Rust! (Or: How do I remove this rear seat cross-bracing?)

[Joel]

I was putting in some new speakers to replace the ancient ones that had been cut under the rear seat when I found this rust spot. Took off the back seat and scraped up a little of the bitumastic to find the edges. The good news is that it looks like it's pretty much contained in that one spot and isn't so deep that I can put a screwdriver through the metal. The bad news is that it looks like it goes under the lip of that front cross-piece.

I'd welcome advice on how best to take that cross piece out. I'm a complete novice, but I'm ready and willing to make mistakes. Wasn't sure if the best course of action was the try to cut it out with a torch or just try to use a wheel and a Dremel to get underneath the lip and whip out all the bad areas, then treat with an arrestor.

Also, while I'm in here, I was thinking of taking off all the bitumastic since it's cracking and chipping (and to check for more rust). Does anyone have a suggestion of what I should put down to replace it?

(Here's a bigger version of the image on Flickr FYI: )

[ThatGuy]

Doesn't look like you need to cut it out, definitely not with a torch unless you want to have a car-b-que.

You can probably just wire wheel it and vacuum to get a good look at how deep the rust is.

If the rust goes under the divider metal and is sandwiched between the two pieces you should be able to work some converter in between the two.

[wickstad]

The clear plastic line is your fuel line so I'd be careful with the wire wheel around it.

My method is to brush it by hand (with a vacuum handy) and hit it with some rust converting gel, and brush it again once it's dry (vacuum again).

ymmv, of course.

[Tommy]

Don't cut it unless it's rusted through and you need to weld new metal. Still if you need to cut - cut the rusted floor from under side and leave the seat support. It's too much hassle to remove and remount it because of that small rusted area.

Tommy

[Guest]

use some form of liquid like rust mort, it will find it's way down in between the cracks to eliminate the rust. The rest a wire wheel will just fine as stated above.

Good luck.

[Joel]

I wirewheeled it all out and in one tiny spot, smaller than a dime, it actually goes all the way through. I like to think of it as my inverse micro-sunroof.

I kept peeling up the bitumastic, though, and kept finding more tiny little bits of rust, which is about to make me rip out all the interior and take up all the soundproofing and give it a once over. But if I do that, I might as well...

Is crying a normal part of '02 ownership?

(Actually, it doesn't seem that bad, although I really don't want to weld anything if I can help it. But it may mean I have to go out and find a beater, since my '02 is currently my only car.)

[Guest]

crying and laughing at the same time is very normal for ownership on these things. But smiles from cheek to cheek when you get it done and drive it. It's awsome.

L.T.

[TobyB]

ooh, don't take that rear seat panel out.

It actually helps hold the rear geometry of the car!

And it's part of why a 'rear strut bar'

is more 'dead weight in trunk'

Also not a good idea to punch holes in it,

(yeah, PO butchery is just a fact of life, I'm not sayin' it was you!)

for the same reason...

t