Rust removal and unpleasant surprises (part 1)

225 Views 4 Replies 3 Participants Last post by nebojsaterzic01, 4 d ago

nebojsaterzic01

Discussion Starter · 6 d ago (Edited)

Hi everyone!

I'd like to share some of my recent experiences with fellow Passat enthusiasts.

Recently, i have been doing many retrofits to my B5+ Passat (which i will also post about), so i took the entire interior out so i can do everything perfectly (crazy guy, i know 😂). That was also a great opportunity for me to change the dashboard - it was destroyed previously when someone changed the heater core. They obviously didn't know how to remove it properly and broke it in many places, so i had to suffer with creaking and popping sounds for a long time.

Car Vehicle Hood Automotive tire Automotive lighting

Automotive tire Wheel Automotive lighting Motor vehicle Tire

When i removed the carpet, i was faced with an unpleasant surprise - rust. Previous owners obviously never cleaned the infamous drains and over the years, rust started to appear. By the way, i reaally hate rust

Hood Automotive tire Motor vehicle Bumper Tread

Motor vehicle Automotive tire Hood Automotive lighting Bumper

I tackled the challenge and removed the rust completely - when i say completely, i mean every single spot of rust i saw. I used everything i could as a weapon against rust - power drill, a metal brush, sanding paper etc.

Road surface Automotive tire Asphalt Wood Grey

Automotive tire Hood Grey Motor vehicle Automotive lighting

After that, i degreased everything with anti-silicone degreaser and applied epoxy primer. It adheres to bare metal really well and doesn't let air or moisture through, so it will be a great protection. I also plan to re-check and paint the entire floor in the color of the car soon, so it all looks good.

Automotive tire Grey Motor vehicle Urban design Automotive exterior

There were also some more details and unpleasant surprises, but not nearly as important as this one. I won't add that to this post so it doesn't get too long. You can also check out my YouTube video for some more information.

Thank you for taking your time to read this, have a great day!

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4zfed

· #2 · 5 d ago

Wow is all I can say! That is real dedication, to strip all that down and prep all the surfaces. Having grown up in the 1960s and 1970s in the Northeast, that barely counts as rust to me 😉 but we all have our particular concerns. If it all goes back together properly, you will have a nicer car to drive.

My next concern is taking down the headliner to replace a bad antenna mount...

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nebojsaterzic01

Discussion Starter · #3 · 5 d ago

4zfed said:
Wow is all I can say! That is real dedication, to strip all that down and prep all the surfaces. Having grown up in the 1960s and 1970s in the Northeast, that barely counts as rust to me 😉 but we all have our particular concerns. If it all goes back together properly, you will have a nicer car to drive.

My next concern is taking down the headliner to replace a bad antenna mount...

Thank you, i'm really dedicated for everything i do but especially when it comes to cars.
Yeah, it's true, but i really don't like seeing rust and it was actually my first time to remove a "bigger" amount of it. I'll have to make sure that it all goes back properly, it's a huge deal for me. 🧐

Oh, i see...removing the headliner wasn't a huge job for me, but also not the most interesting one

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PZ

· #4 · 4 d ago

The plastics fall apart on their own after so many years. I know mine had plastic bits coming out at my feet when driving on rough roads. With the hot climate, it's even worse. Good job on the work, I wish I could still do that.

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nebojsaterzic01

Discussion Starter · #5 · 4 d ago (Edited)

PZ said:
The plastics fall apart on their own after so many years. I know mine had plastic bits coming out at my feet when driving on rough roads. With the hot climate, it's even worse. Good job on the work, I wish I could still do that.

I'm sorry to hear that. 😅

I don't really think they can fall apart on their own...i didn't have those issues even with the old dashboard that was completely destroyed - it would just rattle and annoy me a lot. Most of the cases with plastic problems i know of were usually if some of them were previously removed improperly, breaking them. When i bought the car, almost everything was quiet and nice, but, when the first "electricians" touched it for the heater core job, they broke so many things... They blamed the plastic going bad over time, but i just didn't believe that. When i took the old dashboard out, out of curiosity, i tried breaking the remaining good parts and for the most of them, i had a hard time doing that without applying a significant amount of force, considering it's plastic. Also, looking at where and how certain parts were broken, it's obvious that they didn't unscrew all the screws - i've found some pieces with screws still on them.

Ofcourse, some parts are more brittle than others, but i think that if you are careful enough, most plastic parts are sturdy enough - they definitely won't break or fall apart that easy.

Thank you very much, i'm really young so i have lots of will and patience.

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Rust removal and unpleasant surprises (part 1)

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