jbl-1985

Folks,

I have some minor rust spots on both rear Qpanels on my 99 RX300. I want to HALT the rust from advancing. I know the drill, once rust starts...yada yada...but there are some smart people out there who have hopefully come about a solution for this. What say you!???

Thanks for any input!

JBL

salimshah

pics?

Salim

bob2200

Is it rusting from the inside or outside? Has it rusted all the way through yet?

TRDFantasy

Wow, I've never actually seen a rusted Lexus before! Even up here in Canada, where they make heavy use of road salt during winter, I have yet to see a rusted Lexus.

All the old LS400s, SC300 and SC400, GS300, and RX300 models that I see on the road have no rust on them. I once even saw the rare ES250, with no rust.

I'm curious as to how rust has developed on your RX .

jbl-1985

Well there is not a lot, but enough surface rust to be of concern over the long term. My parents used this car sparingly but had no qualms about driving it in the snow, salt, and ice during the winter. Combine any car with winter and you are playing with fire IMHO. In contrast, I have never run my '05 RX330 in the snow and it still has a showroom look.

I made some surface repairs last summer but some of that has come back, and the pictures are of last summer, as I don't have any current ones.

Behind the rim of the wheel well, I have noticed that there are two separate peices of sheet metal that come together at the edge of the wheel well, and where the rust has come back, they have separated. I hope this makes sense...

Take a look at the pics - as always, your comments are appreciated.

JBL

salimshah

Two reasons for rust there

2 different metal sheet meet. Paint [insulate] the sheets, so you do not have metal to metal contact.


There is a ledge where salt, dirt, grime can collect and when it gets wet, it stays damp longer. The moisture then helps corrosion. Solution is to wash regularly and running your fingers on the ledge to remove the accumulation and run water till runs clean. I know it is a pain, and I have had punctured fingertips when I wash my vehicles.

Salim

bob2200

In areas like you show, I think I would try a "rust converter" (e.g., http://www.theruststore.com/Rust-Con...rt-P41C10.aspx ). This is a clear liquid that converts the rust to a black stable surface for paint. I don't think I'd use this (1) for surface rust on major paint surfaces or (2) in cases where there is a hole caused by the rusting. I had many years of rust challenges/experience on a 1972 Mercedes-Benze and a 1968 Saab.

jbl-1985

Salim,

Much agreed on the process of keeping that "ledge" clean. I have done so on my 330, even though I don't run that one in the snow. My '99 I didn't own until just recently so I have this situation, but it will get solved.

Anyone have any experience with these "Rust Converters" at all??

JBL

bob2200

It does indeed seem to bond with the rust and form a hard, black, paintable surface.

jbl-1985

Bob - in your experience, does it halt the progress of the rust?

bob2200

I discovered this type of product toward the end of life of my old rust-prone Mercedes-Benz (circa-1994).

I don't think it is needed for surface rust where you can just sand down to bare metal and paint (e.g., with Rustoleum). Likewise, I found using 5-minute Epoxy and fiber-glass the rebuilding method of choice when fixing large rust-holes.

I did test the "rust converter" on rusted metal off the car and it did bond to (and possibly convert) the rust and form a hard paintable surface. I think it would work well on a sheet-metal seam, but I have not tried it long-term on a seam. I think it would also work well on a rusty battery tray, but haven't tried it.

I have been fortunate in not having a rust-prone car in the past dozen years or so. The 1968 Saab was perhaps the most rust-prone (Although it stayed outside it's entire life and lived in So. Florida (heat and humidity) most of that time). You would think that, coming from Sweden, it would have been better with rust. My father finally retired the Saab in 1996.

TRDFantasy

Looks like the rust occurred at the most vulnerable spot on the entire vehicle.

Lexus bodies and parts usually have very good rust protection and can handle many winters, given the amount of Lexus models I see on the road all the time during winter here.