POR-15

[phunka]

http://www.canada-por15.com/
Has anyone had experience, or heard of how this stuff works? I've got some rough spots on the roof, and would like to take care of them before things get worse, I'm thinking this is pretty affordable, and is Canadian.

I've got about 4-6 small rusty bubbles that have been painted over once from the previous owner. All the rust is isolated to the middle of the roof (crystal lite). The biggest patch is maybe a 2.5'' wart.

Has anyone done any repair recently?

[Firesong]

POR-15 works wonderful. I have been using it for years on some metal projects and
on the old 1974 VW westfalia. I have tried other compounds / paints / converters
and they don't seem to get close to what Por15 does. It will bond to the metal
and convert rust so try to remove as much of the paint on the rust as you can.
Just coating the paint will not accomplish what you want.

One tip: open the can, remove a small amount out of the can with a coffee
measurer into another container such as a ziplock resealable container. Make
sure you reseal the can as good as you can to keep it usable. Then use the
material in the ziplock. Also mix it up good before use. I believe the instructions
ask that you stir it up rather than shake it.

I've used the normal POR15, the stuff with filler added (makes it a bit thicker for
pock marked surfaces), the sealant goop to fill weird holes, and one other thing
I can't remember since my mind is still waking up.

J

[Dave]

I've used this stuff when I restored the chassis/floorpan on a beetle. It's good stuff for areas that aren't going to take stone chips or abrasion (so use on the roof would be fine), but it does chip easily. Make sure you get their Metal Ready, or a similar acid etch stuff, to use before hand as it helps with the paint adhesion.

A quick tip though; like firesong says, take paint out of the tin to use it, don't dip your brush in the paint (as it can cause the paint to solidify - no idea how!), but before you put the lid back on, lay a piece of cling-film/gladwrap over the top of the tin. That way it stops the lid sticking to the tin but keeps a nice airtight seal I've known people have to put a hole in the side of the tin to get paint out after the lid has become stuck completely

By the sounds of things though, you'll have some holes under the bubbles once you've dug out the rust, so you'll need more than just POR15. If it's just the roof skin, and not structural, then fiberglass and body filler should be fine and a relatively quick job.

Good luck with it!

[phunka]

Well it looks like things are worse than I thought, I was driving today and had some water leakage come from the front left corner of the light console between the crystal lites. It wasn't 'alot' of water, but enough that I'm worrying about it. I know the roof has been repaired before, and not professionaly. I knew that buying it, but still this is worse than I expected (isnt it always)

Has anyone done a roof repair that involves more than just surface rust? I'm pretty sure old, rusty metal will be cut out, and new shiny metal welded back in. I read maybe just epoxy would do too.

Or would fiberglass be an alternative? Obviously I don't want to do a band-aid job, I'd like to do it right, so I can cross this off my list of worries. But I also don't want to spend an arm and two legs.

Any insight and experiences would help a ton, this is my first ordeal with body work, so I feel abit lost. Also, I'm having a hell of a time finding any DIY type posts. Even on the UK site, maybe my search skills arent up to snuff?

I guess first step would be to take apart the paneling, and then to assess the situation. Can the paneling be taken off and left out for a couple days, while parked on the street? The windows aren't affected by the paneling being off are they?

All this will have to wait until next week, it's may long and I'm going camping!
Take it easy, and enjoy the extra day off (hopefully you all get one)
~James

[josh]

I guess first step would be to take apart the paneling, and then to assess the situation. Can the paneling be taken off and left out for a couple days, while parked on the street? The windows aren't affected by the paneling being off are they?

James,

You are correct in assuming that you can take off all the paneling without it affecting the windows or usability of the van.

All this will have to wait until next week, it's may long and I'm going camping!
Take it easy, and enjoy the extra day off (hopefully you all get one)

Have fun camping... and hope it doesnt rain!

Josh