What do I do about this rust?

2000ltd

Sustaining Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2025
Messages
248
Reaction score
50
Points
28
Location
Daytona Beach Florida
Buick Ownership
2000 Lesabre Limited
I was taking off my wheel well trim pieces and when I pulled the last one off I saw a small rust "bubble". It is the only spot of rust on the whole vehicle and I was wondering if it will spread or stay the same. And if it will spread what can I do to prevent that from happening? I live in florida so there should be no problems with rust. (The 3rd pic is from inside the wheel well)
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20251201_171613028.webp
    PXL_20251201_171613028.webp
    200.6 KB · Views: 11
  • PXL_20251201_171617034.webp
    PXL_20251201_171617034.webp
    207.1 KB · Views: 11
  • PXL_20251201_171710152.webp
    PXL_20251201_171710152.webp
    67.3 KB · Views: 11
I was taking off my wheel well trim pieces and when I pulled the last one off I saw a small rust "bubble". It is the only spot of rust on the whole vehicle and I was wondering if it will spread or stay the same. And if it will spread what can I do to prevent that from happening? I live in florida so there should be no problems with rust. (The 3rd pic is from inside the wheel well)
That will for sure spread in time. It already has spread and will continue to. Rust doesn't just start that big. It started as a tiny spot under the paint.

To stop the spreading, thats gonna have to be fixed either 2 ways.

You can grind it down until there is no more rust and attempt to fill it and then you can do a base coat blend and then clear coat the entire quarter panel. A fix like this is either a hit or miss because rust loves to spread unless you get all of it when gridning it out.

Or you can cut out that piece and some healthy metal around it and weld a new piece of metal there and skim coat with body filler and then paint. But this method can also cause rust on the welds in the future if its not done correctly.

Ive personally done the first method with success on my lesabre. The second method is tricky and I do not know how to cut and weld new metal.

Either way it will continue to spread until it rots. Good luck.
 
Ahhh, the rust cancer.... the all too common on old cars kept running forever....
Several ways to approach it, you can slow it down, but eliminate? Not happening....
Silverbullet suggested a couple ways that are good, I've done that.
Another way is a grind down and break though so there's a hole. Then on the back side, grind it clean and add a layer of fibreglass/resin.
(I do like fiberglass, tough stuff.)
Then bondo needs to be added and a ton of sanding and finally the painting....
Come back on the inter fenderwell again with woolwax....
This procedure will hold it down for a few years. But round 2 is still in the future...

Alternatively if I dont care what it looks like, I do another light grind off and brush on Permatex Extend rust cure product over it. Let cure overnite and
add a second coat the next day. Sometimes I would also cut and fit in a fiberglass bandaid over the grind off area. And again, on the inter fender well coat the hooey out of it with again woolwax.

Seems like I have had too many rust bucket cars and this is how I have dealt with them.....
For the moment, I am glad to have a generally rust free LeSabre at the moment and did the underbody woolwax thing, and hit the doors with Fluid Film to keep
it that way for a few years..... (Probably sell 2027/28)
 
I was taking off my wheel well trim pieces and when I pulled the last one off I saw a small rust "bubble". It is the only spot of rust on the whole vehicle and I was wondering if it will spread or stay the same. And if it will spread what can I do to prevent that from happening? I live in florida so there should be no problems with rust. (The 3rd pic is from inside the wheel well)
....and that is another reason why I don't like that aftermarket wheel well trim.
 
Last edited:
______________________________

Help support this site so it can continue supporting you!
Yeah the rust was hiding under there and may have been caused by the trim
there are proper ways to install but aftermarket trim is possibly just nto dimensionally good enough or the adhesive is not good one for it.
 
______________________________

Help support this site so it can continue supporting you!
I scrapped it and now am aware of a rust issue. I almost wish I'd kept them on there. I'm not sure I want to grind down the body panel. The car is pristine other than that one rust spot
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20251201_171634721.webp
    PXL_20251201_171634721.webp
    178.7 KB · Views: 5
I scrapped it and now am aware of a rust issue. I almost wish I'd kept them on there. I'm not sure I want to grind down the body panel. The car is pristine other than that one rust spot
this is a job for a body shop because its truly not hard to fix, but if you want it to be perfect paint let them
But if you want to keep it from rusting and hide the blemish with these you can try again if you wanted to
 
I scrapped it and now am aware of a rust issue. I almost wish I'd kept them on there. I'm not sure I want to grind down the body panel. The car is pristine other than that one rust spot
If the car is worth it to you and you dont know how to do this type of repair, then price out the work at some good body shops. If you leave it, it will get worse and eventually rot.
 
______________________________

Help support this site so it can continue supporting you!
Just leave one side with them and the other side without 😉
 
Just leave one side with them and the other side without 😉
I already threw them out. It is a shame because I just bought the rear driver piece that had been missing. I found a seller on eBay to sell just the one for $50. I didn't match the others so I just scrapped them all. It looks good now but there is rust from the trim holding moisture. I'm gonna take it to a body shop to deal with the rust.
 
I understand there yet another method that is promising. Grind it down just so its's level. No need to get all the rust out. Make a up a 50/50 mixture of Phosphoric acid and denatured alcohol. Spray it on the spot. It should evaporate for the most part in 15 mins. Observe the red (iron oxide) has turned black (phosphorous oxide). Seal this with primer and paint.
 
______________________________

Help support this site so it can continue supporting you!
I understand there yet another method that is promising. Grind it down just so its's level. No need to get all the rust out. Make a up a 50/50 mixture of Phosphoric acid and denatured alcohol. Spray it on the spot. It should evaporate for the most part in 15 mins. Observe the red (iron oxide) has turned black (phosphorous oxide). Seal this with primer and paint.
Even if that works, you still need to body fill the area and sand it before you prime and paint.
 
I already threw them out. It is a shame because I just bought the rear driver piece that had been missing. I found a seller on eBay to sell just the one for $50. I didn't match the others so I just scrapped them all. It looks good now but there is rust from the trim holding moisture. I'm gonna take it to a body shop to deal with the rust.
There is not rust from the trim holding moisture. A coated and painted steel panel that’s proper won’t just start rusting.
The trim can hold moisture and dirt which then abrasively wear against the surface
 
There is not rust from the trim holding moisture. A coated and painted steel panel that’s proper won’t just start rusting.
The trim can hold moisture and dirt which then abrasively wear against the surface
The back of the rust spot is clean and no rust just on the exterior side.
 
There is not rust from the trim holding moisture. A coated and painted steel panel that’s proper won’t just start rusting.
The trim can hold moisture and dirt which then abrasively wear against the surface
It may not have caused it completely, but it did contribute to it. Rust will form when there is a break in the clear coat and the base coat. Then moisture will get it and speed up the process.
 
Back
Top