Rust protection ?

**hamburger68** · 03-05-2007, 02:36 AM

since i drive my car all year, rust protection is becoming an issue for me. so after this winter season i'll take that on, before my maro rots away under my butt.
any tips and tricks, or especially any hidden parts and corners that need extra
care?

**01Z28M6** · 03-05-2007, 03:13 AM

Keep your eye on your carpet. If it gets wet and stays wet the floor will disintegrate. I fixed mine but take a look at the purple areas.

At the axle, the area where your LCA mounts to the body has a tunnel that will hold road debris and moisture. It rots the vertical section just under the passenger seat. The bottom of the radiator core support seems to rust worse than other components. Watch the verticle section just behind the bumper cover. Pay atention to lowest part of the rear inner fenders. The inner fender seam to the quarter panels rust too. The axle housing and mounts for the brake lines are rusty spots.

As for tips; I have an assortment of small wire brushes that work by hand and go into a drill. I use a product called Chassis Saver and apply it by brush every time I'm under the car. There are other products but that's what I have on hand. Regular paint will not work after the rust begins.

**hamburger68** · 03-05-2007, 03:37 AM

that's really detailled info, thanks a lot!

**01Z28M6** · 03-05-2007, 03:56 AM

You're welcome

.

If you get the car up take a good look in the area at the back of the fuel tank. Scooting around under the car if you're on a creeper is interesting and peaceful.

I sometimes spend an hour just relaxing under there.

An unseen place for rust is the top of the front strut and it can't be seen without pulling the strut out.. There's a small hole at the top of the front inner fender that allows water to enter and lay in the pocket. Here's a picture of what happened to my 01 after 65k miles.

**hamburger68** · 03-05-2007, 07:37 AM

WOW!
yep, that's exactly what i'm trying to avoid. the weather here in hamburg is pretty similar to yours in ohio - although we have the warmest winter since decades - and my car's three years older than your 01.
still seems ok though, i just had my shocks replaced (with bilstein hd) and the guys at the shop would have told me otherwise.
is that scorpio avatar your sign? (cos i'm scorpio as well)

**1bad99ss** · 03-05-2007, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by 01Z28M6

You're welcome

.

If you get the car up take a good look in the area at the back of the fuel tank. Scooting around under the car if you're on a creeper is interesting and peaceful.

I sometimes spend an hour just relaxing under there.

An unseen place for rust is the top of the front strut and it can't be seen without pulling the strut out.. There's a small hole at the top of the front inner fender that allows water to enter and lay in the pocket. Here's a picture of what happened to my 01 after 65k miles.

where in northeast ohio do you live?

**99blueZ** · 03-05-2007, 11:05 AM

nice info - i'm definatly going to use your advise when i check my car fully when i bring it out this spring.

**jess** · 03-08-2007, 12:49 AM

Hey 01Z28M6

I have always enjoyed being under my car.

It is peaceful, and a good place to spend some time.

You can really ponder on some things down there.
Sometimes my border collie will join me under there, and like wait for the oil to stop draining, or just spend some time there.

You know, I believe only men who really get into the workings of their car
can appreciate this. I also like checking the rear end lube and looking for zerk fittings. Will winter ever end ????

My 02 ss has the A4, I see you have m6, do you check your tranny lube ?

I bought my ss in southern Wisconsin and drove back through the UP of Michigan about two months ago and got caught in a storm. Boy did I hit the car wash when I got back home. Now I can't wait for good weather so I can get underneath to rinse and check for salt that was caught in those areas you spoke of.

All the best to you guys.

jess ......

**01Z28M6** · 03-08-2007, 03:44 AM

Thanks for the friendly comments. No I haven't checked the transmission fluid yet. I've only had this 01 for a little more than a year and a thousand miles of driving. No wet spots anywhere but I think I'll change the oil out this spring just to see what's in it.

Now that there's some interest I think I'll take some pictures of the rusting areas for my own archive. I missed a golden photo shoot opportunity back when my 95's interior was gutted. There were a few tiny holes in places hard to describe up in the quarter panel area just forward of the rear wheel center-line. Another place that is weakening is the small section just past the rocker panel and before the rear wheel well. I don't know how to easily get behind that area as it is sealed in by the inner fender and pan under-body. The real rotting area though are those 60 degree slanted areas in the floor pan near the driver's left foot and front passenger right. The worst was from the lowest back pan area to the vertical rise for the back seat mounts where that horizontal seat bolt strengthened area. Horizontally it is just inside the rocker across to the center tunnel. Under the car it is just in front of the rear sub-frame and moves across to the shaft tunnel. Also, anyone interested in stopping rust in its first stages should remove the plastic rocker door step cover. Mine had surface rust in areas and more heavily around the snap in fastener holes. Chassis saver was applied liberally there before reassembly.

I have the car up on ramps now as I'm about to do a H/C swap. I'll do some more looking while at that. Cheers.

**01Z28M6** · 03-08-2007, 03:58 AM

Okay, one more post regarding those rust prone areas. On the years where the fuel and evap lines run straight down the firewall and back under the toes of the driver's left foot, there is a long flat plastic shield to cover the lines just before they make the turn toward the center of the car to go back to the tank and canister. When that flat shield was pulled down so I could move my gas lines for a sub-frame connector weld, there was a shower of rust flakes and a pork chop size hole in the floor after cleaning the rusted area away with an air chisel. This is that purple area that was fixed at the front most of the floor pan pictured above. I don't know what year GM stopped routing the lines there and eliminated the plastic cover but it was a good move. My 01 doesn't have the flap / cover.

**9t8z28** · 03-08-2007, 06:37 AM

Originally Posted by 01Z28M6

Keep your eye on your carpet. If it gets wet and stays wet the floor will disintegrate. I fixed mine but take a look at the purple areas.

At the axle, the area where your LCA mounts to the body has a tunnel that will hold road debris and moisture. It rots the vertical section just under the passenger seat. The bottom of the radiator core support seems to rust worse than other components. Watch the verticle section just behind the bumper cover. Pay atention to lowest part of the rear inner fenders. The inner fender seam to the quarter panels rust too. The axle housing and mounts for the brake lines are rusty spots.

As for tips; I have an assortment of small wire brushes that work by hand and go into a drill. I use a product called Chassis Saver and apply it by brush every time I'm under the car. There are other products but that's what I have on hand. Regular paint will not work after the rust begins.

The first and second brace from the front of the car, is where the rust will start with these cars. But, its mainly starting from the underneath where the bracing is. My 97"SS" had 136,000 miles on it when it got totaled. It is now 100% stripped, so I can see every spot where cancer is taking over.