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Rust in A Pillar

diysv6

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IMG_0803 A Pillar.jpgIMG_0806 A Pillar.jpg

Gave the VZ (Sept 2004 build) a wash and polish a few days back and found this "oyster" of surface rust under the factory applied paint. It is at the bend on the A Pillar and the door sill on the passenger front door opening. Most of the oyster was visually covered by the door rubber seal, so if it was there from day-one I did not notice it. On a close-up look, it appeared as a red centre, about 6mm diameter, with a "ring" of broken paint around it.
I scraped away at the paint and the damage area ended up about 15mm long. The rust had travelled under the original paint. There doesn't seem to be a chassis/sill lap joint around the rust area. The metal is dished in about 0.5mm. There is no obvious physical damage around this area, just this dimple.
The paint may have failed and moisture has got in, or moisture has been trapped under the original primers etc. and been painted over by the Holden paint shop "robots"? Thought I might share it with you if your paint looks bubbled or cracked in the pillar areas. Treated it to some rust converter, primer/undercoat on a cotton-bud and a touch-up coat with a small brush.
 

uniacidz

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mate, i would take to a panel shop just for a inspection as that pillar is a structural part of the vehicle.

just an idea
 

Ian Johnston

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I dont think the car will fall in halves as he is driving down the road. Plenty of cars with more rust than that getting about. As the OP said, he treated it, so that will help.
 

andyman

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besides cleaning it up, treating the bare metal and applying a thin skin of filler over it an re-paint, they wouldn't do anything else about it, ive got a mate that bought a newish rodeo that has chassis rust (that you can peel) off the chassis, he tried to get it written off but they wouldn't allow it... cause its just wear and tear...
 

SavVYute

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Not too much to worry about structurally if rusting from the outside in.
It would be a worry if it was rusting from the inside of the panel to the outside though.
 

PUSHIN

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May be a month old, but I need to add that I've recently purchased a VN, it has at once point had similiar damage around the bottom of the door seal.. just being years older, MUCH nastier, I strongly advise anyone with any problem like that get it fixed asap, due to how much worse it can get, If anyone wants I can chuck some pictures up, but we're talking a ~15mm wide by ~6cm long hole? (hole hole, not just a rust patch) and a few others (slightly smaller), needless to say its not good lol, I personally don't feel its going to cause a major structural issue (unless its really bad) as the vn i've picked up would have had this for years, and it still seems OK. as far as I recall from brief inspection the shell itself seemed fairly straight (minus the hail damage on the roof :whistling )

And I actually do think some of them could be due to a rock being wedged under the seal as CONROD has said, this might be worth looking out for.. :/
 

diysv6

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A quick follow-up on the A Pillar rust spot. Thanks everyone who came up with advice and suggestions.
No further deterioration is evident where I did the repair in April. Following up comments about stones, rocks being jammed in the door rubber area, I checked around the door opening and could not locate any damage to the speaker grill/metal work on the lower corner area of the passenger side door where a rock or foreign matter, perhaps a tool or seat belt buckle could have been jammed when the door was closed. I did a closer inspection of the door rubber and no cuts, splits, bruising or surface damage is evident in the area of the rust spot. (The seat belt when extended can reach the repaired spot on the sill, but I think a jammed seat belt buckle would not normally be caught-up in that location when the door is closed). So, I am still looking for the cause of the dent and the resulting rust oyster.
 
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