Hi, and greetings to all from the Cleveland area.

I am writing tonight to get a consensus on how to approach working with inner door lip rust on the body on my 2007 Grand Caravan.

From what I can tell, it is just the lower inside lip of the driver door skin and some of the same with the rear hatch. (fingers crossed). It seems the guy who had this before me probably only used the driver door and hatch.

There are raised rust bubbles along parts of the lower inner lip of the driver door. Along some areas this also includes the part of the lip where the outside metal is folded over and up. It appears to not be rusted through to the outer sheet yet (beside the parts of the upper edge of the folded part).

A good friend of mine, a mechanic, told me for now to wash the rusty surfaces off, then rub some vaseline over it until Spring when it gets warmer out. He also said I should look for the rust converter which turns the rust to black primer. But he also said this is "general advice".

Maybe there are some on this forum who might have had the same exact problem. If so, what did you do, and did it work?

I just want to see what my options are before I am forced to replace the doors.

Thanks
Chris

 

you could always grind out the rust yourself and paint it, rust converter is not gonna do it, you need to grind it out.

If you're not up to it, shouldn't cost too much to get it professionally repaired.

 

My '03 had a few spots like that. Had a couple body guys look at it and they both told me that on the folded edges the rust actually starts inside, so painting over it won't last long. I took off both sliding doors and the hood. Then I ground down and/or cut out the bad spots without damaging the outer skin. a little bondo, sealer and sandable primer next. I have a detail sprayer so I bought a pint of paint and did it myself since the inside of the door doesn't have to look that pretty (but it did anyway). You could always do the body work and have someone spray it. One thing I found out is that the touch-up paints don't last too long, but a pint of quality automotive paint is better. Hope this helps

 

Thanks for the replies. I guess I am a bit hesitant to grind it myself, although a body shop would be a more expensive approach. I also imagine a body shop would be more likely to catch problem spots in other areas that I might not notice.

Anyhow, since I am still in the thinking stages, what type of electric grinder should I use?

Also, after removing the rust, there will be an open gap at the bottom of the door in some areas. Would I want to approach this by putting primer on it first and then applying a bead of Bondo along the open edges to seal it shut? Or Bondo on the bare metal first and then primer over that?

Thanks
Chris

 

any angle grinder will do. I have a Makita 4". Need to be careful of the heat buildup on the part as you are grinding it. The heat could transfer to the outer skin and melt your paint. I usually apply sealer to the bare metal, then bondo, then primer and paint. If you go to a body shop, you may want to ask if they are going to cut the rust out. Some will just sand it and repaint

 

Okay, I hadn't considered that some body shops may skimp on the job. Maybe I give them too much credit just because I am unfamiliar with what they do. Well I am not afraid to roll up my sleeves, but at the same time I want to make sure I get rid of all the rust.

The big message I am getting so far is that I will need to use a grinder.

Thanks
Chris

 

Anyone try using a product like this on their vehicle? I know, outside link, but I don't work for them or represent them. Just curious if anyone has ever used something like this on a GC type of vehicle for rust prevention.
http://www.ruststop.net/ruststop®-rs-5/

Thanks
Chris