Rust bubbles on bug. What can I do??

fastmatt1 · Post by **fastmatt1** » Thu Nov 08, 2001 8:14 pm

If you don't want to paint, there is nothing you can do that will look good. but if you were to pop each bubble and sandblast (with a small spotblaster) you could then put a little filler in the pits(once thay are totally clean) and paint the affected area. Any bodyshop could perform this with great results, and blend the paint to not even notice the repair. Hope this helps.

Matt

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1966 Notch
1964 Bus
http://www.sgvwa.20m.com

DonT · Post by **DonT** » Tue Nov 27, 2001 12:59 pm

I have a bug which was painted 3 years ago. The paint still looks great but there are a few spots about the size of a dime somewhat clustered about the rear of the car just about the quarter window. One of the spots has broken through and I can see some rusty metal underneath. Anyone know the best looking way to take care of these little gremlins since I am sure the unpopped bubbles are gonna go any time.

The paint is otherwise perfect so I dont want to repaint the car or go to an expensive body shop. What can I do?????

MARTINSR · Post by **MARTINSR** » Mon Dec 24, 2001 11:39 pm

This area is notorious on bugs. Just below the vent that is behind the 1/4 windows. It is rusting from the inside out and is a BEAR to fix. You really need to cut out all the rusted area and weld in new metal. The hard part is sealing it so it doesn't happen again. The best way is after sand blasting and etch primer, eopxy primer and then use a urethane seam sealer to seal the panels inside the vent so NO water can get down between the panels.

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Always a Bug lover, just got a 72 Beetle, my first.

Glenn · Post by **Glenn** » Sat Jan 05, 2002 6:31 pm

It's alot worse than you think. It is rusting from the inside out. I had a small hole, like 1/8" across and here's what it took to fix it.

donT · Post by **donT** » Fri Jan 11, 2002 2:11 pm

Yikes!!! Glenn, that looks like quite a bit of surgery that the bug underwent there. Unfortunately for myself I think that I am gonna have to endure a similar undertaking since it appears that they rust is in roughly the same area.

Like yourself, I am not a body work kinda guy and so to as you did I think that I will find myself going to a local body shop to have some work done. I havent had to do anything like this before but I was curious as to what it might cost to do roughly the same bit of patchwork on the back by the rear window. Lastly, if you dont mind what was the rough cost of having the body work done that you did, I am always weary of those body shop guys and am afraid that I might have to take out a second mortgage whenever I go near those places

Thanks Glenn, by the way, the car looks great. Congratulations on a job well done.

david perez · Post by **david perez** » Fri Jan 11, 2002 2:45 pm

vw put foam inside the body in that area, thats the problem , the foam holds water and makes the body rust from the inside out.

you must remove the foam to stop the rust from comming back.

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DAVID, AKA HAPPY HOPPY'S CHOP SHOP
i never saw a car i did'nt want to chop

PapaG · Post by **PapaG** » Fri Jan 11, 2002 3:37 pm

I think their is some marine foam that will not absorbe water unless its cut or punchured after curing. It's differnt that the home improvement stuff.

71Vdubber · Post by **71Vdubber** » Mon Jan 14, 2002 4:43 pm

How long does it take to do a repair like Glenns?

My body has gone exactly where the brown rust is on Glenns picture, just on top of the wing, so I don't have to recreate the gutter or anything really tricky.

I have a MIG and some time, but I really need to know how difficut the repair is before I start chopping holes in the body.

Is it best to butt weld or will I need to create a step and plug weld to that?
I guess I would make the patch slightly depressed and put a thin skim of filler over it.

[This message has been edited by 71Vdubber (edited 01-14-2002).]

david perez · Post by **david perez** » Tue Jan 15, 2002 8:58 am

I butt weld repair panels myself but I have been doing it a long time and its what I prefer.
there is nothing wrong with making a "step" in fact sometimes it is recommended to maintain structural integrity, and this is one of those areas.
making a "step" alows you to keep most of the "weld" that would get ground off in preparation for finishing.
its just not pretty looking at the repair area from behinde, and belive me some customers cry about how the repair looks from behinde as well as how it looks on the surface. go figure?
figure about 3-4 hours each side to repair.

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David, aka, HAPPY HOPPY of Happy Hoppy's chop shop
cut, hammer, weld, drive.
not necessarily in that order

71Vdubber · Post by **71Vdubber** » Tue Jan 15, 2002 7:37 pm

Given that you can't see the back of the area that I'm going to fix, I think that creating a flange will be my best bet.

I wanted to do the repair myself partly because I like working on my beetle and partly because the shop wanted to charge for 6 hours per side!

donT · Post by **donT** » Thu Jan 17, 2002 8:46 am

How would one gain access to the foam that is between the body panels below and behind the area that we see rusted on glenns bug. My bug is in storage so I havent been able to sneak a peak just yet but the rust thing is just eating me alive!!!!! ANyways, if I were to cut out the rust that I have just below the air intake I of course would like to remove that cancerous foam from behind it so my car doesnt start on fire when I put the welder to it. Can access be gained from inside the car, does a panel have to be removed and if so which one and how difficult is it???

Thanks in advanced.

sinistervw · Post by **sinistervw** » Sun Jan 27, 2002 12:51 am

welcome to the club everybody! every bug i have had that has the lil vent behind the qt. windows has this evil rust problem!!! i couldnt take out my interior to fix this so i got a cut off wheel on my dremel and cut a big area out and welded a new patch in...and remove the foam and try to get som por15 back there, then fill it with marine foam (i left a lil hold in my weld to get the foam nozzle in there and keep the foam in)! im just glad i dont have this problem in my 64!

Bruce M · Post by **Bruce M** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 2:26 am

This is definately one of the tough bits to deal with.

My solution was to buy a 1300A (ie 1200 body) with no half moon vent cut in the rear quarters

Be careful with expanding foam though. I have hear of occasions where someone has over done it. The foam drys from the outside - in whilst still expanding. This means it seals at each end then expands causing the panel to bulge!!!
Be careful.

DELBERT · Post by **DELBERT** » Mon Feb 18, 2002 3:28 pm

If I's was u I'd go to the POR-15 site they have a system that that will do the job and stop the rust -at least give it a look-del