Acid-dipping & respraying the trunk lid

September 2008 

The slabside trunk lids are notoriously prone to rust. Condensation is trapped at the bottom of the trunk lid and absorbed by the (factory) caulking between the frame and sheet metal. As a result most trunk lids have rust problems. Finding a replacement in Holland is impossible and even in the US they are rare.

I dropped off my trunk lid at a shop which will chemically strip (dipping process) & epoxy prime it. The paint developed bubbles in the 2 1/2 years since I bought the car. At this point it can still be saved.

Here it is after cleaning and epoxy-priming. It isn't as bad as I feared it would be. The frame doesn't look half bad and the panel itself has two needle sized holes.

There was a dent hiding underneath filler and paint.

A rather large hole in the front left corner. I expected as much because there was a large bubbling blister,

In addition to the trunk lid the paint shop is doing the two upper corners where the trunk weather stripping is glued. (there was rust underneath the weather stripping there). Also both roof drips rails need to be redone because the paint shrunk over the caulking and cracked. There is one quarter size rust bubble in the right rear door and one at the bottom of the left rear wheel well. A few stone chips on the nose and bonnet.... and that's it.

October 4th, 2008

I picked up the car and was very pleased with the results.

 Drip rails were done as well. 

They gave me the metal that was cut out. That's what you get after 44 years and only primer on the inside of the door I suppose. This winter I'm taking of the door panels and treat the insides of the doors for surface rust.