Holey deck lids, Batman!

[joedogg]

So I got a bit of a rust problem on my deck lid. Doesn't seem so bad anywhere else on the car, just there.

I have a huge rust bubble that I actually put my finger through cause I wanted to test how far back it went.

So now I have a nice hole in a rusty deck lid. Any advice on changing one of these? How do they get removed?

I assume any deck lid from an '85-'89 should bolt up correctly.

Also any ideas what I can expect to pay for one of these on at a junker (unfortunately, not a u-pull-it)?

Also, any way I can possibly do a good job painting one my matching color from spray cans? I don't have an air compressor, anywhere to put one or the money to get one.

[gadget73]

I think all the trunk lids from 80-89 are the same. 4 bolts hold it on, very simple to remove. Open the trunk, you'll see the bolts attaching it to the hinges, remove the bolts, and unplug the harness that feeds from the right side hinge up to the trunk light. Connector is right there near the hinge on the passenger side. No idea what you'd pay for one in your area, but I would not imagine more than 60 bucks. If you're lucky you might even find one in the same color so you wont have to paint. Call around, someone might have one.

[JoshMcMadMac]

You're not going to get good results using spray cans. I'm don't know what color your car is, but you should be able to take the replacement decklid in to a reputable shop and have them paint match it for no more than a few hundred. You're best bet is to check around and get some quotes.

[87 town]

So I got a bit of a rust problem on my deck lid. Doesn't seem so bad anywhere else on the car, just there.

I have a huge rust bubble that I actually put my finger through cause I wanted to test how far back it went.

So now I have a nice hole in a rusty deck lid. Any advice on changing one of these? How do they get removed?

I assume any deck lid from an '85-'89 should bolt up correctly.

Also any ideas what I can expect to pay for one of these on at a junker (unfortunately, not a u-pull-it)?

Also, any way I can possibly do a good job painting one my matching color from spray cans? I don't have an air compressor, anywhere to put one or the money to get one.

Regarding the paint color. All you can really hope for from the spray can is to get "close to the original color". Your other paint is older and hard to match, but being black, you could get fairly close. Dupli- Color paint from the can seems to be the closest to the factory black I have found. The book at the auto parts store will give you the right number.
Dont need a compressor. Just sand lightly and rough up the exsisiting paint. Could use a small circular or electric block sander. Use, maybe 600 or 800 grit for this. Then fill in any knicks, below the paint, with Bondo Glazing compound and sand it smooth and level. Shoot some grey primer over the part and lightly sand that flat with finer grade of paper. Maybe 800 to 1000 grit, and just dry sand. Wipe clean all the dust, no chemicals though over the primer...Certain tack racks are bad also and leave chemicals. The best way now to see if you have any indentations/knicks, you may have missed missed is to take "another color" primer. Darker or lighter and respray the whole surface and then re sand again with a sanding block. Any cuts, scrathes, etc that remain will now be easily spotted in the "other" color of the primer left on so you can now fill in those knicks with the Glazing Compound. Just smooth over the cut with a small putty knife. Let dry and sand level. Hit the spot with some primer again and sand smooth. Spray with your black paint, a few good coats is ideal. Let each "light" coat dry at least a few minutes between coats. Let paint dry now, at least overnight. "longer" if the air is humid. Wet sand over the paint, "very" lightly by hand, or use a sanding block, with like 1200 to even 1600 grit. Keep the paper wet and keep moving. Object here is to smooth out any little bumps or runs in the paint. Paint will now look dull and scratchy, dont worry about it. After that, get some 3M "fine" rubbing compound and work it with a buffer to get the paint nice and flat and all smooth and bring the shine back. (This is one reason why you want a few coats of paint on there, so you will have paint to bring forward after rubbing compound). Again, keep the buffer moving and you dont need too much forward pressure. I usually use a circular buffer. About $25. for a new one. Use the "terry cloth" buffer cloth with the rubbing compound. It may take hours to get your paint nice and flat, smooth and shiny, so take your time. After that, put some good wax over the paint with a soft like lambswool material cloth. I usually use the same circular buffer for this. Your new paint, may in the beginning, especially look like it doesnt match well, but as it ages some, over a month or two you should start to notice that the color blends a little better with your original black.
BTW, you could also save the part your have now and just get rid of the rust, fill it in and repaint. I have taken care of 3" rust circles myself already. Cleaned out the rust, treated the metal with naval jelly, filled in with screen from the rear, worked with some bondo and glaze and primer and paint and you cannot tell where the rust ever was. The big cost for paint jobs is not the actual painting. 90% of the time is spent on the prep work.
About 4 years ago I was wanting to get my car painted and I got a couple estimates. Had rust spots and fading and scratches and some little dents. Thousands of dollars......forget about it! Instead I bought a book on "How To Paint Your Car", which was a great step by step tutor. Took my time and got the entire car ready for new paint. Took it to Macho already primed and just spent a few hundred dollars for them to spray on a few coats of black paint. I fine sanded and rubbed it all out myself. Came out really well and I saved lots of money. Now, if I get a scratch, rust or knicks or any light damage, I take care of it myself!
Anyhow, good luck! You can do it!

[joedogg]

Alright sounds pretty good. I'm going to try what 87 town suggested. I cannot fathom spending a couple hundred bucks on it, since the rest of the car dosen't look so hot anyway. I really would rather do it myself.

Thanks a lot for writing all of that, 87. I'll call a few salvage yards and see what I can dig up. I might even try to do my existing decklid just by taking out and tarping over the trunk one weekend and working on it on my balcony/porch/deck thing. Apartment living sucks. Wire mesh huh? thats not a bad idea at all. What is this naval jelly you speak of and where do you get it? If I can stop this rust cold I'd just as soon use the existing decklid. I'm going to try to repaint it while I'm at it. The way I see it, even a coat of flat black wal mart spray paint will look better than the peeling faded grey/rust/black/white thing thats on there.

Hopefully it'll be not too hard, just time consuming.

So basically just naval jelly/sand paper and something to chip away are all thats needed to remove the rust. Afterward I'll hit it with bondo and sand smooth. Seems easy enough. I might have to buy a sander here, but I've meant to.

I already have a buffer/polisher. My friend got it for me for my birthday when I bought the car. Which was, coincidently enough, the day before my birthday.

[87 town]

Alright sounds pretty good. I'm going to try what 87 town suggested. I cannot fathom spending a couple hundred bucks on it, since the rest of the car dosen't look so hot anyway. I really would rather do it myself.

Thanks a lot for writing all of that, 87. I'll call a few salvage yards and see what I can dig up. I might even try to do my existing decklid just by taking out and tarping over the trunk one weekend and working on it on my balcony/porch/deck thing. Apartment living sucks. Wire mesh huh? thats not a bad idea at all. What is this naval jelly you speak of and where do you get it? If I can stop this rust cold I'd just as soon use the existing decklid. I'm going to try to repaint it while I'm at it. The way I see it, even a coat of flat black wal mart spray paint will look better than the peeling faded grey/rust/black/white thing thats on there.

Hopefully it'll be not too hard, just time consuming.

So basically just naval jelly/sand paper and something to chip away are all thats needed to remove the rust. Afterward I'll hit it with bondo and sand smooth. Seems easy enough. I might have to buy a sander here, but I've meant to.

I already have a buffer/polisher. My friend got it for me for my birthday when I bought the car. Which was, coincidently enough, the day before my birthday.

I just typed a lot of info and then lost it.....what a drag. anyhow. here is a quick list of what you need.
1) Bondo Glazing compound (comes in a tube, orange paste). around $6. ??
2) Small container of Bondo with hardener tube and Bondo screen. Screen is self sticking on one side. All you need is a peice that is about 3" all around larger that the hole.
3) 1 1/2" and 3-4" putty knife. Plastic or metal, so long as the edge is real smooth
4) 1 can dupli color black paint. Book will give you the code # for your Ford Black color
5) 1 can finishing primer
6) Sandpaper. 2-3 sheets each 600 grit-800 and 1200 Best to buy as individual sheets at Hardware store rather than packages. Black sandpaper for metal.
7) NAVAL JELLY.. Hardware store or maybe auto supple. about $5. for the container. comes in a spray on type bottle. Pink color jelly like material for treating raw metal to sezie rust and treat metal. US Navy came up with this stuff long ago for rust on ships. great stuff.
8) Griner or dremmel would be nice to work the metal in the rust area.
9) Fine rubbing compound. 3M is the best and is at Auto Paint Shops. this is what the pros use. smallest container is about $20. though. you may get another brand, so long as it is fine grade and the goal is to flatten paint out and get rid of burrs. Once you successfully do this job though you will want the large container cuz you will want to buff out the whole car and take care of all your knicks and ascratches.
10) terry cloth type buffer pad and lambs wool soft pad. to fit over your circular buffer.
11) Something to clean off all the wax off the paint for the area. Even Windex will work, but have to remember to clean off with water before putting any paint over it.
12) Flat hand sanding block, or something with a smooth surface for sanding and you could even cover something like a paint stir stick for bevel or round edges.
13) Car wax for afterwards.. you probably already have.

I "think" these are all the materials you will need and you will have left overs too for next time!
Happy to help you here. I will list a better basic step by step on what to do on another post and you could also pm me if you like.
If I forgot any materials I will pick up on them with the step by step.
You are gonna be sooo happy and proud of yourself after this!

[joedogg]

This sounds real good, one thing I'm curious about though. The hole is on the edge of the deck lid. Right where the Lincoln logo is. I'm sure there isn't enough room on that particular surface for 3" overlap on the top. Will it be okay if I just overlap it on the sides and whatever I can on the top of the hole?

[Mr Wiggl3s]

I still got that tut you have me, ill post it here and add it to common probs

[87 town]

Basic steps........THIS IS JUST instruction to take care of the spot. Don't think the whole lid needs to be done. Shoot a pic out here if you can..BTW, if the rust area is small, like I think it is, you can probably just work with the glaze compound and forget the bondo and screen. The bondo and screen is only needed if you have a hole that is at least an inch big and gone all the way through the metal. You may not know for sure till you sand out the area, then take a survery.
1) Sand out, (600 grit), grind, dremmel, etc to get the rust area totally clean from the rust so that the area is surrounded by metal "only" for approx. 2-3" circiling the original rust spot. You may have some streaked rust spots left cannot sand out. that's okay. okay if you have dug a hole right in the metal and you have an opening. You will put the screen mesh on the rear anyhow. If you dont end up with a definite hole. You wont need the screen anyhow and the rust has not gone all the way through, which is a good thing.
1a) Now is a good time to use your Windex or something to get wax off the surrounding paint and then rinse the windex off with clean water.
2) Soak (dab on), Naval Jelly onto the metal and let sit for about 5 minutes. The left over rust you could not sand out will turn black and the clean metal will change color also. Rinse with "clean" water. Repeat again...
3) Sand with 600 grit paper any high spots, rings from the surrounding paint. just dont want any sharp or high and loose edges of paint.
4) Mask tape any area of metal or chrome nearby that maay get sprayed on. DONT tape over any other black paint in the area though. Overspray with the black paint (eventually) is fine. Just dont want to spray your metal or glass,,,etc.
5) Get a good direct shot of primer onto the bare metal for protection. try not to overspray onto here. if it runs it is okay. the primer at this point is "just" to protect the metal. NEVER leave bare metal exposed, even for one night.
6) If you have a hole in the metal at least an inch or two big and you are through the metal then follow this for the use of the screen. If not, forget this step all together. Cut the screen to be about 2-3" large than the hole and stick on from the rear of the hole. If you cannot access the rear, cut a smaller peice and just fit over the hole area itself from the front. Cut off or primp down any metal from the screen from sticking up. The "ONLY" purpose for the screen is to give the bondo a place to sit on, like a plaster guy would use as a base for his plaster. After the screen is in place, knife over bondo, pressing it into the screen. If you placed the screen in from the rear, run bondo over the entire screen and over the edges, as if to glue it in place. The bondo will act as a glue in this case. If from the front, just lay enough bondo over the screen and up to the painted edge left after your sanding. Try and feather it just over the paint.
7) If no screen used cuz hole didnt need it.....then just knife your orange glazing compund in a thin layer over the hole, metal and meeting up to the painted area. Dont put the glaze on heavy. thin coats of maybe 1/16 or 1/32 " layers. Let it dry in layers. You can even aim heat at it from a heater to speed up the process. It will turn from dark orange to lighter to know it is dry enough to sand.
Object here is to lay enough glaze, and sand smooth between coats,till you are slightly over the painted area you didnt sand.
8) Sand the glaze compound with 800 grit paper. You would also do this glaze over the bondo if you used bondo and screen, but first sanding the bondo smooth. Hopefully you didnt use much bondo. Keep it thin.
9) Sand the surrounding painted area around your work, maybe 3 to 5 inches out with the 800 grit paper using the sanding block till you are satisfied that the whole area is smooth. rub your hand over it constantly to feel for waves. You can lay a paint stir over the area too and see if there are any openings under the stick where it may not be level. Work with more glaze compound and re sand and re look. This is about "the touch" of a body man. Don't sand so hard on the new glaze that you put your good work out of level. Just tenderly work the area.
10) Aiming "only' at your new glazed work, shoot some primer. You want to try and avoid overspray as much as you can on the painted areas. You can hold up a peice of paper or cardboard in the area as a protection but DONT LAY the cardbord over your painted area. YOU NEVER want any sharp lines on your good paint that will cause you more work later. Some misted overspray is okay and we will deal with that later. The object here is to allow for some overspray, rather than dealing with paint edges later. Try to keep the primer over your work only. Use 800 or the 1200 grit paper now to sand the primer using the sanding block, rather than by hand so you can see your low spots clearly. The reason at this point for the other color primer is to spray the other color and sand and the low spots will be clear in the other color. One color will work though, just harder to see where maybe you need more glaze. Work this as many times as needed to get this whole area to be smooth as posisble.
11) Now you can spray your black paint over the work area and allow for some drift over onto your already painted areas. it's okay. Thin coats. The only place you have taped off is the metal or your logos or window glass. Good to wear a paper mask also...
Let the paint dry between coats a minute or two. After the first couple of light coats you should now be able to see any flaws in your work....the black paint is merciless..
If you have flaws, knicks or low spots, let the paint dry, at least 15 to 30 minutes and then "lightly" knife on some more glaze. dont dig into the paint...all about "the touch" again. Just get the glaze where you need it and dont bulk it on. Let the glaze dry and lightly sand smooth with 1200 grit paper, or carefully with 800 grit. NO MORE 600 grit anymore...no need for more primer either. You are just working withglaze and black paint from now one till you are satisfied that all is smooth... whalla! now you just have to wait at least one full day for the next step.
12) WET SAND now. sound like a big deal, but real easy. get a container of water and your 1200 grit paper and go over in different directions over your new paint. you are working on getting the paint smooth, rub your hand and feel the burrs and sand ther and any runs can be sanded smooth. CRITICAL you keep the paper wet. You may even use a spray bottle with clean water rather than dipping the paper. Use your "touch" and get off any imperfections with the wet sanding. Don't bother to wet sand onto your already painted areas. We will deal with the overspray next another way.
13) You can go right into rubbing compound now to smooth out the paint and bring back the shine. Small amount of compound are all you need. Either put on the car or on the buffer itself. Just be careful when you start the buffer, if you have compound on there it will spin all over the place. Usually I put the compound on the car in a few areas and then roll the buffer across it to spread it out some and then start the buffer. Again, the touch of not staying in the same place too long and going back and forth and up and down and round and round till you get the whole area smooth like a baby's butt. Use as much compound as you need. You dont really want to remove any layers of paint, but just flatten out what you have and make it smooth. BTW, you are using the Terry Cloth" buff at this time. NOW is also when you work your way over to the other areas of your original paint where you may have oversprayed before. Work the buffer and see it dissapear and blend right in. Good time to buff out the whole lid at this time anyhow. Will make a major difference in the look you will have in general.
14) Final step. Switch over to the lambs wool or soft cloth and put a buff in a couple coats of wax...
Done! WOW i wrote a lot. slow at work today...lol.... post any quesitons on this or pm me if you like.
You CAN do this and then you will surely venture into other areas of your car that need attention too!

[87 town]

This sounds real good, one thing I'm curious about though. The hole is on the edge of the deck lid. Right where the Lincoln logo is. I'm sure there isn't enough room on that particular surface for 3" overlap on the top. Will it be okay if I just overlap it on the sides and whatever I can on the top of the hole?

yeah, that is fine. each situation is a bit different. can you remove the logo to work easier and get to the root of the problem? this is probably the reason the rust started there are at all. metal against the paint will do it every time. you may not even need screen and bondo either. Only if the hole is all the way through the metal. You may be able to just work with the Glazing compound, but in "any" case you must clean the meatl and use the Naval Jelly. Bondo and screen is only used if the hole is large and deep. I just did a long post, hopefully addressing that.

[Mr Wiggl3s]

Basic steps........THIS IS JUST instruction to take care of the spot. Don't think the whole lid needs to be done. Shoot a pic out here if you can..BTW, if the rust area is small, like I think it is, you can probably just work with the glaze compound and forget the bondo and screen. The bondo and screen is only needed if you have a hole that is at least an inch big and gone all the way through the metal. You may not know for sure till you sand out the area, then take a survey.
1) Sand out, (600 grit), grind, dremmel, etc to get the rust area totally clean from the rust so that the area is surrounded by metal "only" for approx. 2-3" circiling the original rust spot. You may have some streaked rust spots left cannot sand out. that's okay. okay if you have dug a hole right in the metal and you have an opening. You will put the screen mesh on the rear anyhow. If you dont end up with a definite hole. You wont need the screen anyhow and the rust has not gone all the way through, which is a good thing.
1a) Now is a good time to use your Windex or something to get wax off the surrounding paint and then rinse the windex off with clean water.
2) Soak (dab on), Naval Jelly onto the metal and let sit for about 5 minutes. The left over rust you could not sand out will turn black and the clean metal will change color also. Rinse with "clean" water. Repeat again...
3) Sand with 600 grit paper any high spots, rings from the surrounding paint. just dont want any sharp or high and loose edges of paint.
4) Mask tape any area of metal or chrome nearby that maay get sprayed on. DONT tape over any other black paint in the area though. Overspray with the black paint (eventually) is fine. Just dont want to spray your metal or glass,,,etc.
5) Get a good direct shot of primer onto the bare metal for protection. try not to overspray onto here. if it runs it is okay. the primer at this point is "just" to protect the metal. NEVER leave bare metal exposed, even for one night.
6) If you have a hole in the metal at least an inch or two big and you are through the metal then follow this for the use of the screen. If not, forget this step all together. Cut the screen to be about 2-3" large than the hole and stick on from the rear of the hole. If you cannot access the rear, cut a smaller peice and just fit over the hole area itself from the front. Cut off or primp down any metal from the screen from sticking up. The "ONLY" purpose for the screen is to give the bondo a place to sit on, like a plaster guy would use as a base for his plaster. After the screen is in place, knife over bondo, pressing it into the screen. If you placed the screen in from the rear, run bondo over the entire screen and over the edges, as if to glue it in place. The bondo will act as a glue in this case. If from the front, just lay enough bondo over the screen and up to the painted edge left after your sanding. Try and feather it just over the paint.
7) If no screen used cuz hole didnt need it.....then just knife your orange glazing compund in a thin layer over the hole, metal and meeting up to the painted area. Dont put the glaze on heavy. thin coats of maybe 1/16 or 1/32 " layers. Let it dry in layers. You can even aim heat at it from a heater to speed up the process. It will turn from dark orange to lighter to know it is dry enough to sand.
Object here is to lay enough glaze, and sand smooth between coats,till you are slightly over the painted area you didnt sand.
8) Sand the glaze compound with 800 grit paper. You would also do this glaze over the bondo if you used bondo and screen, but first sanding the bondo smooth. Hopefully you didnt use much bondo. Keep it thin.
9) Sand the surrounding painted area around your work, maybe 3 to 5 inches out with the 800 grit paper using the sanding block till you are satisfied that the whole area is smooth. rub your hand over it constantly to feel for waves. You can lay a paint stir over the area too and see if there are any openings under the stick where it may not be level. Work with more glaze compound and re sand and re look. This is about "the touch" of a body man. Don't sand so hard on the new glaze that you put your good work out of level. Just tenderly work the area.
10) Aiming "only' at your new glazed work, shoot some primer. You want to try and avoid over spray as much as you can on the painted areas. You can hold up a piece of paper or cardboard in the area as a protection but DON'T LAY the cardboard over your painted area. YOU NEVER want any sharp lines on your good paint that will cause you more work later. Some misted overspray is okay and we will deal with that later. The object here is to allow for some overspray, rather than dealing with paint edges later. Try to keep the primer over your work only. Use 800 or the 1200 grit paper now to sand the primer using the sanding block, rather than by hand so you can see your low spots clearly. The reason at this point for the other color primer is to spray the other color and sand and the low spots will be clear in the other color. One color will work though, just harder to see where maybe you need more glaze. Work this as many times as needed to get this whole area to be smooth as posisble.
11) Now you can spray your black paint over the work area and allow for some drift over onto your already painted areas. it's okay. Thin coats. The only place you have taped off is the metal or your logos or window glass. Good to wear a paper mask also...
Let the paint dry between coats a minute or two. After the first couple of light coats you should now be able to see any flaws in your work....the black paint is merciless..
If you have flaws, knicks or low spots, let the paint dry, at least 15 to 30 minutes and then "lightly" knife on some more glaze. dont dig into the paint...all about "the touch" again. Just get the glaze where you need it and dont bulk it on. Let the glaze dry and lightly sand smooth with 1200 grit paper, or carefully with 800 grit. NO MORE 600 grit anymore...no need for more primer either. You are just working withglaze and black paint from now one till you are satisfied that all is smooth... whalla! now you just have to wait at least one full day for the next step.
12) WET SAND now. sound like a big deal, but real easy. get a container of water and your 1200 grit paper and go over in different directions over your new paint. you are working on getting the paint smooth, rub your hand and feel the burrs and sand ther and any runs can be sanded smooth. CRITICAL you keep the paper wet. You may even use a spray bottle with clean water rather than dipping the paper. Use your "touch" and get off any imperfections with the wet sanding. Don't bother to wet sand onto your already painted areas. We will deal with the overspray next another way.
13) You can go right into rubbing compound now to smooth out the paint and bring back the shine. Small amount of compound are all you need. Either put on the car or on the buffer itself. Just be careful when you start the buffer, if you have compound on there it will spin all over the place. Usually I put the compound on the car in a few areas and then roll the buffer across it to spread it out some and then start the buffer. Again, the touch of not staying in the same place too long and going back and forth and up and down and round and round till you get the whole area smooth like a baby's butt. Use as much compound as you need. You dont really want to remove any layers of paint, but just flatten out what you have and make it smooth. BTW, you are using the Terry Cloth" buff at this time. NOW is also when you work your way over to the other areas of your original paint where you may have oversprayed before. Work the buffer and see it dissapear and blend right in. Good time to buff out the whole lid at this time anyhow. Will make a major difference in the look you will have in general.
14) Final step. Switch over to the lambs wool or soft cloth and put a buff in a couple coats of wax...
Done! WOW i wrote a lot. slow at work today...lol.... post any quesitons on this or pm me if you like.
You CAN do this and then you will surely venture into other areas of your car that need attention too!

Wowz you type all that... damn

[joedogg]

Thank you! I didn't expect such an excellent tutorial! Yes I will end up with a hole because I've already created one. The thing is very badly rusted in that spot, and the paint in the whole thing looks like crap. I really just want to redo the whole thing when I get to painting it.

[87 town]

Thank you! I didn't expect such an excellent tutorial! Yes I will end up with a hole because I've already created one. The thing is very badly rusted in that spot, and the paint in the whole thing looks like crap. I really just want to redo the whole thing when I get to painting it.

Thanks, glad to try and help. okay if the hole is larger and all the way through, then you will need the screen and a small amount of bondo. Rather then just go ahead and paint the whole trunk right away, you may consider rubbing out the whole trunk lid with the compound first using the terry cloth buffer and the 3m compound. You will be surprised what the rubbing compound will take off as far as stains and scuffs and discolorations. You can also repair scratches/knicks with the glaze compound and spot spray the areas and wet sand before your rub it all out. Then I would stand back and take a look. If you arent happy then go into the whole trunk with new paint. Using cans though, for the whole lid is tough and likely to come out uneven no matter how hard you work at it. A lagre area is best sprayed with constant pressure and a pro spray gun.
If you dont like the results after rubbing it out, you may consider to sand/rough up the lid with a 600 grit and then prime with the spray cans and sand smooth with 800 or 1200 grit and get it perfect, "then" get a price from a painter to simply and "only" spray the paint. Bring him the lid. Just to spray it wont cost that much since you have done all the prep work and will also wet sand and rub out the new paint he puts on. This is where the cost comes in. You can probably make a deal with a small body shop guy. Will take him 30 minutes to just spray the paint.
Its all fun man. Get good at it and you can turn any car around. P.S. Stay "away" from clear coat paint. Go with enamel/laquer mixes, no clear coat. This way when you get a knick or scratch you can repair it yourself in just the little sections needed with glaze and can spray paint and rubbing compound. With Clearcoat, you pretty much have to do the whole panel or lid at once after you sand off all the clearcoat. With enamel, you can rub and repair just the spots forever! I bought a compressor and a spray gun at one point. spent about $350.- $400 and was going to paint my whole car. didnt work out. I was putting it on okay as a test, but couldnt come up with a dust free enviorement and proper ventilation. hair and dust was getting in the paint and i almost choked to death...lol

[87 town]

joedogg,
a quick, i hope...p.s.
on the compound. if you get the 3m, which is the best. it comes in a tall grey plastic container. body paint supply store...
anyhow, you would only use the amount of maybe the size of (2) quarters to work an approx. 8" x 8" area and i wouldnt work more than a 2' x 2' area at one time cuz the compound will start to dry up and cake if you try and do too large and area at once. you may have to work an area for even 1/2 hour at a time to get it smooth. when you are done with an area with the compound it should feel something like glass. you may even do the whole lid once and then come back again for a 2nd run.

[joedogg]

Okay I took a few pics this morning of the damage to the trunk lid, just so everyone knows what we're dealing with. I'm going to begin with what 87 said this weekend. I also took a pic of my bumper sticker, because I couldn't resist.

BTW, it is wet since it was rainy this morning. Its not usually quite that shiny. You can see the paint damage real good on the trunk. I'm not sure it'll rub out

[87 town]

Okay I took a few pics this morning of the damage to the trunk lid, just so everyone knows what we're dealing with. I'm going to begin with what 87 said this weekend. I also took a pic of my bumper sticker, because I couldn't resist.

BTW, it is wet since it was rainy this morning. Its not usually quite that shiny. You can see the paint damage real good on the trunk. I'm not sure it'll rub out

yep, im familar with the rust spot. have to remove the logo and work all the rust out as i described. the trunk basically looks okay other wise and i would definitely use the rubbing compound before trying to paint the whole trunk. you can touch up spots with glaze and spot painting before you rub out the whole trunk. when you rub it out, you will bring new life to your paint and it will eliminate light scratches and get rid of discoloration. you owe it to yourself to rub it out first and you should see a huge difference.
on the replacement of the logo...you may get a doubleside foam tape sold at auto supply paint stores specific to affix on logos with. cut the tape down to fit behind the logo with the object being that the metal logo is "not" touching your new paint at all to prevent future rust in the exact same spot. you can still attach the logo on as usual, but with the metal not touching. BE CAREFUL in pulling off the logo that you dont snap off the back metal (little rods that the slip on nut attaches to to hold it in place), so you can re use them..try prying under it carefully with a screwdrive a little at a time. I dont remember, but i dont think you can access the little nuts from under the trunk....if you can, pop them off and it will be easy to keep the logo in one peice. I "think" one logo you can access from the rear and other you cannot? if they break off and you dont have a replacement, you can snap the backs off as low as you can and file the nubs down flat and just use the double side tape to hold the logo on.

[joedogg]

the trunk basically looks okay other wise and i would definitely use the rubbing compound before trying to paint the whole trunk.

Does it matter that there is factory clearcoat? Will the rubbing compound just kind of work?

[87 town]

Does it matter that there is factory clearcoat? Will the rubbing compound just kind of work?

if you have "clearcoat" is can't be from the factory as orig paint. was never used back then. But yes, i have used 3m finishing rubbing compound over clearcloat as well on my sebring. brought it back to life. in this case you arent going under the clearcoat but you are cleaning up all the imperfections "on" the coating, like dullness, surface scratches, yellowing (whatever is over the clearcoat). unless your car has been repainted since it was new, you definitely do not have clearcoat on it. just in case you arent familar, clearcoat is a "clear platic film" sprayed on. invisible, but you can scratch at it and it will get picky and edgy, sort of like the film you find over maybe a new remote control for the tv.

[joedogg]

Oh, maybe not factory. I think it does have clearcoat on it, since it seems to be flaking off stuff from the roof and decklid that seem like a, as you said, a clear plastic-like coating. I didn't think the car had ever been repainted. Sure dosen't look like it since the paint dosen't show any painting errors.

[87 town]

Oh, maybe not factory. I think it does have clearcoat on it, since it seems to be flaking off stuff from the roof and decklid that seem like a, as you said, a clear plastic-like coating. I didn't think the car had ever been repainted. Sure dosen't look like it since the paint dosen't show any painting errors.

probably just loose wax buildup flaking and may even be white in color. that is the beauty of the rub compoud, it will remove all that junk. i have clear on my sebring and around the key opening on my trunk, someone had been scratching the key over the area over the years and it has a circle of rough edging sticking up and picky, you can grab peices with your fingernail if you want and then you would literally "peel" back like you would contact paper.
Do the rub and dont worry about it. 99% you dont have clear on there, just old wax.
your roof is cloth, like mine, i thought. Even if it is vinyl, clear would never ever be sprayed on that. scaling up there would usually just mean that it needs a good scrubbing with a brush and soapy water.
When you get the compound work a small area first and if you pick up black paint on the buffer "bonnet" of terrycloth, that will be your guarantee that there is no clear on there. Or you can take a little peice of sandpaper and work up a small spot and see if your paper rolls around and picks up plastic or you pick up black paint on it.

[joedogg]

Alright cool, sounds like something to try. I'll see how it goes. My roof is a half roof with the vinyl, half metal.

[98TC-Cartier]

joedogg, looks like you have a classic case of peeling clearcoat, and yes Ford did use it in the mid to late 80's. Our 88 Conti has a clearcoat finish and it is crap when it starts to go. You will have to remove ALL of it if you are going to repaint the deck lid. Perfect use for a pressure washer. :)

[gadget73]

Yes, these cars had clear coat from the factory back in the 80s. Not sure when it became standard but the black cars by 86 definitely had clear. Clear was also on the dark blue, champagne, graphite, and maroon colors. 80s Ford clearcoat sucked too, and had a nice habit of turning chalky then peeling exactly like yours did.

I would seriously just replace that lid with a junkyard one. Fixing rust on a part that takes 20 minutes to change seems like a big waste of effort to me, but I'm also admittedly lazy.

[87 town]

Yes, these cars had clear coat from the factory back in the 80s. Not sure when it became standard but the black cars by 86 definitely had clear. Clear was also on the dark blue, champagne, graphite, and maroon colors. 80s Ford clearcoat sucked too, and had a nice habit of turning chalky then peeling exactly like yours did.

I would seriously just replace that lid with a junkyard one. Fixing rust on a part that takes 20 minutes to change seems like a big waste of effort to me, but I'm also admittedly lazy.

Well, maybe Ford did start using clearcoat back then and "I would stand to be corrected". My Black 87 did not have clearcoat on it though when I refinished it a few years ago, working off, what I knew as original paint. Whenever I buffed it, even before I got it painted, I got nothing but black paint on my bonnet...soooo, if there was any clearcoat there originally is was worn away... If he replaces the trunk lid though, chances are it will still need to be painted anyhow and will most likely have rust also and be in the same spot as now...
All, I can say here is what has worked for me! I have gotten rid of even larger rust spots myself and you would not be able to tell they were ever there when I was done using the method I described. Had a huge rust spot under my lincoln logo on the fender. After I scrubbed out the rust it was probably a 3-4" hole all the way through the metal and had to work around the outside of the area another few inches to finally feather into the exsisting paint. It never came back and you would never know it was ever there.
BTW Joe Dogg.. "If" you decide to do the body work I wanted to make mention that if you sand Bondo down you should start with a rougher grade of paper. Maybe 80 to 150 grit and then work up to a 240 grit and then higher up to the 600 and 800 grits I mentioned for smoothing and sanding the glaze and roughing up the paint and then 1200 grit for final wet sanding.
Hey, Good Luck, with whatever you end of doing!:)

[joedogg]

I'm definately going to attempt to fix the one I already have. If I have to I'll try the repaint scheme you suggested. It dosen't have to look perfect, just look pretty good. I mean it looks like the living hell right now! Also I'm very sick of this rust. This car runs to good to look like this.

[87 town]

I'm definately going to attempt to fix the one I already have. If I have to I'll try the repaint scheme you suggested. It dosen't have to look perfect, just look pretty good. I mean it looks like the living hell right now! Also I'm very sick of this rust. This car runs to good to look like this.

I agree with you. Try and save what you have. For me, if I just threw away all the parts on my car that has had rust.....ahhh........
I would have replaced most parts by now. I have had rust on both fenders, quarters, both front doors, the same spot as you have now on the trunk and oh yeah, all the pit marks around the front headlights too from road stones, etc.
For that I just sanded smooth the pit marks and used just a "little" bondo glaze compound, sand it smooth and touch up paint followed by rub compound abd then wax. Baby smooth now and you would never know they were ever there.
It is not a rush job though. Really takes some focused time and patience. Everytime I rushed I've had to come back over again!
Let us know how it turns out.

[gadget73]

I dunno, I greatly dislike filler in a car, and will replace things as needed to avoid having filler. If it unbolts, I'd far sooner replace it than patch it. The lower quarter panels on my car have been fixed, but there is an extreme minimum of filler in there because I had metal welded in place to fill the holes. I also usually consider the time factor. I can swap a decklid in a fairly small amount of time where fixing a rust hole will take a whole lot longer. I've usually got more things going on than I can keep up with, so whatever is the least time consuming option is usually my choice. That, and I really do not like bodywork.

[87 town]

I dunno, I greatly dislike filler in a car, and will replace things as needed to avoid having filler. If it unbolts, I'd far sooner replace it than patch it. The lower quarter panels on my car have been fixed, but there is an extreme minimum of filler in there because I had metal welded in place to fill the holes. I also usually consider the time factor. I can swap a decklid in a fairly small amount of time where fixing a rust hole will take a whole lot longer. I've usually got more things going on than I can keep up with, so whatever is the least time consuming option is usually my choice. That, and I really do not like bodywork.


I know what you mean but, at least by me here in the midwest, rust free fenders or trunklids or doors are hard to come by if not impossible. (especially in the right color). There is a place called certi-fit that carries some new parts but they are pretty expensive. Anyhow, this was the primary reason I got into doing the body work myslef. Anyhow, whatever works!:)

[joedogg]

I dunno, I greatly dislike filler in a car, and will replace things as needed to avoid having filler. If it unbolts, I'd far sooner replace it than patch it. The lower quarter panels on my car have been fixed, but there is an extreme minimum of filler in there because I had metal welded in place to fill the holes. I also usually consider the time factor. I can swap a decklid in a fairly small amount of time where fixing a rust hole will take a whole lot longer. I've usually got more things going on than I can keep up with, so whatever is the least time consuming option is usually my choice. That, and I really do not like bodywork.
It already looks so bad, I figure, it cannot hurt any.

[87 town]

It already looks so bad, I figure, it cannot hurt any.


Just a quick note regarding filler. I think Gadget is talking about a lot of bondo that may crack later. What we are talking about here is probably a couple tablespoons of Bondo that will remain and the rest is fine surfaced layers of glaze. This type of treatment should not crack or fall out as long as it is applied correctly.
If you had a banged up fender and layed a pound or two of bondo in there, yeah, then you should replace the part rather than bondo it up.

[joedogg]

Ahh, okay. I'm just unsure of my ability to get a decklid that isn't already rusted to hell. Since there is no such U-Pull around, I can probably do this, and it already looks awful and I dont really have to worry about messing it up more, I'm going to give it a go. Probably won't be too much bondo needed.

[87 town]

Ahh, okay. I'm just unsure of my ability to get a decklid that isn't already rusted to hell. Since there is no such U-Pull around, I can probably do this, and it already looks awful and I dont really have to worry about messing it up more, I'm going to give it a go. Probably won't be too much bondo needed.
I "know" you can do it! It can come out perfect too if you press it to that level. Up to you! Expect some trial and error though up front.

[gadget73]

I guess I'm spoiled. Lots of junkyards in Pennsylvania full of good condition low/no rust cars, and the parts are cheap.

[joedogg]

I guess I'm spoiled. Lots of junkyards in Pennsylvania full of good condition low/no rust cars, and the parts are cheap.
You sure are! In Florida, not only is rust a problem. I cannot find a F**KING JUNK YARD!

[87 town]

I guess I'm spoiled. Lots of junkyards in Pennsylvania full of good condition low/no rust cars, and the parts are cheap.

Chicago has plenty of junk yards, but try to find body parts without rust!

[Scruffybeast]

Naval Jelly is basically a jellied Phosphoric Acid solution. Kills rust, but must be cleaned off after using. If you leave a heavy coat of the stuff on the metal, paint will not always go on or stick right. Scruffybeast

[87 town]

Naval Jelly is basically a jellied Phosphoric Acid solution. Kills rust, but must be cleaned off after using. If you leave a heavy coat of the stuff on the metal, paint will not always go on or stick right. Scruffybeast

Yep, I agree. I put in on, wait about 10 to 15 minutes ans then rinse well with clear water and then maybe repeatthe treatment again. Then immediately get some primer or paint on there so it wont rust again, literraly overnight it will start up again. Yeah, paint will not stick well on this sticky stuff. Any remaining rust in the metal (streaks or small spots), should turn black with the concept being that these areas bond with the good metal.
I "just" picked up a 66 chevy impala the other day. project car for me.. talk about rust. i now have to learn how to work with forming some sheet metal and welding in place cuz the rust in some areas is "serious" and has to be cut out. Smaller rust areas I will work with the Naval Jelly.