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View Full Version : General VIN 1880 Roof Box Rust Repair and other March Projects!



Patrick C
04-06-2013, 03:29 PM
Last month I decided to use the carriage bolt method of bolting down my roof box. It turned out it wasn't lifting, but I put them in as a bulletproof measure.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17955&d=1365276590

While the T-Panel was off, I peeked into the access panel on the roof and was shocked at how much rust I found. The scary part is that once water gets in there, it can't get out. The inside was very damp and my car hadn't been wet for 3-4 months since I put it away for the winter. I am glad I caught it now, and I suggest every DeLorean owner do the same. I expect this to be just as bad a problem as frame rot and it never seems to get proper attention.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17944&d=1365276068
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17945&d=1365276072
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17946&d=1365276074

I did my best to vacuum out the chunks of rust that had fallen loose, and I took a wire brush to the areas I could reach.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17947&d=1365276174

Once I was sure the area was as clean as I could get it, I bought some rust-proofing paint from Eastwood that is supposedly even better than POR-15. Better yet, it has a long, flexible nozzle to really reach the hard to get areas.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17948&d=1365276277
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17949&d=1365276283

Once I had the area covered with the black, rustproof paint I let it dry for a few days with a fan blowing into the box. When I was sure it had dried, I used another rust-preventative Waxoyl type of paint that also had a long nozzle. This is more of a greasy/oily coating that sticks to anything and prevents rust. I let that sit for 4 or 5 days before putting the panel back on.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17950&d=1365276365
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17951&d=1365276368
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17954&d=1365276509

I also noticed that both of my door strut mounts were SEVERELY bent and pulling out of the fiberglass. I opted to go for the new style brackets that Byrne Heninger sells and they were a fast install and feel very secure.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17952&d=1365276455
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17953&d=1365276463

And then I installed some new LEDs in the doors, LED strips at the bottom of the doors, and on the underbody. The underbody lights are wired to a DMCH blank defroster switch and look great at night. Illegal to drive with, but I think they should look great at car shows.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17956&d=1365276864

Domi
04-06-2013, 04:06 PM
Amazing product to destruct the rust, the result is awesome!
By the way, great tee-shirt to match the '80 :smile:

Patrick C
04-06-2013, 08:34 PM
Amazing product to destruct the rust, the result is awesome!
By the way, great tee-shirt to match the '80 :smile:

Thanks, Domi!

Jeremy Popp
04-08-2013, 01:44 PM
Looks nice! That original door strut mount looks really bad, pretty similar to how my drivers side was. Did you end up removing the original strut brackets? Mine were causing interference with alignment on the new brackets, so I took them out. Just curious if you had any issues.

Patrick C
04-08-2013, 08:14 PM
Looks nice! That original door strut mount looks really bad, pretty similar to how my drivers side was. Did you end up removing the original strut brackets? Mine were causing interference with alignment on the new brackets, so I took them out. Just curious if you had any issues.
Thanks, Jeremy! Fortunately, I did not have to remove the original strut brackets. I guess I lucked out!