NEED HELP Rust along bottom of my rear doors

hawkeye405

Original poster
Member
Apr 9, 2015
109
Chicago
My 2003 TB has rust along the inside bottom of both rear doors. I've sanded them, primed and painted them and the rust comes through. Does anyone sell replacement sections for these doors?
 

djthumper

Administrator
Nov 20, 2011
14,950
North Las Vegas
You may get lucky and find a door skin
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
I been looking for a clean set of doors for awhile, but I live in the rust area so they aint appeared yet.
 

hockeyman

Member
Aug 26, 2012
726
What kind of primer and paint did you use?
I'm only recommending this as a temporary fix, but you should try Por15 paint: https://www.por15.com/POR-15_Rust_Preventive_Coating

I've used that Por15 on many different metals over the years and have had very good results with it retaining minor to moderate rust. *Paper thin metal that peels off with slight movement should be replaced. Ain't no paint that'll help that :hopeless:

When painting (if possible), try to coat both inner & outer sides so it completely encapsulates and stops it. Then scuff, clean and apply your basecoat/clearcoat over the por15 paint. That should buy you much more time and keep any remaining rust from pushing through.
 

hawkeye405

Original poster
Member
Apr 9, 2015
109
Chicago
Thanks but trying to find metal replacement sections. I don't have the metalworking tools to for metal.
 

Torker

Member
Jan 2, 2017
36
Udall,Ks
I have one spot on mine too, on the inside of door . Not all the way through yet. Seems like this is where it starts on these trucks.
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Problem is, when you see it, it has been going for a while from the inside already most likely, or at least deeper within that folded seam.

I do not know of any replacement sections for these doors. I looked a while ago and found nothing.
 
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littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
It's the only rust I have on my body. Luckily for the last 7 years it hasn't gotten any worse. Not much that can be done...
 

Shaw520

Member
Sep 20, 2017
289
Northeast
Water gets in the door, if the drains are plugged the water sits a rots the metal...one tactic is to spray atf inside the door.
I save all my drained atf, i fill spray bottles with it and keep them handy,..whenever im working on soething that looks dry or corroded,..under carriage,..calipers,..spray away. Atf is a good rust inhibitor,..and drained atf is free.
 
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Matt

Member
Dec 2, 2011
4,019
My rear doors also have the cancer and the only fix is "new" doors.
 

jsheahawk

Member
Jan 16, 2013
533
Kansas City
I feel you. I just replaced my rear driver's side door. I watched the pick and pull sites for months until my color came up!
 

hawkeye405

Original poster
Member
Apr 9, 2015
109
Chicago
You would think that with this area rusting on so many of our rides that someone would make a replacement section so we can cut the rust out and weld in a new section. I saw a guy somewhere on youtube cut his off and make a new piece that he was able to weld back in after prepping the inside of the door skin. This is where an auto body friend would come in real handy. Used doors are $300 plus and then add shipping too.
 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Member
Mar 31, 2017
121
PA
yep, I got the rust too, driver's side, passenger door bottom right corner.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
I remember when they used to sell complete door skins. I guess the cost of those outweighed the cost of the labour instead.
 

hawkeye405

Original poster
Member
Apr 9, 2015
109
Chicago
My two front doors look brand new. No rust inside or out but the back two doors are the problem. I'll have to get at them this spring. Something has to be done.
 

Dr.Fiero

Member
Dec 7, 2017
161
S. Alberta
Maybe if enough of us ask (nicely!), they'll start producing an outer skin?
http://www.autometaldirect.com/index.php

And it would also seem that they're quick to respond too! Under an hour. :biggrin:

" John,

As a long time GM truck fan and owner, I agree with you. Especially for all the Trailblazer SS type guys that are building these trucks. I will certainly pass this along to my R&D head and maybe that can be something we’ll offer in the future. We are just dipping our toes in with some more parts for 1999-2007 Classic Silverados so who knows?

Thank you

Zach Huckleberry
Auto Metal Direct "
 

hawkeye405

Original poster
Member
Apr 9, 2015
109
Chicago
Something just like this:
515-4067-L_800.jpg

Found this on http://www.autometaldirect.com/index.php
 

bfairweath

Member
Oct 20, 2013
95
Neenah, WI
I've had bad rust on the inside bottom of the rear doors of my '03 for years. It started to creep around to the outside about a year ago. Just seeing the rust color, no bubbling yet. Might get another year or so before it's really noticeable. I also have quite a bit of rust on the inside of the hood, near the hole where the hood prop goes - to the point where I get chunks in my hand when I open my hood. That's starting to creep around to the front too. I feel like when I finally retire my TB it will be for excessive corrosion rather than a major mechanical failure. I don't give two s**** about what my vehicles look like, but corrosion of structural parts is hard to stop or keep up with replacements.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
I think what's worse are the rear hatches and hoods. 9-7x are especially bad for hoods and many were replaced by GM while they were still under warranty. Nobody makes them and supposedly can be ordered fro Sweden for $600CAD, but this was a couple of years ago so who knows now. Wound up going to southern NY state last winter to get one that was already starting to rust underneath but decent on the front.
 

Torker

Member
Jan 2, 2017
36
Udall,Ks
The bad thing is that it is in the seam. If I cut it out on the back before it gets to the outside maybe I can save it for awhile. Just afraid it will keep going along that seam. :badday:
 

Dr.Fiero

Member
Dec 7, 2017
161
S. Alberta
100% on the seams, where they folded the outer skin onto the frame. Seems (no pun intended!) to be where mine starts, and my brothers as well.

To TRY and slow it down, I'm spraying some rustmort over all of them.
Let it sink in a bit, and repeating until I get bored (and hopefully it's penetrated well).
Rinse it off a dozen times, then doing something like POR-15 to encapsulate it (vs convert it).
Then I'll go over top of every seam with some liquid crack & seam sealer (you know - what they SHOULD HAVE done at the factory!). That should give it quite a few more years of life I suspect.
 
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rizzo20

Member
I'm starting to get it on my rear doors too. No bubbling yet either but its coated in rust on the surface. I've been spraying the body off with a hose nearly every evening after I get home from work. Whatever the state of PA is putting on these highways for ice melter is nasty stuff.
 

itsatruck

Member
Oct 12, 2017
15
Warren, Pennsylvania
Yeah, but it doesn't melt the snow either.
I'm starting to get it on my rear doors too. No bubbling yet either but its coated in rust on the surface. I've been spraying the body off with a hose nearly every evening after I get home from work. Whatever the state of PA is putting on these highways for ice melter is nasty stuff.
 

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