Very odd area for rust to develop...has anyone seen rust here before?
Top and front of door where window meets the door...what is this area called?
Repairable, or cheaper \ wiser to hunt for better doors?
Need advice.
Thx,
JC

 

That is kind of a strange place for them to rust. From the pictures it's kind of hard to tell how hard it would be to fix but I would think that it's doable.

 

I've seen it before.

The question is, if there's rust there, where else is it?

- Eric

 

I too have seen several doors with rust in that same spot. Not sure what causes it. Also check for rust on the bottom front of the door, near the weatherstrip area where it curves around from the vertical area to the horizontal area. I've seen many doors that are rusty there & no where else.

 

Before you get too far into it you should pull the door panel & see what else is going on.

 

Do you happen to be close to salt water? When I lived in Texas the cars near the gulf coast would rust in areas like that. They would get rust holes in the tops of the fenders too.

Hope the rest of the door is solid enough to save!

 

Thanks guys for all the input.

This car is being shipped to me. It originally was made in Arlington TX. It looks like
its been a southern car most its life. No salted roads. Near Salt water is possible since
its been around the Alabama area for a long time. Could of had some time in Gulf area. Normally water \moisture doesnt puddle in this area. Yes the lower doors have the usual rust. Once car gets here I will take detail pics and of inside door. Panels are already off, so its a snap to get pics of inside of doors. The rest of car is very solid.

Here is what I got so far in way of pics:

 

The rust at the top i think is because of the seal it holds and traps moisture and we all know what happens. Juts cut it square and replace with new sheet metal make sure you can place your seal and close the door . It looks like the seal is missing in that area . I could be wrong i need to look at my doors to know lol.

 

Thats where the end of the door seal goes and the foam in the seal holds the water or salt there, it will stay wet for a long time because of the foam inside the seal is like a sponge.We in Buffalo know all to well.

 

Had the same exact thing on my 71. Moisture under the sponge WX strip. Had a very good metal shop cut the section out of another door and replaced it. Mine was on the passenger side.
AL

 

I've seen several doors rust there and nowhere else. As said above water traps under the seal.

 

Two ideas : If the owner washed the car themselves and had a well.
The south has issues with well water with heavy mineral deposits.
Fertilizer spray. A Navy buddy of mine kept finding spots on his classic olds. He found rust
in strange places not known for puddling. The weather striping and metal adjacent to it was rusting...only after he witnessed a crop duster coating his car did he realize what was happening.

 

There is a seal that goes here attached to the weather strip, my door is missing this upper seal pad that you can see here in this pic -

 

My last post was sittinga couple hours half way done...came back inside and
finished it. Now I see all these good post.

I think you all pretty much nailed it. This sponge seal was the rust magnet.

Thx for all the good info.
Shimmer, how much did this cost you?

So is the consensus to fix it?
Thx,
JC

 

Did the same to mine, the trick is to find the surplus doors (although you could fabricate).

 

Boone and Shimmer ,
What was the approximate cost? (PM me if you like)

I guess it could get tricky trying to find doors with good enough metal in that area yet not too good to use the whole entire door. I guess for some it would be important to keep original doors.

I think Id have to go fabricating route 4 practicality and cost.

 

I had a parts car to draw from, so the cost was really just my time. You could fabricate if your good with metal and have an example available. I had the good fortune of having crappy donor doors with really good inside metal at the sill, I used a cutoff wheel, mig welder (+ a little brazing to fill) and touch of bondo for finish.

 

JCM64,
I have some doors that are good in that area & could cut out those pieces if you wanted to graft them into yours.
Give me a call for more info & prices if you want.
Thanks.
Scott
c. 317-727-7041

 

Ha! I'd be a danger to the whole neighborhood! Welder and car with a gas tank...not so much!

Seriously, im very industrious, but two things im not at all - metal guy, or body guy. Sure I can do some easier stuff, sanding, etc. But metal is just not my thing... and Ive done both. Its always been Greek to me.

Thx Scott, I definitely might be calling you, once I get a plan together.
Im definitely going to do the body and paint first, just like the big boys.

 

That one picture (if its the top of the door) looks like decent green paint under the rubber. So looks to me like years of sunfading killed the paint there and the salt in the air took right to it. Bought a lunker out of FL once, coastal car.Trim inside and out looked like it was on the titanic, car rusted from top down but floors were mint. southern cars are almost worse sometimes than midwestern cars.

 

JS. Good analysis. This car is very similar to what you describe.
Interior roof has lots of surface corrosion dust on it after headliner and insulation was removed. And yet when get towards the bottom, the floorboards\pan are near mint, as is the undercarraige. The rest of body is real good too, exceptional, EXCEPT where ever there were seals and moving metal joint areas, like doors and trunk lid. where ever there was rubber seal, there are some issues. Not every inch of seal areas, but in many spots on doors and trunk lid, and seems only in these areas. Ive been working non stop on car for two weeks straight and today is first time I started posting updates.
I will post all the pics of these troubled areas this w\e. In meantime checkout my update today here -
http://cassicoldsmobile.com/forums/m...s-s-455-a.html
(did I do this right? Is there a better way to link to other threads than entire url? thx)

 

jcm 64 my 72 cutlass had rust in the same place as well on drivers door caused by seal and the screw and from memory double skin there too so water gets trapped I cut it out and remade it not a biggie just time .

 

Yep! common issue. Easy fix for a good welder. Do pull the door apart and check everyhting else. Better to do it correct the first time.

 

jcmc64, thishas nothing to do with your rust issue.....just wanted to say that your avitar pic is wicked!

Ted

 

Yes, Im going to get it fixed by welding in new metal. Rest of doors are not great, but pretty decent enough to save. Thx for all the input.
Updated better pics of the spots.

Sammy, just remind me if I forget this week re. your PM!!

 

In the past,I have cut those sections out of other doors that were junk.I have since sold a bunch,but I can see if I have any left.

 

Ok...thx. sounds good.

Thx.