Re: [alfa] Re: Inner fender panel - Spider

["The Baylys" <dabaylys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In my experience, no matter how well you think you've sealed a cavity,
moisture WILL find its way inside.  All the sealing then achieves is to
create a water trap and not allow the cavity to drain.  Furthermore, the
area is now hidden from view and you don't see the problem until it's too
late/expensive.

I now remove inner fender covers and the like then clean and coat all
surfaces before refitting the covers.  In Alfettas I cut the lower end off
the cover so I can hose the crud out every time I wash the car.  A regular
clean, inspection, and a coat of whatever sprayable rust preventative takes
your fancy is all that is required to extend the life of the sheetmetal.

Using this technique my first 116 coupe saw 14 years and 250,000kms before
bubbling the lower edge of the front fenders.

Beatle
'67 Duetto
Oz

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kevin Trent" <trentkc@domain.elided>
To: <alfa@domain.elided>
Sent: Sunday, October 24, 2004 10:29 AM
Subject: [alfa] Re: Inner fender panel - Spider


> At 12:36 PM 10/21/04 +0000, you wrote:
>
> ><snip>
> >I'd recommend blowing out the dust, etc. behind the panel, maybe even
> >using brake cleaner and then POR.  One person I know went so far as to
> >fill the bottom of the void with "Great Stuff" expanding urethane foam
> >to seal it. Interesting idea, but Great Stuff can make a god-awful mess
> >when it expands if you're not careful. (Might be an interesting idea for
> >Milano rear wheel arches, however!)
>
> I didn't see a reply to this suggestion on using expanding urethane foam
as
> a sealer.  I had also heard of using this product to fill rockers and
other
> unibody cavities to stiffen the chassis.  Seemed like a sound idea but
when
> I asked restoration and body specialists, the response was that the foam
> creates rust by wicking moisture and staying wet, and accelerated car
> cancer from the inside out.  Their advice was against using the expanding
> foam.  Does anyone else have any experience or opinions?
>
> //KCT, Powell, TN
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