Mwilliamshs
Explorer
My rear floor has some surface rust scattered about, mostly light stuff but I'm sure there are a couple spots with pitting, and I'm sure a few (dozen?) screw holes too. I'll grind the holes flat and weld them up with a copper paddle and either my little flux-core box or the MIG if I find some extra time for a trip to the farm. The bare metal will be primed then the rust taken care of (see below) and the whole floor painted at once, maybe (see below). My question is about the surface rust.
My first thought is do it right! Get after the floor with a wire brush and some sandpaper, etc and get all the even questionable spots down to bare, shiny steel and wipe it down then use self-etching primer, scuff the rest of the floor, then get some good hard paint on top of everything. The surface needn't be perfect aesthetically because A) it's a 1989 van and B) it'll be covered by several layers of other stuff. The paint is just to protect the metal from future abrasion and rust.
My second thought is do it quick! Clean the floor (nylon scrub brush, then a pre-paint wipe down) and use a spray-on "rust converter" product followed by some spot-primer then paint just the affected areas.
Option 3 is a mix of the first 2, use the rust-converter to treat rust rather than physically remove the rust but then scuff and paint the whole area.
Considering I've gotta weld up holes, and prime then paint them either way, the total time difference between methods 1 and 2 is maybe 50% (day, maybe 2 vs half day, maybe a day) and the difference between 2 and 3 is about another 50% I'd reckon.
So here's my question, WWYD?
Incidentally, my typical paint preference for stuff like this (welding projects, trailers, etc...where durability counts more than a perfect match or finish) is Valspar Tractor & Equipment with their enamel hardener mixed in. VERY tough stuff and not too expensive.
My first thought is do it right! Get after the floor with a wire brush and some sandpaper, etc and get all the even questionable spots down to bare, shiny steel and wipe it down then use self-etching primer, scuff the rest of the floor, then get some good hard paint on top of everything. The surface needn't be perfect aesthetically because A) it's a 1989 van and B) it'll be covered by several layers of other stuff. The paint is just to protect the metal from future abrasion and rust.
My second thought is do it quick! Clean the floor (nylon scrub brush, then a pre-paint wipe down) and use a spray-on "rust converter" product followed by some spot-primer then paint just the affected areas.
Option 3 is a mix of the first 2, use the rust-converter to treat rust rather than physically remove the rust but then scuff and paint the whole area.
Considering I've gotta weld up holes, and prime then paint them either way, the total time difference between methods 1 and 2 is maybe 50% (day, maybe 2 vs half day, maybe a day) and the difference between 2 and 3 is about another 50% I'd reckon.
So here's my question, WWYD?
Incidentally, my typical paint preference for stuff like this (welding projects, trailers, etc...where durability counts more than a perfect match or finish) is Valspar Tractor & Equipment with their enamel hardener mixed in. VERY tough stuff and not too expensive.
Last edited:
