66 charger trunk repair

[jww426]

Hello again.
Well, Im going to bear some ugly truth.
While the underside of the car is in very good condition, the trunk has major surface rust.
My plan is to consult a body shop, but in the meantime Ill asks for clean up advice.
The car is a survivor and I want to keep it as original as possible.
Do you think scrubbing off the rust with a brass brush and coating the bare spots with clear or some type of preservative--(The Boeing stuff)--might do the trick?
Or...should I just get a body shop to clean the rust and spray it with original green?
Thanks very much.
JWW

[A383Wing]

as long as there are no holes in the floor, clean, brush, primer, & re-pray with original color

my opinion

[charger490]

you should check your rear window for water leaks also

[cudaken]

 J W, are you worried about rust thought or just want to make it pretty for car shows?  

If it was my Charger and wish it was. I would keep her inside, keep the trunk open, no trunk mat or spare tire. Going to a show, throw the mat and tire in and go. Does the mat cover the well? Never had a first gen Charger.  

Rust will not get any worse if it stays dry. Might throw a bag of the stuff in that suck moister out of the air to be super safe.

If you are only Semi Anal, buzz it with 180 grit with a DA. If it is smooth afterwards use a self etching primer and paint the well. Mask off around the edge of the top of the well where it bends over. It will leave a line but should not be that bad.

To do the full blown Anal Boogie   take it to a good body shop. If I was still running a body shop I would bid it around $450.00 to $500.00. That would clean up all the surface rust in the trunk and paint the whole trunk floor and wheel tubes.

If you are just worried about it getting worse, just keep it dry and clean and you will be fine!   Well, maybe in 60 years it will be worse but with you being 51 it will be the grand-kids problem!  

Good looking car, Cuda Ken

[jww426]

In that case Ill stop rinsing it with seawater.
Many thanks!
JWW

[Silver R/T]

Looks repairable. You can sandblast it and fill pits with body filler and then epoxy primer and paint. Or you can use some rust neutralizer/converter such as POR15, Rust Mort, etc.

[cudaken]

Glad we where of some help JWW.

Cuda Ken

[Skull-1]

I suggest caution when sandblasting.  My car was very nearly ruined by it.  Also, once you get sand in it...getting it out becomes difficult.  Get it wet and it rots everything.

Maybe pecan or walnut shell blasting?  Bead blasting?