Not-So-Great Stuff

[uai]

Pyrolysis is going to remove it but will require complete stripping of the car. (And subsequent Body restoration)

[xderbyx]

4 hours ago, uai said:

Pyrolysis is going to remove it but will require complete stripping of the car. (And subsequent Body restoration)

Think I’d carve out channels for water diversion in the foam before I went that route haha

Edited July 15, 2021 by xderbyx

[coloincaalpine RIP 2021]

This is quite a thread and, reminded me of a junker that I bought for parts years ago. It actually looked ok until someone wanted the LR quarter. I started grinding and found Bondo and then a little further I found a New Hampshire license plate and a little further and like the "Holy Grail" of filler, expandable foam, I thought, maybe Jimmy Hoffa was next. The car was from guess where?......East coast.

Good luck with your project. Sorry about your task ahead.

dq

[irdave]

If the problem is water coming out, is it not possible to make a drain hole at the bottom- just let the water drain and leave the foam?

[xderbyx]

20 minutes ago, irdave said:

If the problem is water coming out, is it not possible to make a drain hole at the bottom- just let the water drain and leave the foam?

Yes and no. So if I do that, it COULD work fairly effortlessly, but leaving all that foam will most likely still cause some issues: since water follows the path of least resistance, sure it’ll mostly drain right out of that drilled hole, but I’m sure it’ll also continue to travel upwards/outwards, and while maybe not to the extent that it is now since there’d be a “drain hole”, if it’s sitting against the fender or footwell wall, we’re gonna just be promoting rust. I know I won’t be able to get it all out, given it’s difficult location with little-to-no access, but the more then better I believe hah

[xderbyx]

38 minutes ago, coloincaalpine said:

This is quite a thread and, reminded me of a junker that I bought for parts years ago. It actually looked ok until someone wanted the LR quarter. I started grinding and found Bondo and then a little further I found a New Hampshire license plate and a little further and like the "Holy Grail" of filler, expandable foam, I thought, maybe Jimmy Hoffa was next. The car was from guess where?......East coast.

Good luck with your project. Sorry about your task ahead.

dq

I will say, there is a license plate making up part of the rear floor I noticed.. but I haven’t had the need to tear into that and find out from which state lol. Thanks and hopefully I can manage to get most of it out. There’s been some suggestions that got my wheels turning a bit so I have some ideas of how I’d plan on carving this stuff out!

[John76]

6 hours ago, coloincaalpine said:

I found a New Hampshire license plate and a little further and like the "Holy Grail" of filler

 

That was the "license to fill".

[John76]

And who would do such a thing?

 

Bondo.  James Bondo.

[2002Scoob]

Media blasting would do the trick.

 

Wonder if that high-pressure dry ice method would work, and not require major cleanup/bodywork?

 

https://petrolicious.com/articles/cleaning-a-classic-car-with-dry-ice-is-actually-a-thing

 

 

Edited July 15, 2021 by 2002Scoob

['76mintgrün'02]

Cutting large access holes may be the way to go, assuming you have the ability to weld the pieces back in place.  It doesn't sound like fun, but I don't see another way to thoroughly remove That-Stuff.

 

Tom

[tech71]

It's got to go one way or another if your plan is to repair rust.

Impossible to even find corrosion let alone treat and repair with that stuff about.

Theres something hiding under all that foulness, something evil....?

Edited July 15, 2021 by tech71

[SydneyTii]

Many moons ago I had a similar situation on a car in the always soggy UK, expanda foam sprayed into the chassis rails and outer foot wells just like yours, I used a flexible drill shaft with a softer sort of reaming tool bit, I had to drill a couple of 1” ish holes into the chassis rail and then work the shaft and bit backwards and forwards until I ground out enough foam that it was easier to run a stiff wire brush bit, I didn’t get every internal piece clean but it did remove  most of it. It is a horrible job and you need to be careful with the reaming bit not to dig into the metal once it gets going. That said once done I absolutely drenched the internal surfaces with cavity wax, so that was a huge plus as the foam had trapped water between its surface and the metal, waxing became a yearly occurrence and the holes became good for drainage, after 10 years and almost daily driving it held up very well.

I don’t think you can avoid physical abrasion of some sort, dry ice may work like the Petrolicious article,  the bloody foam stuff is just a pita.

Good luck.

Edited July 15, 2021 by SydneyTii

[Lorin]

57 minutes ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

Cutting large access holes may be the way to go, assuming you have the ability to weld the pieces back in place.  It doesn't sound like fun, but I don't see another way to thoroughly remove That-Stuff.

 

Tom

I agree.