From the pictures, it looks like the original paint cracked, and rust formed beneath it rather than rust flowing down from above.  If so, it is a minor problem.  Just clean all the paint off and treat it with POR 15 or equivalent.

Larry

So far it looks like those rust stains are localized. I removed the cracked paint and only found surface rust on the metal but there is some small pitting there. I will grind it down to clean metal. There appears to have been some filler added there but they didn't do a very good job of it. Not contoured nice at all. You can see that in the picture above. I will rework that so it looks better. At the very top just below the chrome cover there is no rust.

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It has been over a year since I started. I had to quit the project so the car just sat in the garage. I was able to get started again in May 2012. As of July 27 2012 I have done the fiberglass repairs and applied Slick Sand High Build Primer.




https://www.c3vr.com/member_uploads/14401_14500/14470/Doors-off-(Copy)201261111476r.jpg

There would be a filler of sorts in that area, since there are a couple of panels welded together there...so you're not really looking at some kind of "Bubba" repair.
Pull the kick-panels off and have a look behind them. Water will pool up in that area, and rust big-time. If there isn't any major rust in the kick-panel area, then what you see in that first pic is basically surface rust, prolly just as Larry said, from cracked paint, and water getting under it onto bare metal.
Hope that's all it is, anyway!


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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Joel
I am looking at the color of your 74. Medium Red Metalic. Since I am not going to paint my vette with the original Silver Mist I am free to go with any color.
I've narrowed it to Blue or red. I don't care for the Bright reds like your 1985 I prefer the darker reds.

Can you be more specific on the color. Paint brand, Base coats, etc. I really don't think I am going to try painting my Corvette myself but I'd like to be specific when I get to the paint stage.


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It has been over a year since I started. I had to quit the project so the car just sat in the garage. I was able to get started again in May 2012. As of July 27 2012 I have done the fiberglass repairs and applied Slick Sand High Build Primer.




https://www.c3vr.com/member_uploads/14401_14500/14470/Doors-off-(Copy)201261111476r.jpg

Ok
now for bad news. Well sorta I think. I have the kick panels off and as everyone has suggested I found rust. It is at the bottom around the mount. I don't know how severe it is. I can't poke a screwdriver through it but there is a fair amount of loose crusty rust in there. I will scrape as much loose as I can and vacuum out the loose stuff.
Now the question. How does the water get in there. What do I have to do to stop it from getting worse. If I never plan to remove the body from the frame can I just fill it with fiberglass or bondo? Looks like POR-15 will be the solution.

Any ideas?

Here is what I found. I scraped all the loose rust away and this is how it looks. It isn't rusted through but there is rust there. One small hole. but the rest is pretty solid. Also I think that is the vent door to the right. It won't open. It looks like it has been glued shut.

BillinNashville2010-07-15 15:58:37

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It has been over a year since I started. I had to quit the project so the car just sat in the garage. I was able to get started again in May 2012. As of July 27 2012 I have done the fiberglass repairs and applied Slick Sand High Build Primer.




https://www.c3vr.com/member_uploads/14401_14500/14470/Doors-off-(Copy)201261111476r.jpg

A/C cars will NOT have a vent door on the driver side, so no worries there.
That appears to be a fair amount of rust, but....mine had about the same amount in that area, too. Cleaned it up and coated it, and I quit worrying about it. Nothing I can do anyway.
The water gets in there from the fresh air system(look at the ends of the area where the wipers are, under the hood, and you'll see the wire-mesh grills to keep stuff out). If the drains in the bottom of the cowls are stopped up, and they usually are, water will pool up down in the kick panel area. Water leaking past the windshield seal will also run down there, and also rust the windshield header out.

I can't give you any specifics on the paint on my '74, other than it is a base/clear, code 74L. I think it is a PPG paint, but it's been so long ago I just can't remember.
I can remember this..."ALL Corvettes are RED...the rest are mistakes!"


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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Mine looked very similar too, agree - clean it up and treat it as best you can, not much room to work in there - and move on. It should last for a long time. If it's like mine, it  generally only gets wet when I wash it and I can't remember the last I washed it, other than the tires. Willis762010-07-14 11:01:48

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I can remember this..."ALL Corvettes are RED...the rest are mistakes!"

Ha. Good one. I'll remember that.
I haven't looked under the windshield yet. That will come later. I will be replacing the windshield anyway. It has some really bad wiper scrapes in it. and it's pitted. Glares pretty bad.
I wonder who the engineer was who decided on the placement of the fuse block. I can barely get to it. The wiring in there doesn't look too cobbled up so unless something isn't working I think I will leave it alone. But there are screws missing and things that are not attached under there and some knobs that I have no idea what they do. Guess I better look in the book.
I will decide the color when I get ready for paint and that's a ways off yet.

Thanks for the advice on the rust. I found a little more rust on the back side of the plate the rocker panel attaches to but it isn't too severe. I will coat that as well.
I ordered the rust coating stuff.



______________
It has been over a year since I started. I had to quit the project so the car just sat in the garage. I was able to get started again in May 2012. As of July 27 2012 I have done the fiberglass repairs and applied Slick Sand High Build Primer.




https://www.c3vr.com/member_uploads/14401_14500/14470/Doors-off-(Copy)201261111476r.jpg

______________
It has been over a year since I started. I had to quit the project so the car just sat in the garage. I was able to get started again in May 2012. As of July 27 2012 I have done the fiberglass repairs and applied Slick Sand High Build Primer.




https://www.c3vr.com/member_uploads/14401_14500/14470/Doors-off-(Copy)201261111476r.jpg

[QUOTE=BillinNashville] [/QUOTE]

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I did the reading. Yes, I will wait on that. It can be done anytime and I don't think removing the bolt will do any good at all.
I suppose there is no way to repair that rusted section. Maybe with a frame off job but that isn't going to happen.
Thanks


______________
It has been over a year since I started. I had to quit the project so the car just sat in the garage. I was able to get started again in May 2012. As of July 27 2012 I have done the fiberglass repairs and applied Slick Sand High Build Primer.




https://www.c3vr.com/member_uploads/14401_14500/14470/Doors-off-(Copy)201261111476r.jpg