it on our pre-measured point, approximately in half. Sure, a plasma cutter would be best here, but really, who has one of those in their garage?

Also, since we aren't planning to replace the lower firewall and engine seal lip, we drilled out the 12 spot welds and separated the two pieces...anyone need a new rear engine seal lip?

An important step in the process is to make sure things fit as you go along. Even though you know it won't fit perfectly, set it in the rear of the car and see how you're doing. Since we cut things a little on the large side, we've got some room for adjustment.

An important step in the process is to make sure things fit as you go along. Even though you know it won't fit perfectly, set it in the rear of the car and see how you're doing. Since we cut things a little on the large side, we've got some room for adjustment.

After a few final adjustments and test fits, the piece fits as flush as possible against the far inner fender well. If you're happy with the fit, warm up the MIG welder and remove the tarp from under the car so you don't burn it.

Start welding in both lower corners, those nearest the tunnel and transmission inspection plate. By spot welding from the front to the back, you can make sure each portion is flat and flush without any waves or buckles.

To hold down some trouble spots, use longer welds like these. It is a good idea to keep a water bottle handy to cool welds and too keep from burning yourself as you go. The water works wonders to put out small fires.

After the spot welds, everything is looking straight and solid. Next thing to do is to run a bead of welding around the entire perimeter of the new sheet metal.

A wire brush removes some of the slag and keeps any debris from contaminating the new welds.

After the welding, wire brush and grind the weld scars clean and smooth.

You'll notice the addition of the rear carpet kit rail. It is simple as drilling out the 12 spot welds and rewelding it to the new location, 14.5 inches from the firewall (but measure it for yourself).

Here's the final product. Use a sealing primer to cover all freshly exposed metal, and don't worry about the small weld scars as no one will ever see it. Most important, the car is solid once again.