Rust Repair Maiden Voyage
Instead of washing the car in falling snow, I wiped with a soapy rag and toweled dry. I'm glad I picked up that old space heater at the neighbor's estate sale!
It took most of the morning to get the aluminum trim off the wheel well lip. Those screws were really seized to the trim. I used PB blaster, WD-40, and many sideways taps to the screw heads with a hammer and an old screwdriver. I think what really freed them was wedging the screwdriver between the head and the trim. Now the trim is a little dented around the screw holes, but it's not that bad.
I opened up quite a few holes just by tapping with my old screwdriver. The inside is predictably full of dirt, scale, and a few leaves. I didn't realize that the inside is open to the trunk until I saw my tire iron through one of the holes. Anything that falls down the side of the trunk floor gets trapped in there.
The inside wheel well panel is starting to rot too. The lip itself feels pretty solid. I hope I can reuse it.
Instead of washing the car in falling snow, I wiped with a soapy rag and toweled dry. I'm glad I picked up that old space heater at the neighbor's estate sale!
It took most of the morning to get the aluminum trim off the wheel well lip. Those screws were really seized to the trim. I used PB blaster, WD-40, and many sideways taps to the screw heads with a hammer and an old screwdriver. I think what really freed them was wedging the screwdriver between the head and the trim. Now the trim is a little dented around the screw holes, but it's not that bad.
I opened up quite a few holes just by tapping with my old screwdriver. The inside is predictably full of dirt, scale, and a few leaves. I didn't realize that the inside is open to the trunk until I saw my tire iron through one of the holes. Anything that falls down the side of the trunk floor gets trapped in there.
The inside wheel well panel is starting to rot too. The lip itself feels pretty solid. I hope I can reuse it.
