Hi
I am new, first post. I have 1974 Vette T-Top. I am in the process of removing the paint for a new paint job. I am doing it the old fashioned way, Razor blades, sandpaper and muscle. Nuts I know.
I have found rust stains in the door jambs just below the windshield posts. Everything seems solid but I am wondering If this is a big issue. I have not found any rust YET. I don't plan a full blown restoration I just want a decent looking Vette but I also don't want it to self destruct when I leave it to my Grandkids. (I'm a little old)
Her is a picture of the rust stain. Left front pilar

Here is the car and paint removal process so far. This took about 3 hours. paint only tho. I know I still need to sand off the primer Once I remove the paint. It seems like there are two coats primer. redish brown top coat and gray beneath that. Should I remove both layers of primer.
I will also be installing the original 1974 rear bumper.

BillinNashville2010-07-15 15:54:51

I have a white 74 as well and I have the same marks in mine also. Was wondering the same thing so I will be anxious to see what replies you get. Let me know how your paint stripping goes. I may have that job in  the near future!
Rodney

Have you pulled any of the window (windshield) mouldings off yet? I sure hope that's not tell tale signs of the birdcage rotting away.......

Rodney
From what I am reading this seems to be a common problem. This car is from Michigan and I don't know if it was Garaged before I got it in 2004. I have always had it Garaged and never drove it in rain or snow but who knows how it was treated before I got it.

Ebo
I hope not too. I am not up for a full blown restoration on this Vette. Just can't justify the expense right now. But I will pull the moldings and see what is under there. I checked the rocker channels and from what I can see there is no rust there so I am hoping this is only the beginning of it. If so I can stop it before it gets worse.
BillinNashville2010-07-03 21:29:16

I'd suggest carefully removing the interior windshield trim - header and pillar post(s).

Thanks Kevin
I plan to pull the trim tomorrow and see what's under there. Mine's a driver to but I want to look good when I drive it :)
BillinNashville2010-07-04 18:27:47

Bill, do like Kevin says......he knows "Stuff".

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.

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!